How Ayurveda Originated? Detailed Explanation [Video]

As per the traditional Ayurvedic text books – Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hrudaya, Ayurveda Originated from Lord Brahma, the Hindu Diety representing the supreme knowledge. Lord Brahma is hailed as the creator of the Universe.

Bad Food Combinations And Solution As Per Ayurveda

Though some food articles are quite safe, Ayurveda explains that combination of two particular safe foods may not be ideal for health. It depends upon the quantity of each food stuff, time of taking food, processing of food and a lot of other factors. Let’s have a look at the list.

Principles involved:

Opposing duel qualities: If two qualities are strongly exhibited in two items and their combination would lead to a bad quality match, then they are rendered incompatible. Usually hot potency and cold potency is considered. But this does not always hold good. For example, in some cases, in some hot potency herbs, they are treated with milk (cold potency) to lower its hotness. Example: Garlic Milk Remedy, Bhallataka (hot) – processed with milk etc.

Similar qualities: If two foods have many similarities with them, to such an extent that the combination would increase a particular Dosha to a very high extent, then they are said incompatible.

Example: Curds with sugar. Fish with radish.

Opposing multiple qualities: If two foods have multiple opposing qualities, their combination is usually declared incompatible. For example – honey and ghee in equal quantities.

Processing: If processing of food leads to alteration / destruction of original quality of the food, then it is not recommended. Such as heating of curds and heating of honey.

Time of intake: We learnt in basic principles of Ayurveda that, the day and night can be divided into three parts, From morning to evening, in one third part, Kapha, Pitta and Vata are active. If taking some food aggravates Dosha due to its similarity in qualities with the timing of Dosha, then that food at that particular time is defined as incompatible. Example: Taking curds at night. Or taking excess sweets at night.

Enough of logics and theories. Let us dive into actual list of bad Ayurveda food combination.

Wrong Food Combinations As Per Ayurveda:

Pork, Buffalo meat, Swan meat, goose, crab, fish, tortoise, should not not be taken along with black gram, honey, milk and germinated grains.

Radish is incompatible with fish.

Fish with milk, especially Chilichima variety of fish with milk is incompatible

All sour substances are incompatible with milk

Horse gram with milk is a bad combination.

After consuming green leafy vegetables and radish, drinking milk should be avoided

Pork should not be taken along with porcupine meet.

Chicken and Spotted deer should not be taken along with curds

Uncooked meat along with bile of animals is bad.

Radish along with black gram is forbidden.

Sheep meat along with leaves of Kusumba herb

Germinated grains along with lotus stalk

Lakucha Phala (wild jack) along with black gram soup.

Banana along with butter milk is not recommended

Curds along with palm date

Kakamachi (Black night shade) along with jaggery

Black pepper along with fish or during digestion of fish

Pippali (long pepper) processed with the oil in which fish is fried should be rejected.

Ghee kept in bronze vessel for more than 10 days should not be taken.

Hot substances or hot procedures (like sun bath) is not recommended along with Bhallataka (Semecarpus anacardium)

Mixing of milk, beer and Krishara (rice – green gram dish)

Mixing of equal quantities of any 2, 3 or all of the following is not recommended – honey, ghee, meat, fat, sesame oil and beverages.

Honey along with ghee, even in unequal proportions, should not be consumed along with water.

Honey along with seeds of Pushkara (Inula racemosa)

Honey, along with wine of dates (Maireya) and sugar

Milk drinks along with Mantha (solution of corn flour)

Mushroom with yellow cap, with mustard oil is incompatible.

Upodika (Indian spinach) processed along with sesame seed paste causes diarrhoea. – 41

Meat of Tittiri, peacock, Godha (Iguana lziard), Lava (common quail), Kapinjala, cooked by the fire of wood of castor and processed with, fried in castor oil is lethal.

The treatment for incompatible food consumption

Shodhana – purification procedure – Panchakarma. It helps the cleanse the body and gut of the toxins.

