CLASSICAL TEXTS

Charaka Samhita – Charaka

Susrutha Samhita – Susruta

Ashtangahridaya – Vagbhata

Sarnghadhara Samhita – Sarghadhara

Bhavaprakasa – Bhavamisra

Madhava Nidhana – Madhavakara

Kashyapa Samhita – Vridha Kashyapa

Belasamhita – Bela

Harita samhita – Harita

Ayurveda

AYURVEDA:

History:

The system, Ayurveda, has been in continuous practice for more than 2000 years.  The treatments done with the help of Natural Healing Power of Herbs were in use since 5000 years.  Our ancestors developed this method and results obtained were recorded.  As in the case of other branches of Science, Research and Investigations were systematically done, method of treatments to get maximum output were developed and crodified to make it un-challengeable.

History of native Indian Medical Science is probably as old as the Indus Valley Civilization dating back to 3000 BC. The remains of deer antler and bitumen found in Harappa bear evidence to the existence of a Medical Science. It was between 1200 and 700 BC subsequent to the Aryan Invasion. So that the four sacred Vedas were composed. References to diseases, Herbs and herbal cures can be seen in all the four Vedas especially in Rig Veda.

Myth

Ayu means ‘life’ and Veda means the ‘knowledge’. Ayurveda is the knowledge of life.  Kerala can claim as the birth place of AYURVEDA.

Ayurveda is the holistic science which has its origin from the Lord of Creation ‘Brahma’.

Ayurveda is said to be originated from ‘Brahma’ – the God of Srishti. He transmitted this knowledge to ‘Prajapathi’. Aswani Kumaras who received this knowledge from Prajapathi,and  advised ‘Indra’ (the king of Gods) who in turn established the School of Medicines (Bharadwaja & Athreya) and school of Surgery (Dhanwandari). Eminent scholars like Charaka, Susrutha, Vagbhata, Madhava, Sarangadhara, Bhavamisra and Kashyapa have inscribed their knowledge on ‘Thali Ola grandhams’. These are the classical Texts of Ayurveda.

EMINENT ACHARYAS:

Charaka (1000 BC):

The principal exponent of Medical System called Kaya Chikitsa (Internal Medicine) is the Author of one of the most important Texts of Ayurveda namely Charaka Samhitha – containing eight sections and 120 chapters.

Susrutha (600 BC):

In his text – Susrutha Samhitha – containing six sections and 186 chapters, Susrutha the foremost disciple of Dhanwanthary and father of Surgery – describes Eye diseases, Surgeries and Surgical instruments.

Vagbhata (500-600 AD):

He has Authored two books ‘Astanga Sangraha’ which contain 6 sections and 150 chapters and Astanga Hridaya – which contains 6 sections and 120 chapters – which are considered to be the best books to know the fundamentals of Ayurveda. He also has one more Text Book named Rasa Ratna Samuchaya (a text on Alchemy)

Madhava (700-1100 AD):

Madhava has also Authored a book on Pathology and Clinical Observations called ‘Madhava Nidana’ or ‘Rug Vinischaya’ which contains 73 chapters.

Sarngadhara (1400 ad):

Sarngadhara has written a book on Pharmacology which mainly describes Pulse Examination, Pancharama, Herb collection, Preparation of Medicines and the shelf life. The book is called ‘Sarngadhara Samhita’. It contains 32 chapters.

Bhavamisra (1500 ad):

Bhavaprakasa is a Book written by Bhavamisra which describes both Native and Foreign diseases (diseases that were introduced to this country through trade with foreigners) like Small Pox, Urinary Disorders resembling diabetes, Somaroga, Syphilis – Phirangam. This book also describes medicines such as Smilax China (Madhusnuhi). He has also written Materia Medica of Ayurveda and a glossary of medicinal herbs.

Kasyapa (1000 BC):

Kasyapa is an early Medical Authority cited even by Charaka. His book named ‘Kasyapa Samhita’ is similar to ‘Charaka Samhita’ with a supplementary section giving detailed descriptions about Paediatrics including Rickets. This book is also known as ‘Vruddha Jivaka Tantram’.  Many of the chapters of this book are not available.

