Origin of Ayurveda

Origin of Ayurveda

 मा मृवा आयुषो वेदं जापतमिजहेसो अिवनौ तौ सहां सो अपुादकामुनीते अिनवेशादकांते टु पृथक् ताण तेनरे

 

Lord Brahma, remembering Ayurveda, taught  it to Prajapathi, he  in turn taught it to Ashwini Kumaras (twins), they taught it to Sahasraksa (Lord Indra), he taught it to Atri’s son (Atreya  Punarvasu) and other sages, they taught it to Agnivesa and others and they (Agnivesha and other disciples ) composed treatises, each one separately.

Branches of Ayurveda

 कायबालहोवाग शयदंा जरावृषान् || अटावगान तयाहु: चकसा येषु संता | kāyabālagrahordhvāṅga śalyadaṃṣṭrā jarāvṛṣān || aṣṭāvaṅgāni tasyāhu: cikitsā yeṣu saṃśritā |

 

1. Kaya Chikitsa – General medicine 

2. Bala Chikitsa – Paediatrics 

3. Graha Chikitsa – Psychiatry 

4. Urdhvanga Chikitsa – Diseases and treatment of Ear, Nose, Throat, Eyes and Head (neck and above region) 

5. Shalya Chikitsa – Surgery 

6. Damshrta Chikitsa – Toxicology 

7. Jara Chikitsa – Geriatrics 

8. Vrushya Chikitsa – Aphrodisiac therapy

 

These are the eight branches of Ayurveda.

Tridosha 

 वायु: पत ंकफचेत यो दोषा: समासत: ॥ वकृताऽवकृता देहं नित ते वतयित च । vāyu: pittaṃ kaphaśceti trayo doṣā: samāsata: || vikṛtā’vikṛtā dehaṃ ghnanti te varttayanti ca |

 

Vayu – Vata, Pitta and kapha are the three Doshas of the body. Perfect balance of three Doshas leads to health, imbalance in Tridosha leads to diseases.

How Thridosha are spread in body and in a day? 

 ते यापनोऽप नायोरधोमयोव संया: ॥  वयोऽहोराभुतानां तेऽतमयादगा: मात् । te vyāpino’pi hṛnnābhyoradhomadhyordhva saṃśrayā: ||  vayo’horātribhuktānāṃ te’ntamadhyādigā: kramāt |

The Tridosha are present all over the body, but their presence is especially seen in particular parts. If you divide the body into three parts, the top part up to chest is dominated by Kapha Dosha, between chest and umbilicus is dominated by Pitta, below umbilicus part is dominated by Vata. 

Similarly, in a person’s life, day and in night (separately), the first part is dominated by Kapha, second part is dominated by Pitta and third part is dominated by Vata. While eating and during digestion, the first, second and third part are dominated by Kapha, Pitta and Vata respectively.

Types of digestive fires

 तभैवेवषम: तीणो मदचािन: समै: सम: ॥ tairbhavedviṣama: tīkṣṇo mandaścāgni: samai: sama: ||

 

There are four types of Digestive fires (Agni)

 

1. Vishama Agni – Influenced by Vata. A person with Vishama Agni will sometimes have high appetite, and sometimes, low appetite. 2. Teekshna Agni - Influenced by Pitta. A person with Teeksna Agni will have high digestion power and appetite. 3. Manda Agni - Influenced by Kapha. A person with Manda Agni will have low digestion power and appetite. 4. Sama Agni - Influenced by perfect balance of Tridosha – Where person will have proper appetite and digestion power. Digestion occurs at appropriate time. 

Types of digestive tracts / nature of bowels

 कोठ: ूरो मृदुमयो मय: यात:ै समैरप । koṣṭha: krūro mṛdurmadhyo madhya: syāttai: samairapi |

 

There are three types of digestive tracts (Koshta): 

1. Kroora Koshta – wherein the person will take long time for digestion. The bowel evacuation will be irregular. It is influenced by Vata. 

2. Mrudu Koshta – Sensitive stomach, has a very short digestion period. Even administration of milk will cause bowel evacuation. 

3. Madhya Koshta – Proper digestive tract, bowel evacuation at appropriate times. It is influenced by Tridosha balance.

Types of Prakruti – Body Types

 शुातवथै: जमादौ वषेणवै वषकृमे: ॥ तैच त: कृतयो हनमयोतमा: पृथक् । समधातु: समतासु ेठा नया वदोषजा ॥ śukrārtavasthai: janmādau viṣeṇaiva viṣakṛme: || taiśca tisra: prakṛtayo hīnamadhyottamā: pṛthak | samadhātu: samastāsu śreṣṭhā nindyā dvidoṣajā ||

 

Like the poison is natural and inherent to poisonous insects, similarly, the Prakruti (body type) is inherent to humans. The body type is decided during conception, based on qualities of sperm and ovum. 

Vata prakruti – Vata body type is considered as low quality 

Pitta Prakruti – Pitta body type is considered as moderate quality 

Kapha Prakruti – Kapha body type is considered good quality.

Tridosha body type – influenced equally by Vata, Pitta and Kapha is considered the best quality. 

Dual body types, Like Vata-Pitta, Pitta-Kapha, Vata-Kapha body types are considered as not good.

 Qualities of Vata 

 त ो लघु: शीत: खर: सूमचलोऽनल: ॥ tatra rūkṣo laghu: śīta: khara: sūkṣmaścalo’nila: || 

 

Rooksha – dryness, Laghu – Lightness, Sheeta – coldness, Khara – roughness, Sookshma – minuteness, Chala – movement These are the qualities of Vata. 

 Qualities of Pitta 

 पत ंसनेह तीणोण ंलघु वं सरं वम् । pittaṃ sasneha tīkṣṇoṣṇaṃ laghu visraṃ saraṃ dravam | 

 Sasneha – slightly oily, unctuous, Teekshna – piercing, entering into deep tissues, Ushna – hotness, Laghu – lightness, Visram – bad smell, sara – having fluidity, movement, drava – liquidity are the qualities of Pitta. 

 Qualities of Kapha 

 िनध: शीतो गुमद: लणो मृन: िथर: कफ: ॥ snigdha: śīto gururmanda: ślakṣṇo mṛtsna: sthira: kapha: || 

 

Snigdhna – oily, unctuous, Sheeta – cold, Guru – heavy, Manda – mild, viscous, shlakshna – smooth, clear, Mrutsna – slimy, jely, sthira – stability, immobility are the qualities of Kapha. 

 संसगः सिनपातच तवयकोपतः 

 

The increase, decrease of individual Doshas, or imbalance of couple of these Doshas is called as Samsarga. And imbalance of all the three Doshas together is called as Sannipata.