Shamana – palliative treatment – Based on particular Dosha imbalance observed in the patient.

Virodha chikitsa – symptom based treatment.

Health should be restored quickly by using food that have opposite qualities to that of incompatible foods.

In whom it might not affect?

In those who exercise regularly, who are habituated to oily fatty food, who have good digestion power, in young and strong, the incompatible food will not cause any ill effects.

In those, who are habituated (sathmya) to incompatible food and in those who take low quantities of incompatible food for a long period of time, the ill effects will not be seen.

How to leave bad food combinations and adopt right foods?

Unhealthy things – foods, drinks, activities which have become accustomed by long use should be discontinued by quarter and quarter gradually.

Similarly healthy things (foods etc.) should be gradually made use with intevals of 1, 2 and 3 days.

So, the process of shift from bad to good food should be gradual and methodical, rather than a sudden shift.

Sudden discontinuance of unhealthy things, foods, drinks etc. and indulgence in healthy things, done suddenly and improperly give rise to diseases

The ill effects of incompatible foods that eliminated gradually and good habits developed gradually leads to robust health.

Night food is very important. Watch what you eat at night.

According to Ayurveda, night food is one thing that you need to be very careful about, if you are really serious about your health. Light night food is highly recommended both by Ayurveda and the modern science. One of my usual recommendations will always include a list of food to avoid at night.

If we divide a day into three equal parts, the last part is dominated by Kapha, naturally. So, in this period, the food that we eat should balance Kapha and should not increase Kapha dosha.

Foods to avoid – During night, oily food, junk food, sweets, chocolates, heavy-to-digest food, non vegetarian food, cold or frozen food, ice creams, large quantity of food, curd, etc foods should be avoided or taken in very little quantities. These are the food to avoid eating at night.

If these foods are taken, then it increases kapha leading to complications such as running nose during morning, worsening of cough and cold, allergies,excessive weight gain, excessive salivation during morning, worsening of vomiting, indigestion etc. Over a period of time, it causes toxic substance accumulation to cause further complications. So the persons suffering with all these should definitely avoid the above mentioned food articles. In many cases it is found that this simple diet adjustment alone cures or improves many of the respiratory conditions.

Diet plan for night – healthy low carb diet, which is easy to digest, are preferred during night. Curd at night is to be replaced with butter milk. Chapatis are better than rice. The quantity of food should be limited. Curry leaves ,dal, turmeric, small quantities of ginger, etc are good to have at night. The rule of thumb is – the food that you take should make your stomach feel light. You should not get a sense of heaviness.

Generally during sleep, we require less energy. so, if we eat in large quantities at night, most of the energy produced out of the food is stored in the body, causing fat deposition and weight gain. Hence, modern science also recommends one to follow light diet during night.

Is Ayurveda totally vegetarian?

In recent days, Ayurveda is more and more being associated with spirituality, hence a notion is there among people that, if you are on Ayurvedic medicines, then you should follow a vegetarian diet. If one is a firm follower of practical spirituality, and if one considers Ayurveda as a serious medical system, then here is the answer with detailed explanation to the question – Is Ayurveda vegetarian? can be explored.

The concept of vegetarian diet: In ancient Indian period, the concept of total vegetarianism was non existent. In Vedas, and Puranas, there is mentioning of non vegetarian diet and its qualities etc. The famous “Vatapi Jeerno bhava” incident in Agastya Maharishi is a classical example for prevalence of non vegetarian diet in those times.

The Hindus adopted the total vegetarian system after Buddhism spread across India. It is the classical nature of the Hindus to be flexible and to adopt any good thing from any other religion.

Is Ayurveda vegetarian ?

Ayurveda is not totally vegetarian by any stretch of imagination. Mamsarasa – the meat soup is explained in all the classical texts as the best medicine for extreme emaciation. It reduces tiredness due to Pitta imbalance (for example working under Sun for long hours), ideal for those who do daily exercise, improves voice strength, skin quality, immunity etc. (Reference: Charaka samhita Sutra sthana 27/312-325).

