Charaka Samhita: The Strongest Root of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a spiritual science with scintillating sources and is the ancient holistic healing methodology. It focuses on prevention and cure of all illnesses and is considered as the most realistic gifts of undying values to mankind. This spiritual science is believed to be of more than 5000 years of age with its attributes described in three major sources namely Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridaya & Ashtanga Sangraha. Good books are forever the best friends of mankind. For sure, encyclopedias are like eternal teachers to humanity with a great source of immense values. Charaka Samhita is one such Ayurvedic encyclopedia of age old holistic importance.

Charaka – The renowned physician: Charaka (also spelled Caraka) is a renowned physician of the court of Kanishka, a Kushana ruler. He is believed to have born in c. 300 BC. He himself was a living encyclopedia, who in addition to serving the human beings as a great medical preacher & practitioner also gave equal importance to human ethical values in treating the patients. Charaka is often referred to as the ‘Father of Medicine’.

Dawn of a divine Index: Although there is no much proof about the history of Charaka, according to legends he is believed to be a versatile student of Aatreya, who was the disciple of Bharadwaja who in turn was one of the students of Lord Indra. Aatreya’s request to pen down his teachings to his disciples led to the rise of 8 divine works of which Charaka’s Charaka Samhita was found to be the best & has survived for ages! His work was later revised by Dridhbala.

Contributions of Charaka to the world of Medicine: Charaka is the author of Charaka Samhita, the oldest of the existing three Ayurvedic encyclopedias. Being a man of mystical values, Charaka had numerous feathers added to his cap some of which are listed below.

  • First physician to present the concept of digestion, metabolism & immunity
  • Knowledge of Genetics – You’ll be truly amazed to know that a man who lived before 2000 years had the knowledge of genetics and its factors, which is one of the top stories of the modern medical world. Charaka had a thorough understanding about the factors determining the sex of the fetus. He was able to study that the reason behind the genetic defect in a child is possibly due to the defect in the sperm or ovum of the parents rather than the parents themselves.
  • Study of Anatomy of the human body and its organs was done by Charaka, which served as a leading light of interest in this field for most of the medical scholars of the later decades.

Charaka Samhita – The truth of Ayurveda: Samhita is a Sanskrit word which means collection of rules. Charaka Samhita talks about the various aspects of Ayurvedic contexts in treating diseases and in preventing them. This ocean of medical principles constitutes of 8 parts with a total number of 120 chapters mainly focusing on ‘Kaya Chikitsa‘ – The diagnosis and healing of illnesses through internal and external use of medicine. This branch of Ayurveda aims at healing the mind & the body, thus striking a balance between the two great pillars of the human soul. Ethical conducts of a physician in treating the patients, which is now lacking in most parts of the world was given high importance by Charaka. One can even find the details regarding the attributes of various aspects of how a good physician, nurse, healing drugs, hospital and a patient should be.

Source of Medical aid in treating the whole world: Charaka Samhita was translated into many foreign languages, including Arabic and Latin. It remains as a valuable medicinal source that inspired countless medical practitioners in coming up with the most modern medical concepts to treat humanity.

I can now realize the strong reason behind the survival of Ayurveda, the science of life. Mere words are not just enough to appreciate the strenuous efforts put forth by some of the ancient legends in serving mankind in the form of texts of undying values like Charaka Samhita. Let each one of us take into the world, the efforts of such great people by inculcating a healthy life style, which would strengthen their values and our vows.

Thought for the day:

True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat.  By Napoleon Bonaparte

Suggested Reading:

  1. Caraka Samhita (1949 Edition, 6 Volume Set) Hindu, Gujarati, English Translation (Caraka Samhita, 6 Volume Set) by Atreva Punarbasu, Great Sage Agnivesa
  2. The Roots of Ayurveda (Penguin Classics) by Various
  3. Textbook of Ayurveda, Volume One: Fundamental Principles by Vasant Lad

Reference Links:

  1. Charaka by Wikipedia
  2. Charaka Samhita by Wikipedia
  3. History of Ayurveda by Professor Dr. P.H. Kulkarni

Thanksgiving Day: Time To Remember Your Near Ones With An Ayurvedic Tribute

The Almighty has sanctified us with innumerable blessings for which we are obliged to thank Him all through the year and throughout our life. He doesn’t appear right in front of us to make us happy, instead He assigns people in the form of our friends, relatives and other respectable persons and Thanksgiving day is such a special day to remember, thank and feel the difference they have made to our lives.

