Origin of Ayurveda Written by Eby Abraham

Origin of Ayurveda

Ayurveda in its real meaning is a way of life, a philosophy and a science of healing and health care. As a medicinal knowledge, it originates from two distinct dominions, folk wisdom and scientific knowledge. Tradition attributes the origin of Ayurveda from the creator itself. Ayurveda is the collection of the principles of life that took birth with the world itself and is believed not liable to change at any time or in any part of the world. Although Ayurveda put across antiquity, authenticity and efficacy, the tradition does not determine the source of knowledge, nor does it suggests any precise date of origin. The claimed deity of this celestial science is Lord Dhanwanthari, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Vedas, the ancient Indian testimonials contain references to illness, cures and other health-related issues. The cures are both magical and medicinal. However, the references do not add up to a theory of medicine. This developed in the post -Vedic period and was presented in a compete form in the works of Caraka (author of Carakasamhita) and Susrutha (author of Susruthasamhita) probably or before 5th century B.C. Carakasamhita's principal subject is illnesses and their cures with a stress on preventive care. Susruthasamhita is mainly a textbook on surgical practices.

The founding fathers of Ayurveda as we know them today do not claim any originality as authors. Caraka states that he is only redrafting a work composed by Agnivesha who was orally instructed by the sage Atreya. Susrutha presents the text as the teachings of his teacher, King Dhanvantri. Neither of the texts has come down to us in the original form. What we have is a recension or edition of Carakasamhita by Dhridabala and Nagarjuna's recension of Susruthasamhita. The detailed instructions in the two works indicate that a whole body of medical knowledge and practices existed in ancient India for Caraka and Susrutha to draw upon. The other great names in Ayurveda are Kasyapa, Bhela and Vagbhata. Very little is known about the first two and the works their names are associated with, Kasyapasamhita and Bhelasamhita, available only in fragmentary parts. Vagbhata's Ashtangahridayam, on the other hand, is a well-known and widely circulated text. He is said to have lived in or after 5th century A. D.

PHILOSOPHY OF Ayurveda

Ayurveda does not see the human being as a being separate from the universe. According to Ayurveda, the universe and human beings are created with five basic constituents known as panchabhuthas, viz. Akasa (space), vayu (air), tejas (light/heat or energy), jala (water), and prthivi (earthy matter). The latter contain athma in addition. Panchabhuthas have specific qualies (gunas). They are:

1. Akasa Sabdam (sound)
2. Vayu Sparsam (touch)
3. Tejas Roopam (light)
4. Jala Rasam (taste)
5. Prthivi Gandham (smell)

Two other aspects of the panchabhutas are: 1) their density increases progressively from Akasha to prthivi and 2) each succeeding panchabhuta is not only characterised by its own specific quality or guna, but also contains the guna of the panchabhuta preceding it. This process of combination or panchikarna means that the specificity is diluted in four elements except Akasha that is at the top of the scale. Prthivi, at the bottom of the scale, therefore has the gunas of all the elements or bhutas. The panchabhuta concept is rooted in the philosophical systems that emerged in ancient India; namely, Sankhya and Nyaya-Vaiseshika. Human beings are able to access the panchabhutas through the five senses or indriyas namely :

• Ear sound Akasa
• Skin touch Vayu
• Eye sight Tejas
• Tongue taste Jala
• Nose smell Prthivi

The sensory perception of the bhutas takes place because of the process of combination between them with indriyas.

Human body made up of panchabhutas and any part of the body, howsoever minute, is an inseparable mixture of these principles. In Ayurveda, combinations of these principles are classified into three, viz. vayu or vata, mayu or pitta and valasa or kapha for analytical and curative purpose. Of these the first is a combination of Akasa and vayu, the second is tejas, and the third is a combination of prthivi and jala. These three mega-divisions of the body particles are called the tridoshas. These not only build and sustain all parts of the body but also fulfill all biological function when alive. These cannot be detected in their original form in any parts of the body. We must identify these with those parts of the body, where they predominate.

Acharyas emphasize yet another postulate regarding the structural basis of body. The human body consists of seven dhatus or body tissues. They are: rasa (chyle or limph), raktha (blood), mamsa (flesh), medas (fat), Asthi (bone/cartilage), majja (marrow), and sukra (semen). The dhatus are ultimately derived from the panchabhutas. The dhatus undergo a constant process of decay that is arrested by the intake of food and drink. While the seven- dhadu principle postulates a common structural base for the human body, the tridosha doctrine explains the functional equilibrium within the human body. A body that is in disequilibrium of tridoshas, that is ill. The essence of Ayurvedic medical treatment is to restore the equilibrium within the body and bring back harmony between the inner and external worlds. The first step in treatment is to clean the body. The five cleansing processes or panchakarma are: nasya (head/nasal evacuation); vamana (emesis); virecana (purgation); rakthamoksana (blood letting); and vasti (enema). The administration of drugs is generally done (if needed) after the panchakarma treatment. Ayurvedic medicines are based on products from the vegetable, animal kingdoms and also from minerals. These products are used to create formulations based on time-tested formulae. Most of the herbal and other products used in Ayurveda are now being recognised as holding the curative keys to a range of potentially dangerous illnesses.

