What is Ayurveda It is India?s traditional systems of medicine. 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. This is part of the renewed ethnic cultures the world over, in their lifestyles and religious beliefs. Medicine may be seen as a living component of an unbroken tradition stretching back to several centuries. In India and her neighbors like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, such systems have long being in existence and studies scientifically and codified, with written texts that have been preserved through the ages. Passed on from one generation to another, they have stood the test of time. These systems are unique in that they are deeply rooted in traditional cultures and draw upon their wisdom, knowledge and experience. They may be termed as alternative systems of medicine only in relation to modern Western medicine. Ayurveda and other such systems are both supplementary and complementary to modern medicine in helping to provide good health to humanity.

The origins of Ayurveda are shrouded in antiquity. Legend says 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, Sushrut, Parashara, and Charak. Sage Atreya?s disciple Agnivesha is said to have written the original Agnivesha Samhita around 1000 BC which has come down to us in the form of Charak Samhita. This text is considered an authoritative pronouncement of Ayurvedic doctrine. Its present form goes back to the seventh century BC. Sage Charak 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, health 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 fulfill 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 intimate physical relations, which is kama.

Basic of Ayurveda

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, and Atharva - contain several references to the digestive system, metabolism, anatomy and descriptions 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, and Kapha. Roughly translated, Vayu (also known as Vata) is wind; Pitta can be represented by bile and Kapha by phlegm.   

The Basic Elements:-

1. The science of Ayurveda is a branch of Indian philosophy. Although it is deeply rooted in Indian culture, the university of Indian thought is widely acknowledged. Hence, the world can respond to Ayurveda as a science of healing based on man?s response to his environment.

2. Its universal approach emphasizes its applicability and relevance to all, irrespective of their geographical, cultural and religious differences. As a science, it is founded on the rational principles of physiology, pathology, pharmacology and diagnostics, which have been critiqued, systematized and generalized, based on the rigid principles of logic.

3. Being a holistic science of life, it believes that the functioning of the body is closely related to the mind and soul of the individual. Ideally speaking the body should be free from disease, the mind should be happy and the person should be spiritually elevated. It follows that certain regimens regarding diet must be observed as also code of conduct in order to achieve a harmonious life. In prescribing medicines or therapies, Ayurveda takes cognizance of the mind as well as the body. 

4. In Ayurveda, germs and organism cause diseases are described as secondary factors. The primary factor is the disturbance in the equilibrium of the three doshas. The doshas: Vayu, Pitta and Kapha are three elementary functional units or principles on which the building up and sustenance of the body depends. They may roughly be represented by the terms, wind for Vayu, bile for Pitta and phlegm for Kapha. But the doshas are not actually these substances. Vayu, Pitta and Kapha are more than that. They are forces that cause these substances to be produced in the body. They are the outcome of the absorption of the basic elements in the universe by the human sensory organs.           

They exist in all individual constitutions, in certain combinations, endowing each with a characteristic feature. The body generally maintains equilibrium in the functioning of these doshas. Ayurveda believes that just as seeds sown over the barren land will not take root, even virulent germs cannot multiply and produce disease if this equilibrium is maintained in the body. Maintaining good health is as important as treating diseases.

5. Therapeutic use is made of drugs of vegetable origin, animal products and metals, minerals, gems and semi-precious stones. They are processed only in order to render them non-toxic, palatable and therapeutically more potent. No synthetic additives are used in these processes. The processes themselves have been carefully designed to preserve the therapeutic properties of the medicines? ingredients. Toxic ingredients such as aconite, mercury and arsenic are made to pass through elaborate processes before they are used. Only minute doses are prescribed after their efficacy has been tried and tested over time. Ayurvedic medicines not only cure the patient of diseases, they also provide immunity against future attacks. In normal healthy individuals, they help to revitalize the body cells and stimulate the immune system.

6. Ayurvedic therapy is directed towards the patient rather than the disease. The line of treatment for two patients suffering from the same disease may differ. The physician prescribes medication and a regimen for each individual patient depending on his/her constitution and mental state. He does not prescribe for the disease alone.

7. The whole of nature is included in the realm of Ayurveda. The individual is the microcosm of the universe, which is macrocosm. All the elements of the universe can be found in the individual. Hence, the external world is, in a sense, represented in the individual. Because it is based on the elements existing in the universe and the individual?s awareness of these, Ayurveda as a science must necessarily comply with the laws of nature. Therefore, Ayurveda and the world around it are inter-dependent. Both the healer and the healed are part of the same ecosystem. Ayurveda is an environment-friendly science, which enables the individual to live in harmony with nature as a part of nature.

The relevance of Ayurveda: -

The relevance of Ayurveda in today?s world lies in the fact that the science is the product of an ancient civilization and culture that postulate man as part of and as microcosm of the universe, the microcosm. What this really means is that for Ayurveda, every phenomenon in the universe can be found to take place in the individual, albeit in a subtle form. Every individual act as therefore an impact on the environment (in a very broad sense of the term) and on the universe. All matter and psyche, from the more subtle to the gross, is characterized by three attributes or gunas, namely sattwa, rajas, and tamas. Sattwa stands for consciousness, rajas for energy and dynamism and tamas stands for mass, inertia and stability. These three attributes are conceived as real and substantive entities perpetually uniting, separating and reuniting. Everything in the universe is consequent upon their unique arrangement and combination.  

In the phenomenal world whatever energy exists is due to rajas; all matter, resistance and stability are due to tamas, and all manifestations of consciousness are because of sattwa. The predominant attribute in a substance becomes manifest while the other two become latent through their presence is felt by their effects. These collocations make for the difference in the psychological temperament physical constitution of an individual.

An understanding of these three attributes and what they represent is important for appreciating various Ayurvedic concepts. The individual according to the Vedas is made up of five successive layers of koshas: the annamaya kosha or the physical body; the pranamaya kosha: the astral body or the elan vitae or what the individual feels; the manomaya kosha: the psyche or what the individual thinks; the vijnanmaya kosha: the intellect which can discriminate; the anandamaya kosha: the sheath of bliss.

The physical body in its turn is composed of five basic elements or mahabhutas, which make up the universe. These elements are prithvi, jal, agni, Vayu, akash. Loosely translated, these five elements are often referred to earth, water, fire, air and ether respectively. They do not however, connote the correct and full implications of the original Sanskrit terms. They are used in the representative sense in order to help understand how the external world is linked to the world within us.

Here it may be useful to elaborate on the five element or pancha mahabhuta theory.
Man perceives the external world in five different ways through his five senses (indriyas): the auditory, tactile, taste, visual and olfactory. Through the corresponding sense organs, man not only perceives the external object but also absorbs it into his body in the form of energy. Each element is composed of all the five elements but each also has one predominant characteristic, which gives it its name. For example, ordinary water does not contain water alone. Its composition includes water, air, earth, fire and ether. The force of cohesion or the power of attraction that is inherent in water is its characteristic feature.