Ayurveda - The Science of Healthy Long Life

" The flower-bearing and fruit-bearing herbs having beautiful tendril Conquer the diseases like swift horses, and prove efficacious for the sick Making him healthy and happy. "

-Rig Veda 10-97-3

Nature, for millions of years, has been relentlessly sustaining, promoting and proliferating life on earth. All things - living or non-living, are a combination of five basic elements (Panchabhoota) namely - Space (Akaasha), Air (Vaayu), Heat or Fire (Teja or Agni), Water (Jala) and Earth (Prithvi). The way Nature had ensured harmony and interdependence among all forms of life on surface of the earth, under the water or in the skies is an unending source of mystery and inspiration.

Ayurveda - the Science of Long Life, is the longest unbroken health tradition and a complete system of medicine and healing (including surgery) based on nature. There is a tremendous sweep and depth of knowledge regarding the use of natural resources. The word Ayurveda is composed of Ayu and Veda; Ayu means life, which is a proper combination of the body, mind, sense organs and the soul and Veda means knowledge. Ayurveda has a holistic approach to disease (Vikruthi) which occurs when the original form (Prakriti) encounters change at physiological and/or psychological level. Unlike the analytical approach of modern medicine which studies the Vikruthi only, Ayurvedic treatment emphasizes on examining the Prakriti of the patient also.

The Panchabhootas are expressed in the body as Tridoshas, i.e., Vata, Pitta and Kapha in the body and a state of equilibrium between the three doshas is considered health. In diseased condition, the doshas are disturbed either because of external or internal factors and the disturbance is manifested in disease conditions. The purpose of treatment of all diseases is to bring the doshas back to their equilibrium state. This is achieved through using Ayurvedic medicines which are manufactured by extensive processes as prescribed in the ancient texts. They are made from a wide range of plant parts (such as stems, barks, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, fruit rind, seeds, bulbs, resins, rhizomes), animal and mineral sources that are available in the nature around us.

Since ages, Indian people had an incredible knowledge of phyto-medicine driven apparently by a tremendous passion for the study of medicinal plants. The earliest description of the medicinal plants and their uses is to be found in Rig Veda - the oldest scripture in the world. Probably no other medicinal culture in the world has so extensive, detailed and deep an understanding about the medicinal value of plants. Most of the medicinal systems, including Greek and Roman have freely borrowed from Ayurveda. The entire world has now realized that, being natural, the Indian medical preparations are not only harmless, vital, vigorating and life-giving, but are within the reach of common man.