Aswagandhadi leham, also known as Ajaswagandhadi lehyam conains meat as an ingredient, along with other herbs. [Some companies manufacture it without meat as an ingredient]

Varients of meat soup are explained as Vesavara in Bhavaprakasha, another classical Ayurvedic text.

Meat soup and other non veg diet has been prescribed along with certain medications. Eg: Meat soup is a co -drink for the medicine Punarnvadyarishta.

Conclusion:

Ayurveda does not say that one should follow total vegetarianism.

The non vegetarian diet has its own medicinal significance in Ayurveda.

It does not mean that everybody should have non vegetarian diet. One who is accustomed to it, can have it and one who is not, may not have it.

One of the reasons why total vegetarian diet is encouraged is because non veg is claimed to increase Tamas. Which, according to spirituality, is true.

Following non vegetarian diet will not have any bad effects on herbal Ayurvedic pills that one might be taking. One can have non veg, during his Ayurvedic medication period. There is no rule that non veg should not be taken while one is on Ayurvedic medicines.

P.S: I am a total vegetarian and am not trying to advertise / promote non vegetarianism.

How Knowledge Is Gained Through Sense Organs?

Ayurveda explains the process of gaining knowledge through five main factors. Sense object, sense organs, mind, intellect and soul. The sense objects are related to sense organs.

Five sense organs:

Olfactory system – nose

Gustatory perception system – tongue

Ocular system – eyes

Somato sensory system – skin

Auditory system – ears

Object of sense organs (aka sense objects)

smell for Olfactory system – nose

taste for Gustatory perception system – tongue

shape, size colour etc – for Ocular system – eyes

touch for Somato sensory system – skin

sound for Auditory system – ears

Mind – is only one.

Intellect – It is called as Buddhi in Sanskrit (Ayurveda). It is of five types – based on each sense organ and object.

The knowledge in sense object flows to the respective sense organ, it in turn flows through mind and intellect to reach Soul.

Eating etiquette: Healthy eating rules

Eating not only nourishes the body but also mind. Following simple eating etiquettes make the eating lot more enjoyable and beneficial. Here are a few healthy eating rules.

Don’t watch TV while eating.

No facebook / twitter while eating.

No computer or laptops while eating.

No texting messages while eating.

No phone calls while eating

Do not eat hurriedly.

Eating together with family, at least at night or at least once a week.

No junk stuff or aerated drinks with food.

No anger, no sad feelings, no depressed mood while eating

Do not talk while eating.

Avoid negative feelings and talks.

Avoid disrespecting food.

Do not waste food.

Chew food well before swallowing.

Try drinking water in between meals.

Food quantity: Stop eating before full stomach. As per Ayurveda, heavy food that take long time to digest should be consumed till half of the satiation level. Food that are light to digest should be consumed just before stage of satiation. The right amount of food is that which undergoes digestion before the next meal time.

Ideally, Two parts of the stomach (half of its capacity) should be filled with solid foods, one part by liquids and the remaining one part should be kept vacant for accommodating air.

Consuming a very less amount of food / continuous fasting will lead to depleted body growth, immunity and strength. Consuming excess of food causes indigestion, obesity and a host of related disorders.

Food that can be consumed habitually – As per Ayurveda, the following foods can be consumed habitually. Wheat, rice, barley,

meat of deer, pigeon, Jivanti herb, young radish, Amla, dry grapes, Pointed gourd, green gram, ghee, clarified jaggery, milk, honey, pomegranate, rock salt (Saindhava).

Food that should not be consumed habitually are –dairy sweet products, curds, solid part of curds, Kshara (alkalis), fermented gruel, uncooked radish, meat of animals which are emaciated, dry meat, meat of boar, sheep, cow, fish and buffalo, black gram, germinated grains, dried vegetables, small variety of barley, half cooked molasses.