Just knock their door with an elegant gift pack of invaluable Ayurvedic essential oils to make them feel special, honored and loved. Ayurveda is an ancient healing methodology that aims at bringing good health, harmony and a happy living with increased life expectancy. You can never honor your near and dear ones in any other better ways other than gifting them with an extensive collection of their favorite essential oils with tremendous therapeutic properties.

Ayurvedic essential oils to garland this Thanksgiving Day: Only I can feel the delight of my daughter when I gift her with her favorite Lavender oil remembering all the love she gives me all the way through the year. Here are some suggestions to thank the worth-remembering people in your life.

1. For your Mom and Dad: No one can replace our Mom or Dad for they are the direct representatives of our Creator. Ayurveda, the holistic healing science has a separate branch for treating the elderly people and is known as Gerontology or Jara Chikitsa. Rosemary oil, Eucalyptus oil, Lavender oil, Chamomile oil, Grapefruit oil and Cypress oil are the best Ayurvedic essential oils that can aid them in treating their pains, swollen joints, fever, cold, memory problems, respiratory infections and other health issues. The spiritual aroma and the incredible healing values of these oils will make them remember you every day.

2. For the Love of your Life: Better half is always the best half when both of your minds speak the same words and when your hearts run on the same page. Besides differences and boundaries, the love of your life shares all the good and bad times with you. Nothing can cheer them when they are given a hug with few special words like ‘You mean a lot to me’. The glorious essential oils that can make them feel your presence even when you are away are Patchouli essential oil, Sandalwood oil, Lavender oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Jasmine oil and Rose oil. All of these essential oils can give a great start to your romantic evening or to a grand day with an invigorating bath when added to your bath tub.

3. For the little ones: Babies bring in natural joy to your family and are aptly called as the Kings and Queens of our families. In the celebrated book, ‘Aromatherapy for Babies and Children’, Shirley Price has listed 19 Ayurvedic essential oils that are safe for babies and children. The best among them that can nurture your little one’s growth especially when they are 1 to 3 years old are Roman Chamomile oil, Tea tree oil and Lavender oil. A gentle massage with these essential oils, carefully blended with safe carrier oils like Almond oil, Jojoba oil or Olive oil can help your baby grow up strong both physically and mentally. Only such natural Ayurvedic essential oils used in the early stages of their life can lay a good basis for their intellectual and muscular strength, making them bold enough to face the challenges of this competitive world.

You may wonder what kind of essential oils to bequest your friends, teachers and other relatives. Just check their age and consider under which of these above mentioned groups their age falls and gift them accordingly. Just a small ‘Thank you’ note along with an endearing collection of Ayurvedic essential oils is more than enough to deliver your love and gratefulness with no mistakes. Happy Thanksgiving Day!!! And thanks for your time on my post!!!!

Thought for the day:

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.                                                                   Henry Van Dyke

Suggested Reading:

  1. Chemistry Of Essential Oils Made Simple: GOD’S LOVE MANIFEST IN MOLECULES By David Stewart
  2. Seven Secrets to Raising a Happy and Healthy Child: The Ayurvedic Approach to Parenting By Joyce Seyburn
  3. Making Room for Mr. Right: How to Attract the Love of Your Life By Robin Mastro, Michael Mastro

Reference Links:

  1. Thanksgiving Day by Wikipedia
  2. Aromatherapy for the Elderly by Yahoo! Voices
  3. Essential Oil Care for Children & Babies by Abundant Health

Importance of Ayurveda in the West

Modern world has gifted us with enormous innovative tools and techniques that have made life easier to live. But an explicit insight on the pros and cons of this massive technological development instinctively fills our mind with a wide range of chaos! The more the world progresses technically, the more the human life steps ahead in stress, ailments and an innate mechanical progress. Thus life becomes so insensible that one is always deemed with worries and stress. What could be the apt antidote to this malady? Ayurveda stands distinct as the most holistic remedy to end this mechanical life and mark the start of a natural way of living filled with eternal bliss! This is the reason why Ayurveda is widely recognized in the west in recent times.

