Vulnerable parts of the body (Marma)

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Radhekrishna to one and all!

This post marks the conclusion of our discussion on the topic of Vulnerable Spots.

These vulnerable spots mentioned, match with those contained in the martial art literature underscoring a certain commonality in the Indian system of knowledge.

An understanding and validation of this insight could help minimize the risks incidental to allopathic surgical procedures.

An application of this principle of “Vulnerable Points” is found in the martial art form “Varmam” which is still found in practice fairly widely in the state of Kerala and to a lesser degree in Tamil Nadu. One of the offshoots of this science is Acupuncture, which, ironically, is more commonly known and is seeing a revival. This science and its art form are finding application in Sports medicine.

…concluded

Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

In this post let us look at the herb named Khas Khas known as Poppy seeds in English.

· They are found in poppy heads (Papaver Somniferum) and are used in many prescriptions for tonics
· Khas Khas ground with Bhang into a paste and applied to the palms and soles cures insomnia
· Mixed with lime juice and rubbed on the body they tend to cure dry itch
· Poppy seeds on the stalks which have not been given an incision to produce the exudation that is known as opium are sporofic and is used for allaying pain
· It is prescribed as a medicine for insanity and insomnia

Some other maladies that it can cure are:

· Griping pain
· Pain after child birth
· Colic and pain in the testicles
· It is also good for tertian or quartan fevers

That concludes the post for this fortnight. Till the next post, Radhekrishna to all the readers. Do lots and lots of chanting to attain supreme bliss.

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Vulnerable parts of the body (Marma)

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,

Radhekrishna!

Continuing the thread from the previous post, we continue the topic of Vulnerable Spots (marma) in this topic:

The word ‘marma’ in Sanskrit connoted the following:

· Vital
· Vulnerable
· Hidden

Wherever the word “vulnerable” has been used in our articles, the word should be understood as enveloping all the above attributes.

We have described the Vulnerable spots of the human body in the last few posts. Let us look at the current relevance of the topic in this post.

Current Relevance:

The text on this topic presents the vulnerable spots from three different windows:

· The system (sinew or skeleton) they form part of
· The part of the body they are present in and
· The extent of their vulnerability.

….to be continued

Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

Let us know about the herb “Panwar” in this post.

· It is also known as Mehndi (though it has little resemblance to Henna).
· It is a herb growing in waste lands during the rains
· It has seeds like kidney beans
· Ground seeds applied to skin cures ringworm, leucoderma and blemishes
· The powder of its seeds taken internally over some weeks cures these diseases permanently

Till the next posting, Radhekrishna!!!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Vulnerable parts of the body (Marma)

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Radhekrishna to all!

Many Pranams to our beloved Guruji Mahan Brahmashree Gopalavallidasar. His birthday falls in this month on 13th June. It is only due to Him that our lives have been filled with happiness and supreme bliss.

Coming to our topic of discussion, let us look at the five broad categories of vulnerable spots:

· Those immediately fatal
· Those belatedly fatal
· Those which would be fatal when touched by instruments
· Those that are debilitating
· Those that are painful

How the 107 spots are classified in the above five categories is described by the below shloka:

Tatra sadyahpraanaharaanyekonavimsatih
Kaalaantarapraanaharaani trayastrimahsatat trini
Vishalyaghnaani chatushchatvaarimashadvaikalyakaraani
Ashtau rujaakaraaniti.

Meaning:

Vulnerable spots in number are as under:

· Those immediately fatal = 19
· Those belatedly fatal = 33
· Those which would be fatal when touched by instruments = 3
· Those that are debilitating = 44
· Those that are painful = 8

Source:

Sushruta-samahita. Sharira-Sthaanam, Adhyaayah 6, Paragraph 3-5 & 8 (6th Century BCE)

That concludes this section for this forthnight.

Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

In this post let us see the herb named lahsan, (garlic in english and allium sativum in latin

· It is used as a spice for curries alongwith onions and ginger
· It is pungent in taste
· It has been used for centuries for dealing with flautulence
· It deals with unpleasant smell of fish
· It lowers the blood pressure
· It contains an oil which is eliminated through the skin and the lungs
· It is used in medicines prescribed for diseases of the lungs and the respiratory tract and also for dealing with leucoderma, ringworm and skin blemishes
· Paste of garlic gives relief from pain caused by a scorpion’s sting

That concludes the article for this forthnight. Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Vulnerable parts of the body (Marma)

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,

Radhekrishna!