No curds at night. Have buttermilk instead.

No heavy sweets or oily food at night.

Eat 2 – 3 hours before going to bed.

If your meals contain sweets, better to eat it at the beginning.

Cold water is ideal to drink after having food with barley, wheat, curds and honey.

Warm water is ideal after consuming buttermilk, fermented gruel, dishes prepared with vegetables, green gram and other legumes.

If you have taken oily food, drink hot water and do not drink cold water

The ideal time for taking meals is after the elimination of feaces and urine, when the mind is clean, when the Doshas are moving in their natural paths, when belching are pure without and foul smell or taste, when hunger is well manifest, when the flatus is moving downward easily, when the digestive activity is keen, when the sense organs are clear functioning, when the body is light. Food should be consumed observing the rules and procedures of taking food.

11 Ayurvedic eating tips for good health

How we eat is as important as what we eat. Here are eating tips for good health. Methodical eating helps to extract the best out of food into body and mind. Eating is not just filling the stomach with fuel for energy. good eating habits helps to improve mood, strengthens all the organs and nourishes the whole body.

Ayurveda has explained in detail regarding eating etiquettes. Try to incorporate these eating tips for a better health.

1. Eat only when hungry: Eating only when you feel hunger. This helps to timely secretion of gastric juice and digestive enzymes. So, do not eat repeatedly neglecting the hunger and do not avoid eating when hungry.

2. Eat at regular intervals. Maintaining a particular time to eat helps the body clock to set the time for release of enzymes and digestion process.

Do not take wrong food combinations

Do not eat over undigested food. wait till the previous food is digested.

3. Eat only after proper digestion. This is related to first point. Ayurveda explains the following symptoms to know that the previously taken food is already digested. Here are the signals:

a. Clear belching: If you get belching, if it is devoid of any smell, taste or flavor of the previously taken food.

b. Enthusiasm and active: You will feel enthusiastic rather than feeling lazy or dull.

c. Lightness: You will feel your stomach to be light. There will not be any heaviness.

d. Feeling hunger and thirst: You will have them.

4. Just before starting meals, have this: A pinch of rock salt and ginger is ideal to take just before taking food. It helps to proper secretion of enzymes and helps in digestion.

5. What is a balanced diet?According to Ayurveda, there are six tastes. – Sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter and astringent. Ideally a balanced diet should have all the tastes, to make it a complete and balanced diet.

6. Which tasted food item should be had first? Sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter and astringent – this is the order as per Ayurvedic diet plan.

7. Speed of eating: Eating fast will end up in eating more quantity. Eating slow will end up in eating less. So, moderate pace of eating is advisable. Slow eating is advised for those desiring weight loss.

8. Quantity of food: If majority of food is heavy to digest, like oily foods, black gram, etc, the quantity of food should be taken only till half of your digestive strength. If it is light food stuff, then it can be had till content.

9. When to have water: Having water in between food is advisable, rather than before or after food.

10. Thirsty and hungry: Thirsty should not eat and hungry should not drink.

11. To end with: To end the meals, it is a good habit to end with a little bit of milk or a dairy product or a sweet fruit juice. It helps to calm Pitta.

6 Comprehensive Ayurveda Preventive Healthcare Tips

Ayurveda emphasizes equally on both preventive and therapeutic aspects of healthcare. In most of the Ayurvedic textbooks, preventive aspects like healthy daily routine, seasonal routine etc are explained first. The disease description, treatment options, medicines etc are usually found in the later chapters. Here is a brief summary of preventive healthcare tips as per Ayurveda.

Lord Brahma recollected the knowledge of Ayurveda from his memories and taught it to Daksha Prajapati (father of Dakhsayini). He then taught this science of life to Ashwini Kumaras. Ashwini Kumaras are the twin brothers, who are hailed as the Doctors in the Divine spheres. They are hailed as the first physicians of this universe. They taught Ayurveda to Lord Indra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJY1Fdb6AIk

This level of information is available about origin of Ayurveda, at the level of Deities.