Ayurveda serves as the root for Traditional European Medicine (TEM), Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Unani – a natural system of healing of the Middle Eastern world. This is the strong reason why Ayurveda is rightly called as the ‘Mother of Natural Healing’. With its genesis in ancient India, the essence of Ayurveda spread to the west with the advent of many foreigners who translated the Ayurvedic encyclopedias namely Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita to Arabic, Latin, German and English.

It is a well known fact that the first major plastic surgery in the western world was performed in 1815 by Carpue who spent 20 years in India to study the Ayurvedic surgery methods. Amazing right!!! This is just a single piece of information that is known to the world and there are much more Ayurvedic secrets to be revealed and relived.

Importance of Ayurveda in the West: Western Culture is more secured with massive man-made technologies that are strong enough to weaken the resources of nature of which human resource forms a major part. Decrease in physical efforts makes life more involuntary thus increasing the mental stress. Apart from this, the modern medical system deals only with the ailments rather than their root causes, resulting in a temporary relief with more side effects that make the ailments permanent and vulnerable. Thus, people are drawn towards the most dependable holistic approach that has a unique gift of a meaningful, mentally strong life with eternal peace for every individual.

To add more life to the fact that Ayurveda has found its place in the west, down comes the sturdy list of causes that has made the western world to feel the importance of Ayurveda.

  • Self-Realization for a Divine Living: Ayurvedic healing methodology includes a wide range of techniques of which Yoga, Meditation and Rejuvenation of the body and mind with effective Ayurvedic oils have gained wide attention in the West. These forms of practice leads to self-realization thus making one to realize the true purpose of living, paving way to eternal satisfaction and ecstasy of leading a meaningful life. Ayurveda serves its sole purpose of making one to realize self and live in harmony with self and nature thus giving comprehensiveness to human existence.
  • Good for All: Unlike modern medical system, Ayurveda is good for all individuals irrespective of their status of health. With its elegant regime, Ayurveda dignifies the diseased and strengthens the stronger ones leading to health and longevity.

Apart from this, Ayurveda remains as the most natural, less expensive medical system with homemade remedies of defensive nature. Effective utilization of Ayurvedic natural herbs, spices, vegetables and natural Ayurvedic Essential oils in your day to day living will support longevity and help you in the long run.

Ayurveda can be made more efficacious if its real essence is absorbed and utilized effectively. Studies have proved that Ayurveda is effective in the treatment of acute chronic diseases like diabetes and the integration of Ayurvedic Healing system with Modern therapy can pave way for finding a solution for some of the life threatening diseases like cancer.

One final yet valid reason that makes the West fascinated towards Ayurveda is its approach towards the patients that is lifted high with a sense of personal touch and care that is often missing in the western medical system.

As a true believer and benefiter of Ayurveda, I take this opportunity to thank all those strenuous efforts of the invaluable immortals who strived a lot in  bringing the knowledge of Ayurveda to the west that has served numerous people in the past and will continue to serve in the future as well!!!

Thought for the day:

“Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease.” –Hippocrates

Suggested Reading:

  1. Ayurveda: A Comprehensive Guide to Traditional Indian Medicine for the West by Frank John, M.D. Ninivaggi
  2. Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life: Achieving Optimal Health and Wellness through Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, and Western Science by Claudia Welch
  3. Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners: Familiar Western Food Prepared with Ayurvedic Principles by Amadea Morningstar

Reference Links:

  1. Ayurveda by Wikipedia
  2. Meditation by National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  3. Differences between Ayurveda and Modern Medicine (Allopathy) by LuzySalud