We are discussing the topic of Vulnerable Spots (Marma) since the last two postings. In this post, let us see more on this topic.

Saptottaram marmasatam. taani marmaani
pannchaatmakaani bhavanti tadyathaa
maamsamarmaani siraamarmaani snaayumarmaani
ashthimarmaani sandhiarmaani ceti. Naa khalu
maamsasiraa-snaayvasthisandhivyatirekenaanyaani
marmaani bhavanti yasmaannopalabhyante.

Meaning:

Vulnerable spots (are) 107. These vulnerable spots are five-fold, they being:

· Muscle-related vulnerable spots
· Blood vessel-related vulnerable spots
· Sinew-related vulnerable spots
· Bone-related vulnerable spots and
· Joints-related vulnerable spots

Surely there are no vulnerable spots other than these: muscle, blood vessel, sinew*, bone and joint-related vulnerable spots: because none else is found.

*Sinew – That which joins a muscle to a bone

… to be continued

Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

Herb which we will tell about in this post is named Babchi (Psorales Corylifolia in Latin).

· It is a well known medicinal herb, used as a laxative and anthelmintic (anti-parasite)
· The seeds of the Babchi help cure leucoderma if used as a paste for forty days

We will discuss about a new herb in the next post. Till then Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Vulnerable parts of the body

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

We began the topic on vulnerable spots in the human body in our previous posting. We will continue with the same in this post.

Below is a shloka which describes the broad body parts where all of the vulnerable spots are present. This skloka is to be read in the context of the shloka mentioned in the previous post as it is directly linked to it.

Teshaamekaadashaikasmin shakti bhavanti
Etenetrashaktibahu cha vyakhyaatau
Udarorasordvaadasa chaturdasha prashthe
grivaampratyurdhvaam saptatrimshat

Meaning:

These vulnerable spots are in

The thighs 11 each
The two arms 11 each
Stomach/ chest 12
Back 14
Neck and above 37

Now the third shloka mentions some broad categories into which the 107 vulnerable spots can be classified. We will look in to that in the next post.

Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

The plant about which we will tell you today is called as ‘Siris’ in Sanskrit, (Alibizzia Odoratissima in Latin).

1. It is a large tree generally planted along the roads to provide shade

2. A decoction of the its bark is used as a mouthwash

3. That decoction also gives relief against tooth-ache

4. The decoction helps in curing oedema

5. Cold and catarrah are relieved by snuff prepared from the seeds of Siris

6. If the seeds of the Siris are taken in powder form along with milk, it helps relieve complaints like spermatorrhoea and premature ejaculation

That concludes this section for the forthnight.

Till the next posting,

Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Vulnerable parts of the body

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Radhekrishna to one and all!

Continuing the thread from the previous post, let us know something related to the Vulnerable Spots (Marma) in the human body, through a few shlokas.

Tatraikaadasa maamsamarmaani ekachatvaarimasat
shiraamarmaani saptavimsatih snaayumarmaani
ashthavasthimarmaani vimshatih sandhimarmaani ceti.
Tadetat saprottaram marmashatam

Meaning:

There (are)

Muscle related vulnerable spots are 11
Blood vessel related vulnerable spots are 41
Sinew related vulnerable spots are 27
Bone related vulnerable spots are 8
Joints related vulnerable spots are 20
These are the 107 vulnerable spots

….to be continued

Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

In this post let us know about yet another Indian herb. Its called Reetha (in Sanskrit), Soapnut in English and Sapindus Trifoliatus in Latin.

1. It is the fruit of the tree of the same name with wrinkled and and darkish yellow outer skin.
2. Breaking open the skin, a dark stone with a white kernel is obtained.
3. The rind of reetha is an antidote against snake poison
4. The rind also has a cleansing property and its powder is used for washing woolens and the hair as it adds a sparkle to them.
5. Its medicinal uses include formulations used for hemicrania, haemorrhoids and sexual debility.
6. Sprinkling water in which rind of soapnut has been dissolved, drives away snakes and scorpions

That is all we have for you in this post. We will continue to impart more and more knowledge on the topic of science and Hinduism in our next post.

Till then do lots of chanting of the Radhekrishna namam and enjoy the supreme bliss.

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Anatomy : Parts of the body

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Radhekrishna Dear Readers,

We have described about the Anatomy of the human body in the previous post through a shloka from the Sushruta Samahita (a scripture in Hindu culture).