If you look at the history of ancient India, the prime focus for everyone was, to live a spiritual life and to attain Moksha – salvation. Of course, during those times, there were businesses and other interests as well, but everyone agreed upon the fact that all the human activities should finally end up with focus upon following a spiritual pathway to attain Salvation.

To explain Salvation in brief, it is God realization. When the person realizes and experiences that his soul is one with universal soul (God). His soul unifies with the universal soul. In fact, this unification is itself is called as Yoga. Yoga means – unification, so salvation is the ultimate goal of Yoga Shastra as well.

Ayurveda explains four steps in attaining moksha.

Dharma – to follow a righteous life.

Artha - to earn money in a righteous way.

Kama – to satiate our desires in a righteous way.

Moksha – once all the desires are emptied, discarding all the desires and concentrating upon the spiritual path to get Salvation.

This entire process can happen in one human life cycle, or it may take many life cycles. While ancient Indian people were attempting to follow spiritual path for salvation, they realized that the attaining salvation in just one life was difficult. If this has to happen, they have to live longer to do all the required meditation and spiritual practices.

The sages at those times, also were witnessing calamities and diseases taking away life of fellow brethren. So, they wanted to find solution for both these problems – for sages to live longer to practice meditation and for common man to live disease free.

With these two intentions, Sages sat together in Himalayas, under the leadership of Bharadwaja. The sages included

Those sages included Angeerasa, Jamadagni, Vasistha, Kashyapa, Bhrugu, Atreya, Gautama, Sankhya, Pulastya, Naarada, Asita, Agastya, Vamadeva, Markandeya, Ashvalayana, Parikshi, Bhiksu, Atreya, Bharadvaja, Kapinjala, Vishvamitra, Ashmarathya, Bhargava, Chyavana (after whom Chyavanprash is named), Abhijit, Gargeyi (one of the rare lady Sages), Shandilya, Kaundilya, Varkshi, Devala, Galava, Sankrutya, Baijavapi, Kushika, Badarayana, Badisha, Saraloman, Kapya, Katyayana, Kankayana (after whom Kankayana vati tablet is named), Kaikasheya, Dhaumya, Maricha, Kashyapa, Sharkaraksha, Hiranyaksha, Lokaksha, Paingi, Shaunaka Shakuneya, Maitreyi (another rare lady sage), Maimatayani, Vaikhanasas and Valakhilyas.

The sages entered into deep meditation. In their spiritual vision they found a savior in Lord Indra; and got an assurance that he would explain the right way to avert diseases. Sage Bharadwaja went to Lord Indra and learnt Ayurveda.

Sage Bharadwaja learnt Ayurveda and taught this noble science to Atreya Punarvasu. He in turn taught it to six disciples – Agnivesha, Bhela, Jatukarna, Ksharapani, Parashara and Harita. Each of them wrote their own treatises on Ayurveda. Like, Bhela wrote bhela Samhite, Harita wrote Harita Samhita etc.

Agnivesha wrote Agnivesha Tantra, which was further redacted by Charaka, then it came to known as Charaka Samhita (This was later further edited by Drudhabala).

Once after knowledge of Ayurveda came into existence in the form of treatises, the knowledge spread rapidly and many other treatises, practices and herbs were included and it grew on.

Meditation is the source of knowledge:

Swamy Vivekanada used to say – all the knowledge of the universe is hidden deep within our souls. If we keep on meditating with single minded concentration and purpose to extract out any knowledge, the inner ripples of thoughts will calm down. In a water pool, when the ripples of water calm down, we can see the object lying on the floor of the pool. Similarly, when the inner ripples of thoughts calm down, the super concentrated mind can see the the Science – the Truth.

For those who find the above Hindu story as hard to digest, they can simply understand that Ayurveda originated from the deepest corner of concentrated minds, for the health and welfare of all.