SPECIALISED BRANCHES:

Charakacharya – Kayachikitsa

Susruthacharya – Salya Chikitsa

Vagbhata – Kayachikitsa

Sarnghadhara – Beshajakalpana

Madhavakara – Nidhana (cause & diagnosis)

Kashyapa – Kaumarabhritya (Paediatrics)

Vridha Vagbhata – Rasaratna Samuchaya

CLASSICAL TEXTS:

Charaka Samhita – Charaka

Susrutha Samhita – Susruta

Ashtangahridaya – Vagbhata

Sarnghadhara Samhita – Sarghadhara

Bhavaprakasa – Bhavamisra

Madhava Nidhana – Madhavakara

Kashyapa Samhita – Vridha Kashyapa

Belasamhita – Bela

Harita samhita – Harita

Divisions: (Astangas)

General Medicine – (Kayachikitsa):

This is a branch of ayurveda dealing with the treatment of the ailments affecting the whole body. All the other seven branches are incorporated under this branch.

Paediatrics – (Kaumarabrityam / Balachikitsa)

This is a branch of ayurveda dealing with the health and ailments especially in children.

Psychology – (grahachikitsa)

This is a branch of Ayurveda dealing with the Psychological Health and Ailments, especially (apasmara & unmada)

ENT & ophthalmology – (Salakya Tantra / Urdhwanga Chikitsa)

This is a branch of Ayurveda dealing with the diseases effecting the Head and ‘Indriyas’

Surgery & Orthopaedics – (Salya Tantra)

This is a branch of Ayurveda dealing with ailments which may require Surgical Treatments

Toxicology – (Agata Tantra / Damshtra)

This is a branch of Ayurveda dealing with the treatment of Organic and Inorganic Poisons and diseases effecting the skin Geriatrics & Rejuvenation- (Jara Chikitsa)

Rasayanachikitsa

It is the branch of Ayurveda which promotes General Health, Intellect, Memory power, Body strength etc. it also deals with the curation of various diseases.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES:

These are those which are necessarily known for the better knowledge of human body, mind and soul.  The main principles include Panchamahabhutha Theory, Tridosha Theory and Triguna Theory.  The

Inter-relationship among  the above three is also to be very well known.

Charyas (Lifestyle & Routines)

This include Dinacharya and Ritucharya

Dinacharya:  it is the daily regimen to be followed by everyone for a healthy being.

a)         Get up at Brahma Muhurtha (3 to 6 am)

b)         Attend to your calls for nature

c)         Oral hygiene – brushing of teeth, gum massage, cleaning of tongue and do gargling.

d)         Apply Anjanam – collyrium to improve vision.

e)         Nasyam – nasal application of medicine.

f)          Abhyangam – do oil massage to mitigate Vata, to improve strength, sleep, growth etc.

g)         Vyayama (exercise) – it produces lightness of body, reduce fat and makes the body firm and active.

h)         Snanam – (bathing) – bathing will improve appetite, vigour and removes exertion.

i)          Thamboola Sevanam – take betel leaves along with cardamom, areca nut, calcium etc. which is good for heart and improves digestion (avoid taking tobacco)

j)          Dharmaika Vrithi – do a profession which is noble, respected, beneficial to your society and yourself. Spend time in company of good people.  Be humble, charitable, enthusiastic and spiritual.

Avoid dasavidha papas – cruelty to other living beings, stealing, unlawful sex, back biting, telling lies, hard speech, hatred, jealousy, misunderstanding and faithlessness in god. Take easily digestible food in the evening and sleep well. Recollect the events happened in the day; thank god and nature for caring you. Never suppress the urges of flatus, faeces, urine, thirst, hunger, sleep, vomiting, cough etc.

One should adopt with what is the best for the life, always keep in mind the fear of death.