Let us know the meaning in layman terms, of certain words used in that shloka

1. Kalaah = Parts or divisions
= Tissue which is an aggregation of many parts

2. Dhamani = Reed/ tube
= Blood vessel

3. Srotah = That through which (the mind) pours out
= Sense organs

4. Jalam = Web (of muscles, veins, ligaments and bones)
= Plexus

5. Yoga + = Body fluid flows
Vahini + = Vehicle through which blood flows
srotah = Capillary.


Note: With exception of tendons, the numbers indicated here for the various body components are remarkably close to the modern knowledge.


Let us continue with the topic in the next posting.


Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

In this post the herb on which we will throw some light is known as Hirankhori (in Sanskrit) and Corchorus Fasciularis) in Latin.

1. It is a creeper which grows as weed with the winter crop of wheat and Bengal grams
2. It is a wonderful remedy against bubonic plague
3. It is used extensively to deal with sciatica

Till the next post,
Radhekishna!!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Anatomy : Parts of the body

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Radhekrishna to all!

In the previous post we have seen the classification of diseases into three categories. In this post we bring you a shloka from the Sushruta Samahita that describes the Anatomy i.e. the various parts of the human body.

It goes as below:

Tvancah sapta kalaah sapta aasayaah sapta
dhaaavah sapta sapta siraasatani panca
pesisataani nava snayusataani trinyasthisataani
dve dasottare sandhisate saptottaram
marmasatarm chatur-vimshatirdhamanyah trayo
doshaah trayo malaah nava srotaamsi shodhasha
kandaraah shodasha jalani sat khurcaah catasro
rajjavah sapta sevanyah charudasha sanghaataah
chaturdasha simantaah dvaavimsatiryogavahaani
srotaamsi dvikaanyantraani ceti samaasah

Meaning:

The human body is a collection of 7 layers of skin, 7 tissues, 7 receptacles, 7 elements, 700 tubular vessels, 500 muscles, 900 sinews, 300 bones, 210 joints, 107 vital parts, 24 (blood) vessels, 3 humors, 3 impurities, 9 sense organs, 16 tendons*, 16 plexuses#, 6 bunches (of muscles), 4 (muscular) chords, 7 fibrous sutures, 14 bony complexes, 14 terminal formations, 22 capillaries and 2 intestines.

* Tendons: a band of fibrous tissues attaching a muscle to a bone or other structure
# Plexuses: a network.

Source: Sushruta Samahitaa, Sharira-Sthaanam, Adhyaayah 5, Paragraph 6 (6th Century BCE)

Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

In this post let us know about the herb called as Arhar in Hindi, (Pigeon pea) in English and Cajanus Indicus in Latin.

1. It is a lentil eaten in most parts of India

2. It has many medicinal properties

3. It relieves inflammation of internal organs

4. Leaves of the plant act as a specific medicine for all inflammatory conditions

5. Alopecia (bald patches) is relieved if a fine paste of the lentil is applied regularly

6. Orchitis (inflammation of the testicles) is also relieved by this paste

That concludes the post for the forthnight,

Radhekrishna

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Types of Diseases

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Radhekrishna to all our readers!

Wishing all our readers a very happy and colourful holi! The festival is a remembrance of the bhakti of the Prahlad, a great devotee of Lord Hari and his strong faith in the Lord. In a nutshell history has that Prahlad’s father the demon Hiranyakashyap wanted to kill his own son Prahlad. His sister Holika hatches a plan that she will take Prahlad in her arms and sit in a fire. As she was granted a boon that fire cannot affect her in any way, she feels that Prahlad will get burnt to ashes in the fire. However it so happens that Prahlad remains unaffected by the fire and Holika gets burnt to ashes. It also proves that when Lord Krishna himself decides to destroy a person, then the benedictions given by anyone else cannot save that person; and when He decides to save a person, then no power can destroy that person. Such is the supremacy of Lord Krishna. The festival also marks the conclusion of the winter season and the beginning of the summer. This is the part of the year when maximum number of flowers bloom. Hence people enjoy the festival by spraying colour on one another. The colour earlier used to be the extract of various flowers which when comes in contact with the skin gives a soothing effect to it. But nowadays with the usage of chemicals in preparing the colours, indulging in this act has become a very risky adventure.

