meaning of ayurveda
Ayurveda is the most popular form of holistic medicine that originated in India and is now rapidly spreading throughout the world. Ayurveda is a combination of two Sanskrit words, ayus meaning ‘life’ and veda meaning ‘knowledge’. Therefore, Ayurveda literally means “the knowledge of life”.
Indians believe that Ayurveda originated as a form of medicine for the gods. Even in the Ramayana (believed to be several millennia old), we have a reference of how Hanuman brings the Sanjivani herb to revive Lakshmana who is mortally wounded on the battlefield of Lanka. Dhanwantari, the doctor of the gods, is believed to have discovered Ayurveda. Ayurveda was brought from the realms of the gods to the human race by Charaka, who wrote the Ayurvedic treatise, Charaka Samhita, which is considered venerable even today. Sushruta then wrote a compendium of his own, the Sushruta Samhita, which has several emendations on the methods detailed in the Charaka Samhita.
Ayurvedic principles
Ayurveda is a largely herbal science. He delves into the medicinal properties of herbs and studies their effects on the human system. There are over four thousand herbs known to Ayurveda, of which about a thousand are very commonly used in regular recipes. Over the centuries, various herbal combinations have been made and perfected. Herbs are also matured in various ways such as roasting them in ghee, fermenting them to make wines, making their concentrated extracts into powder, etc. The preparations are known as bhasmas, lehyas, vatis, choornas, rasas, asavas, etc. depending on how they have been prepared.
Although Ayurveda mainly deals with herbs; that’s not all there is to it. Ayurveda also deals with various minerals, which it calls dhaatus. Some dhaatu preparations are very important for human well-being, for example, Shilajit.
However, the most important aspect of Ayurveda is neither the herbs nor the minerals it uses. The secret to Ayurveda’s success over the centuries is the regimen it forces its patients to follow. There are several therapies that Ayurveda has devised. The most famous of these is Panchakarma therapy. This is an elaborate five part process that can treat almost any ailment that afflicts humans. Panchakarma therapy is a form of purification of the body. Then there are various other therapies like Shirodhara, Basti etc. It helps keep the body in a normal state.
Ayurveda often goes hand in hand with another popular Indian technique, yoga. Ayurvedic doctors often prescribe yoga asanas to complement their herbal remedies. Ayurveda also believes in various massage therapies using different types of oils. Aromatherapy, although a different science in its own right, can be considered a subset of Ayurvedic techniques. Ayurveda believes that massage can channel toxins to their proper destinations in the body from where they can be eliminated. In this way, the body remains free of residual toxic substances.
Ayurveda also believes in the importance of diet. When a treatment is being done, the Ayurvedic doctor will emphasize the importance of the diet that the person consumes. Each component is selected carefully, because with any disease, there are a huge number of dietary indications and contraindications.
The popularity of Ayurveda
Today, Ayurveda is so ingrained in the minds of the Indian population that they would use its remedies without really knowing that they are using any Ayurvedic technique. Almost every Indian home has a tulsi plant in their yard. Tulsi is nothing more than the sacred basil tree. This plant is worshiped by Hindus, unaware that the great respect for tulsi actually stems from the various medicinal properties that the herb has. Tulsi is one of the five essential plants that every Indian garden is supposed to have. The other four plants are neem, amalaki, bilva, and palash. Today these five herbs have become popular all over the world for their amazing healing properties.
Herbs like brahmi, ginkgo, gotu kola, ashwagandha, yohimbe, yashtimadhu, arjuna, etc. now they have gained worldwide renown. Western scientists spend a lot of time and research investigating the properties of these herbs. With each test they take, their belief in the powers of Ayurveda only grows stronger.
Garlic, onion, and ginger are used throughout the world today for various medicinal reasons. It is confirmed that garlic can be extremely beneficial in reducing cholesterol and increasing longevity. However, Ayurveda was the first to highlight the healing properties of these herbs. There are several other herbs that Ayurveda first gave their importance to. Some of them are fenugreek, licorice, betel nut, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seed, dandelion, lemongrass, rauwolfia, zizzyphus etc.
The initial reluctance to use a quaint Indian method of medicine is now slowly fading. Many Americans and Europeans are choosing to use Ayurveda instead of other invasive therapeutic methods. Ayurvedic medicines are widely used in the West to improve memory, treat male and female infertility, breast enhancement, penis enlargement, and weight loss. People who use them swear by their benefits.