Ritucharya: it means the regimen to be followed by people during different seasons for the prevention of diseases and to maintain better health. According to ayurveda, every human being is an integral part of the universe and so both have basic elements in common. Any change in the season’s effect the body’s physiology considerably. The six ritus are:

a)                  Sisira – late winter (mid-January to mid-March)

b)                  Vasanta – spring season (mid-March to mid-May)

c)                  Greeshma – summer (mid-May to mid-July)

d)                  Varsha – rainy season (mid-July to mid-September)

e)                  Sarat – autumn (mid-September to mid-November)

f)                   Hemanta – early winter (mid-November to mid-January)

All these six ritus come under two divisions.

1. Uttarayana – six months (dry season)          2.  dakshinayana – six months  (wet season)

Uttarayana constitutes the first three ritus namely:  Sisira, Vasanta & Greeshma. Bitter, Pungent, Astringent tastes are dominant in the soil,  strength will be less for persons as well as herbs

Dakshinayan constitutes the last three ritus namely: Varsha, Sarat and Hemanta. Sweet. Sour and salt tastes are dominant in the soil,  strength will be more compared to uttarayana.

a)         Sisira & Hemanta (Winter)      Weather will be cold and humid.  Health will be more; digestive power will be strong, nights are long and so the person will get appetite in the early morning.

Sweet, sour, oily foods, meat, wheat, milk, ghee, black gram etc. to be used during this ritu.  Do oil massage and powder massages. Do strong exercises, induce

perspiration with warm clothes and live in a warm place, avoid excess sleep. Sex is advised in this period.

b)         Vasanta (Spring)                     During this period aggravation of Kapha occurs which produces indigestion and digestive disorders. Eat dry light food, barley, wheat, honey, dry meat, mango juice

mixed  with sugar ginger and water.  Use bitter, pungent, and astringent taste. Diluted wine can be taken. Do vomiting, nasya, fumigation and gargling.  Exercise is a

must.  Sex is advised once in three days.  Avoid day sleep, heavy food, cold food, excess sweet, sour fruits and oils.

c)         Greeshma (Summer)             In this period there will be loss of kapha and accumulation of vata. Eat light, oily, cool, sweet food with lot of fluids. Drink buffalo’s milk with jaggery. Sweetened fruit

juices,  rice flakes, meat of jungle animals, milk, ghee, grapes, coconut water, and corn flour are good. Do minimal exercises. Sleeping during day is indicated. Avoid

excess salt,  sour and spicy food and alcohol. Sex is advised once in 15 days. Frequent bath in cold water is advised.

d)         Varsha (Rainy season)           During this season, vata gets aggravated, disturbances of agni is prominent, strength will be less, so digestives and carminatives must be used.  Oily, hot, sweet,

sour, salty,  food is advised. Boiled water meat soups, honey are to be in-taken. Eat barley, wheat, soup and pulses.  Spicy, bitter and astringent food must be

avoided.  Butter milk, day sleep, sex and exertion are also to be avoided.

e)         Sarat (Autumn)                       During this period there will be aggravation of pitta.  Eat sweet, bitter, astringent, cold food.  Take medicated ghee. Do dry purgation and blood letting. Use rice,

green gram,  jaggery, grapes, and goose berry, honey and jungle meats. Avoid pungent, sour, salty food, curd, oils and alcoholic drinks.

Dhatus

Dhatus denote the structural components of the body. Dhadus can also be co-related as body anatomy. There are seven dhadus.

1. Rasa – Plasma
2. Raktha – Blood
3. Mamsa – Muscle
4. Medhas – Fat
5. Asti – Bone and Cartilage
6. Majja – Bone Marrow
7. Sukra – Reproductive Fluids.

Malas

These are the waste products formed after the processing of ahara rasa. The waste products get converted into faeces, urine and sweat. Other waste products are also formed during the conversion of one dhatu to other.

Panchabhuthas

According to ayurveda, every substance in the universe is made up of panchamahabhutas, aakasa, vayu, Agni / thejus, aapa and prithvi. (Five great elements namely, space, air, fire, water and earth). Earth forms the substance, water it’s origin and other three elements are its parts. the quality of a substance depends on the element pre-dominant in it.