THE GREAT TEXTS

Carakasamhita consists of 120 chapters divided into eight parts. This voluminous work deals with pharmacology, aetiology of diseases, anatomy, diagnosis and prognosis, preventive therapy, hospitals, epidemics, embryology and philosophy. Carakasamhita also states the fundamental principle of allopathy, namely treating a condition with its contrary or the opposite of the cause. Caraka says: "those who know about herbs use cold to soothe diseases caused by heat and the medicine for those diseases which are caused by cold is heat". It is the same for other diseases too: the medicine is the opposite of the cause. Susrutasamhita mainly teaches surgery. It lists 101 types of surgical instruments but states in clear terms that the surgeon's hand is the most important tool. Surgical tools are described in minute details with their uses and the student is taught how to take care for them. A whole chapter is on how the student can gain practical experience in surgical techniques. The qualities of a good surgeon are spelt out in detail. The 16th Chapter of Susrutasamhita is on plastic surgery: it teaches how to reshape a torn ear and also repair a severed nose by grafting skin and flesh taken from another part of the patients' body. Kasyapasamhita and Bhelasamhitha are available to us only in fragmentary forms. Karyapasamhita is a textbook on the diseases that affect women and children and their treatment. It deals with pregnancy, pre-natal care and childbirth. Bhelasamhita is notable for the fact that unlike all earlier ayurvedic texts, it situates the mind in the brain. The ayurvedic text that has had the largest readership is Vagbhata's Ashtangahridyam. The author does not claim originality. His stated aim is to re-synthesize in simple and clear language all the earlier ayurvedic textbooks. All that we know about Vagbhata is that he was the son of Simhagupta. The text of Ashtangahridayam is presented by the author as the technique expounded by Atreya and other sages. It is in 120 chapters divided into six sections. The first chapter begins with a salutation to Buddha and then presents in a concise form the whole of ayurvedic theory and medicine. It ends with a summary of the remaining chapters in the book. The chapters among other subjects deal with lethal points of the body (marma), causes of disease, preventive measures, treatment of diseases, materia medica, medical formulations, children's diseases and insanity. Another great textbook is Sarangadharasamhita supposedly composed in or about 1300 AD. It is short, explains in simple terms the different measures and weights used, the various ayurvedic procedures of treatment and gives the recipes for making different medicines. Sarangadhara speaks to us directly in the text. He is the author and not a student writing down the teachings of his teacher. Very little is known of Sarangadhara except that his father's name was Damodhara.

Ayurveda IN KERALA

Before Sanskrit became the language of intellectual debate and the influence of the Ayurveda samhitas grew in Kerala it had its own native tradition of medicine rooted in the knowledge of Dravidian and pre-Dravidian societies. Three castes were prominent in the practice of medicine: Ezhava, Mannan and Velan. While the first practiced what can be called general medicine, the second and third were specialists in pregnancy -related issues and illnesses affecting children. In addition there were specialist practitioners in the treatment of snakebites and other poison -related illnesses who produced textbooks that are still used. The native tradition thus was a vibrant one.

Its pharmacopoeia contained medicines and formulations unknown or untested in the Ayurveda samhitas. For instance, while the qualities of coconut are recognised in the Sanskrit works. It is the Malayali physician who developed various medical formulations from the coconut like the elaneerkuzhambu for the eye. Many such formulations are contained in the textbook Sahasrayogam. In physical therapy a whole science of treatment using different methods was developed. Njavarakizhi, pizhichil and dhara are part of this tradition. abhyangam or oil massage was used for medical treatment and with some difference in the training of warriors and kathakali dancers.

The Ayurveda samhitas came to Kerala with the spread of Buddhism and Jainism (5 -7th century AD). The influence of the samhitas and their importance were strengthened with the growth of namputhiri (Brahmin) settlements. Each settlement had at least one household which specialised in Ayurveda. These families are known as ashtavaidyans because their members had mastered the eight (ashta) sections of the great ayurvedic texts. Today the surviving ashtavaidyan families of Kerala are: Pulamanthol, Kuttancheri, Trissur Thaikat, Elayidathyu Thaikat, Chirattamon, Vyaskara, Vellot and Alathiyur. While the members of the last ashtavaidyan family are called 'nambi', the others are called 'moos'. Unlike the Brahmins in north India, the Namputhiri physicians use Vagbhata's Ashtangahridayam as the basic text despite its Buddhist philosophical overtones.

By the 14th century the spread of Sanskrit among the non -Brahmin castes made it possible for others to read and master the contents of the Ayurveda samhitas. The leaders in this were the Variers, a caste that performed specific duties in temples. The Variers proximity to the temples which were centers of learning meant that they became scholars in Sanskrit and hence the samhitas. It is the coming together of these two streams of knowledge, the samhitas and the native medical tradition, that has created what can be called the Kerala system of Ayurveda.

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