What is Ayurveda, can be answered as “Ayurveda is a system of self-care rooting itself in India for over 5000 years.” The science has gained skyrocketing popularity across the globe as plenty of holistic healers have incorporated it into their practices and millions of people are undergoing its internal and external therapies that help improving body, mind and soul health.
Ayurveda definition can go like this –the Holy word of Ayurveda (actually it is Ayurved) is comprised of two Sanskrit (The language of God in Hinduism) words –ayu and veda. Every word in the Sanskrit language has its own definition; hence ayu has its own narration and so does veda.
Literally and briefly, ayu means ‘the life’ and veda means “science.” So this reads Ayurveda as ‘the science of life.’ However, the Holy texts elaborate definitions to make an individual a more perfect understanding. Let us look at these two words’ explanation –
Ayu explained –
What is the perfect definition of ayu or life as per the basic principles of Ayurveda? The sage says “Sharirendriyaa sattva aatma samyogo ayuhu”, in just one line. Sharir is a physical body; indriya represents the senses. Sattva refers to the combination of heart and mind –overall psychological strength, and aatma is a divine soul or spirit.
All in all, these all –body, mind, spirit, senses, heart –are in balance and functioning flawlessly, harmoniously, coordinately –it is called as a true life for the living body.
Veda explained –
Veda is science, but not the one that alters its theories and so its consequences every few years but is timeless. This science is based on eternal knowledge carried out from siddhantas, the basic unchanging principles. In this concept, Veda simply means guided knowledge and it is not simple theory, but indeed a pathway for how to achieve wellbeing and unshakable health.
A further clarification of Ayurveda
As per classic texts of Ayurveda, the Sanskrit chant that describes Ayurveda goes –“Ayurhitaahitam vyaadhe nidaan shamanam thathavidhyate yatra vidhvadhihi tatr ayurveda uchyate.” This verse defines Ayurveda deeper that the science of Ayurveda can get us a total knowledge of what is life-nurturing and what is not, not merely for the physique, but also for the mind, soul, senses and spirit.
Ayurveda specifies the description of the healthy diet, proper lifestyle and genteel behavior that is mandatory to remain in flawless mind-body-soul health. Ayurveda also tells about the ideal environment and the herbs to be used to keep the health in its best position. There is very useful information on every modalities –what to have food, when to have food and how to food; etc are a part of dietary recommendation, for instance. The science of Ayurveda also includes recommendations to nurture the relationships and to live as a social character in human community.
Why Ayurveda?
If anyone does not learn this knowledge or may have it but does not implement into the character and moral, then, say Ayurvedic texts, the individual is susceptible to have lots of health ailments affecting body, mind and soul.
When anyone consults an Ayurvedic healer, the physician’s first job is to rule out why are they signs and symptoms? Two individuals may show the same symptoms, but then etiological reasons that give rise to these symptoms in each individual could be all different. The Ayurvedic expert simply approaches beyond symptoms and discovers the root cause of the imbalance. This is done in order to have the best possible resolution of the imbalance and not merely alleviating the signs and symptoms.
The Holistic Approach of Ayurveda
Nidan refers to both; the diagnosis itself and the etiological causes that give birth to the symptoms. The Ayurvedic diagnosis can be carried out by studying etiological factors carefully. To make it simpler, we can take an example of the fire alarm! If it starts beeping in the house, we first try to find out the place whence the smoke is coming. In Ayurveda, the experts do the same…
If anyone complains about having a headache, an Ayurvedic physician would do a pulse assessment and would make a questionnaire to rule out the root cause for imbalance that has ended up in headache. This may include what exactly is the lifestyle? Is there any stressful or troublesome decisions, events etc? What diet modification a patient had and lots of such questions would make Ayurvedic physician capable in diagnosing the health ailment. Ayurveda, indeed, addresses the signs and symptoms, but it does so in the relation of the root-causes. Unlike contemporary medicinal science that may just pull out the batteries from the alarm stopping its beeping, Ayurveda does not destroy Nature’s indicating system but find out what can be done so that the alarm is shut down!
Objectives of Ayurveda
Ayurveda treats diseased person and a healthy person equally –it has two main objectives:
Swaasthasya swastha rakshanam that literally means keeping the healthy person healthy and this is achieved by preventing the diseases in an Ayurvedic way.
Vyaadhakanm vyaadhi paramokshaha that literally means for an individual who does not have the knowledge of how to achieve a wellbeing with best possible mind-body and soul health or the one who has it but does not implement, Ayurveda teaches how to achieve balanced body chemicals, hormones and a total healthy state of mind, body and soul.