Srotas

Srotas and dhatus are closely inter-related. These are the path of dhatus. These are the places where doshas accumulate and give way to the formation of diseases.

Tridoshas

Tridoshas are three doshas which are present all over the body.  These are vata, pitta & kapha.  Each dosha dominate a specific region though they have their presence all over. Vata below the navel, pitta in the mid-region and kapha in the chest and head.  Likewise, vata, pitta and kapha predominate during last, middle and first periods of life, day, night and early morning respectively.

Trigunas

Trigunas are the three mental qualities of a human being.  gunas denote the three attributes of nature. They are: satwa – clarity / intelligence, rajas – activity / energy, tamas – obstruction / mass in man, the three gunas tamas , rajas and satwa express themselves as ignorance, activity and wisdom respectively.

Medicines:

Arishtams

Asavams

Choornam

Ghritham

Gulika

Kashayam

Kuzhampu

Lehyam

Rasayana

Thailam

Facilities:

Accommodation                                                AC and non AC rooms with facilities like Intercom, TV. etc.

River side cottages & parnasala                      Eco friendly family cottages on the river side

Oottupura                                                          Pure vegetarian AC Restaurant.

Treatment Rooms                                            Spacious Traditional Treatment Rooms with attached bath and toilet, an exclusive treatment room for Back pain and Spondylosis.

Inter net facilities                                             Available at the Center

Conveyance facility                                          Conveyance to and from Cochin or Calicut Air Ports and also for local sight seeing also will be  arranged by the Center.

Yoga Therapy                                                   Complementary Yoga classes every day morning

Entertainments                                                Sight seeing, Boating, Visits to Golden Beach of Chavakkad, Palayur Church (50 A.D.), Elephants’ Paradise, Kodakkallu, Munimada etc.  and also Musical

and Cultural eves.

Tour packages                                                  Tour packages to Animal Sanctuary, Water Falls, and Forest Are and other tourist spots will be arranged on demand

Food                                                                   Pure Kerala style Vegetarian Food prepared by the Center will be served.

Thailam

THAILAM:

In Ayruveda, we  use a  variety of drugs in their different prepared forms.   According to the mode of preparation, the benefit from the medicine also varies. The drugs we use are herbal, and using different parts of the plant in different forms give different effects.   Some of the drugs are powdered and we use different methods to prepare medicine, so that maximum medicinal content can be extracted.

Thailam is a medicated oil prepared by boiling Kashayas and Kalkas (medicine in the form of paste with water) and oil, which is used for external application and internal use.  Thailams are prepared in different Pakas (the different stages of the Kalka Dravyas added) and the use of the Thailam vary according to their Pakas.  Mridu, Madhya and Khara are the three different Pakas.

Thailams are used for a variety of treatments like Snehapana (Gandha Thailam, Bala Thailam etc.), Vasthi (Sahacharadi Mezhu, Dhanwantharam Mezhu etc.), Virechana (Gandharavahastha Erandam, Nirgundyadi Erandam etc.), Abhyangam (Sahacharadi Thailam, Pinda Thailam etc.) etc…etc.

Rasayana

ARISHTAMS:

In Ayruveda, we are using variety of drugs in their different prepared forms. According to the mode of preparation, the benefit from the medicine also varies. The drugs we use are herbal, and using different parts of the plant according to their medicinal value. The drugs are powdered and we use different methods to prepare medicine, so that maximum medicinal content can be absorbed.

After Panchakarma therapy Rasayana Dravyas(special medicines having rejuvenating property) is given to the patient with pathya ahara and viharas(ie.controlled diet & activities). Aamalaki Rasayana, Brahma Rasayana, Bhallathaka Rasayana, Pippali Rasayana are some of the classical Rasayana preparations. If these are pre[pared and taken according to the proper indication they will be very much fruitful.

Lehyam

LEHYAM

In Ayruveda, we are using variety of drugs in their different prepared forms. According to the mode of preparation, the benefit from the medicine also varies. The drugs we use are herbal, and using different parts of the plant according to their medicinal value. The drugs are powdered and we use different methods to prepare medicine, so that maximum medicinal content can be absorbed.

