Ayurveda: the Science of Life

Lord Brahma, the creator according to Hindu mythology created this earth in six days. It included plants, animals and natural resources. But as the time progressed there were lots of miseries on earth and people were sufferings with so many diseases. Seeing this Brahma- the Creator laid the foundation of ayurveda, which slowly descended to earth.

Ayurveda means science of life. This is a science that not only deals with the treatment of the diseased condition but also teaches us with the various methodologies that are essential to carry out a healthy and happy living. These methods are time tested and uncountable people have gained extreme benefits from wonders of ayurveda.

As Ayurveda has a divine origin, it is considered as holistic science that is blessed by God. Some of the various sages have contributed there whole life in spreading the magic of ayurveda in this world that is suffering from various ailments and sorrows. The main motto behind spreading this divine knowledge was to make people achieve the contented life essential for healthy and peaceful livings.

Besides roaming as nomads to spread the knowledge, they wrote many books. Books like Charka Samhita, Susruta Samhita and Ashtaang samgraha are considered as the pillars of ayurvedic world. These books or the encyclopedias of ayurveda contain an invaluable knowledge that is made after extensive researches made by these genius sages.

Many people doubt that ayurveda might just be an observatory science and bears no scientific back drop. But it is a big myth. Ayurveda thought an observatory science, also bears a deep scientific explanation of all the procedures and suggestions that are mentioned by it. Medical sciences are getting surprised with the results they are getting today after the extensive researches to prove the worth of ayurveda. It is quite astonishing that those sages carried out such a deep studies about our body and functioning of various organs of our body without having any facilities and sophisticated instruments to aid there searches. They applied the basic fundamentals of vata, pitta and kapha and the five mahabhoota concept to carry out there research.

Ayurveda consist of eight parts, these are known as Asht-aang (eight parts). These are as follows.

· Medicine (kaya chikitsa)

· Surgery (shalya chikitsa)

· ENT and eye (shalakya chikitsa)

· Psychiatry (bhoot vidya)

· Pediatrics (baal tantra)

· Toxicology (agad tantra)

· Science of rejuvenations (rasayna)

· Aphrodisiac life (bajikarana or vajikarana)

Charka Samhita, the manual of medicine has been originally written by Acharya Agnivesha. After getting oral teaching from his preacher Punarvasu Atrey in the form of verses, he composed a book named as Agnivesha Tantra. This Agnivesha Tantra was then revised by Maharishi Charka and this eventually became famous. This book is presently known as Charka Samhita.

This book contains 8 chapters named as

· Sutra sthana

· Nidan sthana

· Vimana sthana

· Sharira sthana

· Indriya sthana

· Chikitsa sthana

· Kalpa sthana

· Siddhi sthana

Charka Samhita is not just a medicinal or a treatment book; it also explains the ways to increase the living standards and to attain a lifestyle that will keep you away from sorrows and miseries. According to Charka Samhita ayurveda has two basic principles

(a) To maintain the health of a healthy individual

(b) To treat a diseased person.

Complete ayurvedic world works on these two lines, to give support to the people devastated from there miseries (both physical and mental).

Besides these, Charka Samhita also contains a detailed explanation of various herbs used in preparing ayurvedic medicines. As ayurveda is based on the remedies provided by natural resources (plant and animal sources), Charka mentioned everything about them in detail. Even the methods of taking them as medicine or as food are also mentioned separately in a well explanatory fashion. Various regimens are also present that have the tendency to make you disease free and socially acclaimed. These are divided into four categories. These are

(a) Day regimen

(b) Night regimen

(c) Diet regimen

(d) Behavioral regimen.

The focus of ayurveda is not just on the growth of an individual but also to work for upliftment of the whole society to make it a better place to live.

Ayurveda also contains detailed methods of examining a patient, various examinations like ten fold examination, 8 fold examination and 3 fold examinations are done to reach to a consensus and to diagnose cause of a disease. Wonder of panchakarma is also a gift of ayurveda that is very famous in western part of this world.

So long but yet so short. Ayurveda is end less. Even to define ayurveda in an article is a very difficult job. This article carries a brief idea that ayurveda wants to present to this world. World of ayurveda is full of happiness and peace. Let us come together to explore this beautiful gift that Mother Nature has left for us. Come and join hands with ayurveda and the real pleasure of healthy living.