The word Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words ayur and veda meaning ‘life’ and ‘knowledge’ respectively. Taken together they mean the ‘science of life’; in a more limited sense, the term is used to imply the science of medicine. The origins of Ayurveda are shrouded in antiquity. Legends say that Brahma the Creator, a part of the holy trinity of Gods, first perceived it and taught it to his son, Daksha Prajapati. Subsequently, Lord Dhanwantari, the God of healing and the teacher of the medical sciences passed it on to the prominent Hindu sages Atreya, Bharadvaja, Kashyapa, Sushruta, Parashara, and Charaka. Sage Atreya’s disciple Agnivesha is said to have written the original Agnivesha Sambita around 1000 BC which has come down to us in the form of Charaka Sambita. This text is considered an authoritative pronouncement of Ayurvedic doctrine. Its present form goes back to the seventh century BC. Sage Charaka defines Ayurveda as ‘the science through which one can obtain the knowledge about the useful and harmful types of life (bita and abita ayus), happy and miserable types of life, things which are useful and harmful for such types of life, the span of life as well as the very nature of life’. Ayurveda thus emphasizes on not only leading a happy life from an individualistic point of view but also aims to be beneficial to society as a whole.
Health, according to Ayurveda, is not merely freedom from disease. It is essential that body, mind and soul are in a excellent state so that the individual can perform his functions and fulfil his role in life which in Vedic philosophy is called dharma; and ultimately work towards the final goal of salvation or moksha with the help of wealth, economic means which artha satisfying his legitimate desires of love and sex which is kama. The roots of Indian Culture can be traced back to the Vedic period, from c. 5000 BC or perhaps even earlier. All the four Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva – contain several references to the digestive system, metabolism, anatomy and s of diseases along with the bacteria that cause them and more importantly, the concept of tridosha or the three doshas. The doshas, according to the Vedas, are subtle elements in the human body responsible for all its functions. According to the dictates of Ayurveda, illnesses occur due to an imbalance in the equilibrium between the three doshas – vayu, pitta, kapha. Roughly translated, vayu (also known as vata) is wind, pitta can be represented by bile and kapha by phlegm.
As Ayurveda has a divine origin, it is considered as holistic science that is blessed by God. Some of the various sages have contributed their 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 contended life essential for healthy and peaceful living.
Benefits of Ayurveda
- ” ayurveda is not only treatment, it is a way of life
- ” has no side effects
- ” gives happy, healthy disease free long life
- ” makes you Tension Free & relaxes mind
- ” provides knowledge about natural herbs