Lehya is the paste form of medicine which is having equally medicinal property and the rasayana property(rejuvenating property). It is prepared by processing the kwatha(decoction) with choorna and herbal preservatives. For example in Chayavanaprasa lehya  boiled gooseberry grinded to pasty form and mixed with a kwatha prepared from more than 60  drugs and choornas. Later  mixed with melted  sugar candy,honey and herbal preservatives.

Kuzhampu

KUZHAMPU:

Kuzhampu is the little more concentrated form of the Thaila. The preparation of the Kuzhampu is very much same of Thailam.

They are used externally for curing many diseases(Dhanwantharam Kuzhampu) &  are also used in eye ailments(Elaneer Kuzhampu) etc..

Kashayam

KASHAYAM:

Kashayas are Ayurvedic preparations which are otherwise called Kwathas  prepared from heating the drugs inl the form of  coarse powder with a definite proportion of water.  The solution is boiled and mede into one eighth of the total volume, so that it contains water soluble contents of the medicine.  We use different Kashayas for different conditions of patients and their diseases.

Dasamoola Katuthrayam, Amruthotharam, Drakshadi Kashayam etc..etc.. are the well known kashayas mentioned in the Ayurveda Classics.

Gulika

GULIKA:

In Ayruveda, we use a variety of drugs in their different prepared forms.  According to the mode of preparation, the benefit from the medicine also varies. The drugs we use are herbal, and using different parts of the plant in different forms give different effects.   Some of the drugs are powdered and we use different methods to prepare medicine, so that maximum medicinal contents  can be extracted.

In Gulika the drugs are powdered and are pounded with suitable solvents to make it a paste. The paste is thoroughly mixed until a firm mass is obtained. The tablet is made from firm mass. Gulika is given internally with suitable Anupanas like Kashayas, Arishtas (Yogaraja guggulu, Kaisoora guggulu etc..) and also for external application in diffferent diseases (Karuthavattu,Vilwadi Gulika etc..).

Ghritham

GHRITHAM:

In Ayruveda, we use a variety of drugs in their different prepared forms. According to the mode of preparation, the benefit from the medicine also varies. The drugs we use are herbal, and using different parts of the plant in different forms give different effects. Some of the drugs are powdered and we use different methods to prepare medicine, so that maximum medicinal contents can be extracted.

Ghritha by maintaining its own properties it increases the qualities of the drugs which are used for processing.The normal Ghee that we process from cows milk itself has a very good medicinal property.

Ghritha preparation is also like Thaila instead of using oil in Thaila, we use ghee in Ghrita. The benefit of Ghrita and Thaila among other drugs, is that they contain fat soluble contents of medicines.

Maha Tikthakam Gritham, Gulggulu Thikthakam Gritham, Panchagavya Gritham etc.. are some of the ghritha preparation explained in classics.

Choornam

CHOORNAM:

In Ayruveda, we are using variety of drugs in their different prepared forms. According to the mode of preparation, the benefit from the medicine also varies. The drugs we use are herbal, and using different parts of the plant according to their medicinal value. The drugs are powdered and we use different methods to prepare medicine, so that maximum medicinal content can be absorbed.

Choornas are prepared by drying the oushadha dravyas and grinding them to powder form. Choornas are in different forms ie. Sookshma Choornam(Fine Powder), Kashaya Choornam(Coarse Powder used to prepare decoction) etc.. The main feature of this Choornas are that not even a single part of the oushadha sasya(Medicinal Plant) is discarded for preparing the Choornas. Choorna can be taken internally (for example Thaleesapatrdi Choornam, Hinguvachadi Choornam etc..) and can be applied externally(for example Jatamayadi Choornam, Nagaradi Choornam etc..). Choornas are used, either internally or externally, with certain herbal preparations (likeLemon extract, Kwathas, Dhanyamla etc..) according to the condition of the patient and disease.

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