Understanding Blood Functions, Vitiation And Treatment As Per Ayurveda

Principles and practice of Ayurveda is extraordinary due to its unexplored facts and unimaginable deep insights of ancient seers. Blood, being the essential life giving liquid tissue, is understood in many ways in modern medicine. Its structural and functional entities are dealt in great depth in thousands of pages in the text books of Physiology and Anatomy of modern science. Still, we should understand that much can be evolved if Ayurvedic understanding of blood is analyzed in scientific platform. Here are few such hidden and unexplored facts of blood-‘Jeeva Rakta’.

Functions of Blood – Rakta, as per Ayurveda:

The term Rakta implies the liquid that gets nourished by essence part of food, which is cause for skin complexion, strength and immunity in the body. Ayurveda opines that blood originates from liver and spleen. Hence, blood, Pitta, liver disorders and skin conditions are inter-related.

Following seasonal and daily regimens of wholesome foods and activities is a basic pre-requisite for healthy blood tissue.

Features of people having normal blood:

Clarity and uniformity in skin complexion,

Normal functioning of sense organs

unobstructed digestion and bowel evaculation,

happiness, contentment, nourishment and strength.

Blood is responsible for strength and immunity, skin complexion, happiness, comfort and longevity of the individual. It plays very vital role in the sustenance of Vital force of life.

Features of pure blood:

Tapaneeya – Pure blood can be likened to gold, which is purified by fire,

Indragopaabha – The color can be compared with fire fly,

Padmalaktaka – like red lotus, lac,

Like fruit of Gunja ( Abrus precatorius Linn) in color (Reference: Charaka Samhita Sutrasthana 24/22)

Rakta Pradooshana (Vitiation of blood):

In Ayurveda, Rakta Pradooshana – blood vitiation means its affliction with the imbalanced Vata, Pitta and Kapha Doshas.

Ayurvedic physicians very often explain to the patients that the blood is vitiated and hence the specific condition is resulted. Especially in cases of bleeding disorders, skin diseases, High Pitta conditions etc, they use the term blood vitiation. Immediately the patients ask how they are affected. Also many will be confused about the terms blood vitiation and blood infection.

The way Ayurvedic physicians explain about blood vitiation is not always satisfactory to patients. This is because, the patients are not aware of basic understanding of ‘Rakta Dhatu’- blood as per Ayurveda. Because, in Ayurveda, the term Rakta encompasses blood tissue along with its functional entities.

Foods that cause Rakta Pradooshana – blood impurity /vitiation:

Pitta Dosha and blood are directly connected. Hence, whichever qualities that causes blood vitiation, also causes Rakta vitiation. Usually, increased / decreased vitiation of Pitta causes the same in Rakta.

According to Ayurvedic classics, the blood is vitiated due to following factors-

1. Unwholesome, hot and spicy food.

2. Strong alcoholic beverages

3. Food intake in large quantity

4. Excessive salty, alkaline, acidic and pungent foods

5. Excessive intake of horse gram, black gram, flat bean and mustard oil.

6. Intake of Water yam (Pindalu – Dioscorea alata Linn), radish, tamarind

7. Meat of Jalaja (aquatic animals), Anoopa (marshy animals) and Prasaha (living beings which catch food by teeth, tear and eat) and Bileshaya animals (living in holes)

8. sour curd (Dadhi), sour whey (Amla mastu), acidic fermented preparations (Saktu), wine (Sura), and liquor (souveera)

9. Rotten (Upaklinna), putrefied/foetid (Pooti) food and bad food combinations etc

Activities that cause vitiation of blood are-

1. Sleeping during day time after taking liquid, oily and heavy food

2. Excessive anger, excessive exposure to the sun and fire

3. Suppression of vomiting

d. Improper blood-letting (in the autumn - Sharat Ritu)

e. Exertion, injury, heat, taking food before the previous meal is digested

f. By the nature of the autumn season – Sharat Rutu etc

Diseases caused due to vitiation of blood – Rakta Pradoshaja Vikara:

Stomatitis, conjunctivitis,

rhinitis, bad breath,

abdominal tumor, spreading type of skin disorders ,

bleeding disorders, bleeding through ear, nose, oral cavity, anus and urethra

Menorrhagia – heavy periods

Excessive drowsiness, abscess,

hematuria/ blood in urine,

Gout, carbuncle,

Palor/discoloration of the body, indigestion,

Excessive thirst, heaviness of the body, burning sensation,

excessive weakness, anorexia, ring worm, headache,

bitter or sour eructation, tiredness,

inflammation and suppuration

excessive anger, bewilderment,

Oral ulcers, saline taste in mouth, excessive sweating,

foul smell of the body, intoxication,

Disease of the spleen, Splenomegaly

Neelika – blue moles, freckles, leucoderma,

shivering, lack / depletion of speech,

drowsiness, excessive sleep,

frequent attack of fainting,

severe itching, skin eruptions, urticaria, pimples, scaling etc

Changes in blood due to vitiation of different Doshas:

Blood, vitiated by Vata becomes reddish (Arunabha), non-slimy (Vishada), foamy (Phenila) and thin (Tanu):

Blood vitiated by Pitta is yellow (Peeta) and black (Asita), and it takes a longer time to coagulate because of the inherent heat (of Pitta);

Blood vitiated by Kapha is slightly Pale (Pandu) in color, slimy (Picchila), sticky and thick (ghana),

Blood due to vitiation by more than one Dosha shares the characteristics of the respective symptoms of all the vitiated Doshas.

Line of treatment for the diseases caused due to vitiation of blood:

Raktamokshana – blood letting therapy

Purgation – Virechana Panchakarma treatment

Langhana treatment – Fasting or such other treatments which brings about lightness of the body.

Raktashodhana (Purification of Blood):

Blood is purified by two methods-

1. Local purification and

2. Systemic purification.

Local blood purification is sufficient in cases where the blood borne diseases are found in localized areas like hand, leg, foot, thigh, forearm etc. Usually such problems are minor in nature and are not spreading to other parts of the body.

Raktamokshana – blood letting treatment for local blood purification:

It is achieved by means of blood letting using Shringa (horns), Jaloukavacharana (leech therapy), Pracchana (multiple punctures/pricking), Alabu (gourds) etc. In few of the cases local application of medicaments will also serve the above purpose.

Systemic purification is essential in cases where the whole body or major parts of the body are involved. Also in the diseases, where the vital organs like liver, spleen, heart, lungs etc are involved.

Apart from Raktamokshana by Siravyadha (venesection/venepunctre),

Panchakarma purification therapies like Vamana (emesis) and Virechana (purgation) also are employed for systemic blood purification.

Internal medication with blood purifying formulations is very essential in this respect.

Single herbs possessing Tikta-Kashaya-Katu rasa (bitter-astringent and pungent tastes) are beneficial to avail the blood purifying benefits. Usually such herbs possess the qualities like -lightness, minuteness, liquidity. They are usually neither too cold and nor too hot.

Single herbs used as Blood purifiers (Raktashodhaka):

1. Khadira-Kattha – Acacia catechu

2. Parpataka

3. Nimba-Neem

4. Patola – Pointed gourd

5. Daruharidra- Tree turmeric

5. Haridra-Turmeric

7. Mahanimba- Melia Azadirach

8. Hareetaki-Chebulic myrobalan

9. Ashwattha – Sacred Fig – Ficus religiosa

10. Plasksha- Ficus lacor

11. Pareesha -

12. Bilva-Bael tree

13. Manjishta – Indian madder

14. Bakuchi-Psoralea corylifolia

15. Chakramarda – Cassia tora etc

Ayurvedic Formulations used as Blood purifiers:

1. Panchatiktaka kashaya - used in treatment of fever and burning sensation

2. Mahatiktaka kashaya - used in treatment of skin diseases of Pitta origin

3. Patolakaturinyadi kashaya - used in treating jaundice, anorexia, it is used for liver detox

4. Nimbamrutadi kashaya

5. Panchanimba choorna - used in treating eczema, psoriasis, sinus wounds, fistula etc.

6. Maha Manjishtadi kashaya - used in treating skin diseases due to blood impurities, fever.

7. Parpatakadi kashaya(Paripathadi khada)

8. Panchapallava kashaya

9. Mahanimba kashaya

10. Nimbadi guggulu

11. Swayambhuva guggulu

12. Guggulu tiktaka kashaya- used in skin and muscle tissue infections, abscess.

13. Gandhaka rasayana- widely used in skin disorders, allergic conditions

14. Arogyavardhini rasa - used in treating liver coditions

15. Patoladi ganakashaya

16. Patolamooladi kashaya - used in treating hemorrhoids, liver disorders, fever.

Overall, blood is considered as a tissue with multiple functions as per Ayurveda. It is directly related to Pitta Dosha and its impurities / vitiation, caused by Doshas leads to mainly skin disorders.

Article by Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD(Ayu), PhD (Ayu) and Dr Hebbar

Mind is only one, it associates itself with any one of the sense organs to pass on the knowledge that it acquires from sense organs, to intellect. Role of mind is to just associate with sense organs and pass on the knowledge.

If the mind is concentrated and strong, based on the quality of Atma (soul), the knowledge gaining will be faster and precise.

Mind acts as the driving force for all the sense objects.Means, mind directs the sense organs to lock in with sense objects.

Intellect (Buddhi) receives the incoming knowledge (from sense organs).

Intellect processes the knowledge, analyzes, decides, stores or rejects it.

Atma – Soul is the ultimate decider of quality and quantity of knowledge gained. The Past Karma, present life experiences etc that is stored in soul affects the quality and amount of knowledge gained.

For example, when eyes are aligned with an object, and mind is aligned between eyes and intellect, the knowledge about that object (shape, words, color etc) flows from the eyes to intellect and then to soul. The quality and amount of knowledge gained varies from person to person.

If a person is, for example reading with total concentration, he can process the entire information and store it in his intellect. If he is not concentrating or he is unhealthy, has headache, or has an eye problem etc, the amount of knowledge that he gains varies.

Sometimes the sense object and sense organ can be in line. But if mind is not there, between that sense organ and intellect, knowledge does not pass through.

This is the reason why, we sometimes will be looking at something but we actually do not see it. We will be hearing to something, but we totally miss it.

Mind is only one, it cannot associate with all the sense organs at the same time. Because of this reason, if we forcefully align mind only with one object, the concentration will be more and the amount of knowledge gained will be more. Hence, if you are a student, while you are reading, it is best to get rid of all distractions, keep the room quiet and look at only those books that matter most to you.

The same reasoning can be given to why multi-tasking is bad. We can do many things at a time, but we cannot fully concentrate on what we actually are doing. Read more – Do mutli-tasking the healthier way

How we hear and see movie together at once?

If mind is one, then we cannot see and hear together at a time, right? In a process like, watching tv or a movie, due to your extreme interest in the subject, mind will be sharp and moving between eyes and ears to grasp as much knowledge as possible. It will be moving back and forth in fractions of seconds.

This is the reason we feel tired after watching a movie, because the mind has over-worked.

The quality and amount of knowledge gained through sense organs depend on many factors such as –

Sense object falling in line with sense organ

Concentration level

Interest in the subject

Purity of mind – If the waves in the pond are calm, we can see the object in the depth of water. If waves are turbulent, objects cannot be appreciated. This is where, purity of mind by purity of thoughts and Brahmacharya (Celibacy) comes into play. Read more –Abstinence – greatest tool to improve concentration.

Overall health – Good health means great concentration.

Health of sense organs

Past Karma. Bad Karma makes a cloud of ignorance which affects soul, blocks intellect and deviates mind from its functions, hence no knowledge.