| What Atharvas Started to compile in the Vedas, got evolved continuously. Evolution is a thing which elaborates any science. Same happened with Ayurveda. New concepts came forward and newer adding was made in Ayurveda. As time passed minute observation on the problems and phenomena’s made this science enriched with more humanity and harmony. New brains identified newer problems and solutions for these problems. This evolution made Ayurveda more and more practical. Where Vedas were, concerned about Punchmahabhootas (five basic elements) and TriGunas (psychological components) it was having a philosophical touch. New scholars came forward with the concepts of Tridoshas and Saptdhatus. This was a transaction of a philosophy into a science. Science, without any doubts, is rooted in the philosophy; but its growth should be time tested and proven with experiments again and again and this requirement was completed. Result is a full fledged health science.
Progressive evolution generated a complete health science, which is unique for its- timelessness and continuation beyond all the boundaries of race, country and conditions. Perhaps this is the reason why, Ayurveda proved all times as a, best health science. Now in this era of personal diseases metabolic disorders, nutritional upsets and psychological disturbances need of Ayurveda is more as Ayurveda is a “Wholistic” science as well as a “Holistic” Science.
Ayurveda: A Complete Health Science
Health related sciences seem to be more worried about the diseases and death than health!! They believe to wait for a disease and then start to fight the disease. Whether their works against a disease are favorable for their battlefield-our body or not it ever matters for them. As their concern are disease and their elimination from the body not the restoration of the health. But……… there is another science for you, which is worried about life and health, and tells us how to live a life. The science of living-Ayurveda!!! Ayurveda is a science which starts to think about the betterment and prosperity of life before the life comes in the world that is right from the beginning of the life of a person, right from embryological stage of an animate. Where devotion is health, physician is nature and food is drug! Not like the other streams where breakfast, lunch and dinner all are loaded with medicines, here in Ayurveda you are blessed with the best and tasty foods.
Ayurveda Means
In term Ayurveda, Ayu denotes the life span and Veda stands for the knowledge of this life span. For Ayurveda life span is measured in the terms of quality not the quantity. That is, number of years one spends on the earth matters less than the moments one enjoys on the earth. For this Ayurveda has elaborated the life span Ayu in four different parts which are……..
- Hitaayu – is related with the social role of a person, his duties and deeds towards the society and what one performs for his surroundings matters in this category. Its ultimate achievement is only possible when one is mentally well built. So this type tells about the mental health of a person.
- Sukhayu – Personally what one enjoys in life without any physiological upset and biological disturbance that is, totally disease free life. This tells one’s somatic health.
- Ahitaayu – opposite to Hitaayu.
- Dukhaayu – opposite to Sukhaayu.
Eight limbs of Ayurveda
As the evolution took place, specialization came in Ayurveda and it was branched into eight different branches these braches are as follows-
- Medicine/Kaya chikitsa.
- Surgery/ Shalya chikitsa.
- E.N.T. eye/ Shalakya chikitsa.
- Forensic medicine/Agad tantra.
- Pediatrics & Gynecology /Kaumar Bhritya.
- Psychosomatic Treatment /Bhoot Vidya.
- Rejuvenation therapies/ Rasayana.
- Aphrodisiacs /Bajikarna.
This classification gave Ayurveda a bread spectrum and great approach to fight against the diseases and the dangers to the health. While Ayurveda was made objective to different treatments but the “soul- character” of Ayurveda was maintained by all efforts. Beside this eight limbed classification, Ayurveda always think about whole the body as a one bio machine. That is why the best physician is considered that who is good at all these eight systems.
Approach of Ayurveda
In this four fold system of lifespan, Ayurveda assures one to give the better half of the life that is Hitaayu and Sukhayu. That is both mental and physical qualities of life a good-psychosomatic life for a person. For this Ayurveda believes in prevention more than the cure. As Ayurveda is aware about the predisposing causative factors for a disease and disease is not a full and final condition for Ayurveda. They recognized few sign and symptoms which can help all to know that now the disease may come to one. When we are known to the causative factors of the diseases, then it will be easy for us to avoid the diseases and to restore our health easily. Ayurveda believes that as early as possible a disease can be caught and cured is better for the body. Because when a disease is chronic to our body it will make its roots deeper in our body and it will be harder to remove the diseases from the body. And when a deep rooted thing will be removed with force it will cause harm to the ground also. So it is obvious if preventive part is stronger then there will be no need for any kind of cure! Ayurveda believes to maintain the health by obeying all do’s and don’ts, according to the in-built of one’s metabolic set up…..one’s Prakruti.
Special about Ayurveda
Ayurveda is mainly concerned with the prevention of the diseases and maintenance of the health of a healthy person. Every where in Ayurveda the theory of prevention is dominant on the concept of cure. It is simple when diseases will not be allowed to appear than there is no need of big curative methods. All kind of procedures are meant to fulfill this motive of the science, even the Panchakarma and Yoga are developed for same. In this direction concept of Prakruti is unique in all ways. Now modern science is awakening and they are talking about the pharmacogenomics…….but Ayurveda got it developed thousands of years back, which is 100% useful till today contexts. These approaches should be used properly. So we will be able to enjoy the life in full. Beside this other main feature of Ayurveda is the purificatory treatment approaches, through which Ayurveda eliminates all extra waste materials from the body and homeostasis of the body is maintained in its best. And last and important feature of Ayurvedic science is- its physio-psycho approach. Which is important in today’s life style where maximum of us, are fighting against the stress and stressed caused conditions. So we can say following are the unique features of Ayurveda ……
- Concept of Prakruti, where every individual is unique in himself.
- Near to nature, so makes our body system natural.
- Purificatory approach of treatment through Panchakarma procedures eradicates any disease completely.
- Believes in cure of diseases not disappearance of the sign and symptoms of a disease.
- Thinks about the psychology with same importance as it gives to physio and pathology; i.e. why effective on stress management.
- Prevents the diseases to appear so that no pain will be there at any time.
These are enough points to choose Ayurveda as a health science for himself and for his or her family.
|