Coming back to our topic, till now we have concluded through the shlokas from the Sushruta Samahita that diseases are of seven categories and they are divided into three types broadly as below:

i Endogenic: Pre-conception and post-conception hereditary diseases and those caused by vitiation of the humours (which formed the first three categories of diseases)

ii Exogenic: Contagious and seasonal (which formed the fourth and fifth category of diseases)

iii Cosmic: Of unknown origin and those natural to the body (which formed the sixth and seventh category of diseases).

Vyaadhiviseshaastu praagabhihitah sarva evaite
Trividhah sadhyaah yaapyaah pratyaakhyeyaasea

Meaning: Diseases that have been mentioned are of three types: treatable, to be endured and to be rejected. Thus it can be inferred that some diseases are curable, some are to be sustained and some are to be ignored.

We will look into a new topic in our next post

Section II: Information about Indian herbs:

Hope our readers are finding the new section useful and knowledgeable

In this post let us know about the herb called as Mulethi in Hindi (Liquorices in English) and Glycyrryhiza Glabra in Latin.

1. It’s the root of a creeper which is used as medicine
2. It helps in dealing with cough because of its expectorant quality
3. It relieves burning sensation while passing urine
4. Fine powder of Mulethi applied to eyes removes yellowness in the whites of the eye

Till the next forthnight,
Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Seven Categories of Diseases

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna once again,

We mentioned a shloka from the Sushruta Samahita in our previous post relating to the classification of diseases.

Let us know the same in this post.

The seven categories of diseases are as under:

Ø Those caused by pre-conception hereditary factors.

Ø Those caused by post-conception hereditary factors.

Ø Those caused by the vitiation of the humours

Ø Contagious

Ø Seasonal

Ø Those caused by divine forces (of unknown origin) and

Ø Those that are natural to the body


Thus the two shlokas mentioned in the previous post deal with the origin of the diseases.

….to be continued

Section II : Information on Indian herbs

In this post, the herb that we are going to mention is called as Bakain in Hindi, Indian Lilac in English and Melia Azedarach in Latin.

o It’s a tree resembling the neem tree

o It has round fruits growing in clusters

o The leaves of the tree have blood-purifying properties

o It is recommended for curing of scabies, ringworm, leprosy and leukoderma

o It helps to reduce inflammation

o The extract of it’s leaves is useful in dealing with cataract


That concludes our post for the forthnight.
Radhekrishna

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Classification of diseases

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna!

The influence of western culture is increasing at an alarming pace in India, our motherland. One of the best examples of this is the celebration of various ‘days’ by the youth; be it friendship day or valentines day or mothers day; the list is just endless. The people of our country are falling prey to the influence of western culture. They have forgotten the significance of our country and our culture. Hinduism is the oldest existing culture in the history of mankind. And it has sustained itself even today only because of it’s robust principles and traditions. Hence we, the members of Radhekrishna Sathsangam urge all our readers to generate a thirst and curiosity to know more about the glorious Hindu culture and it’s components. And for that same purpose, we have brought the blog on Science and Hinduism so that we can dispense information about our Hindu culture through it. The blog has successfully completed more than four years and it is a modest attempt from our side to spread more and more awareness about hinduism through this medium.

In this post we begin with a new topic. Below are a few shloka’s from the Sushruta Samahita:

Tacca dukham trivdham aadhyaatmika
aadhibhautikam aadhidaivikamiti

They (the classification of diseases by origin) are of three types – exogenous, endogenous, psychic or natural.

Tattu saptavidhe vyaadhaavupanipatati. Te
punah saptavidhaa vyadhyah. Tadyathaa
aadibalapravrttaah janmabalapravrttaah
dosabalapravrttaah sanghatabalapravrttaah
kalabalapravrttaah daivabalapravrttaah
svabhavabalapravrttaah iti.

Diseases are of three types – endogenous, exogenous and cosmic. They fall under seven categories of diseases. What are the seven categories, we will see in the next posting.

Section II: Information on Indian herbs

In this post, let us know about the herb named Jhau in Hindi (Tamarix Gallica) in Latin.
1. It is a plant that grows to the height of about two metres

2. It has leaves resembling those of a fir tree

3. It grows mostly on the banks of the rivers in the basin of the Yamuna

4. It’s leaves and wood are specifically useful for bringing the enlarged spleen to it’s normal size

5. It’s decoction also prevents prolapse of the anus

6. It’s fruit known as Mayaphal has the quality of stopping bleeding

7. Salts extracted from the ashes of the plant contain appreciable quantities of iron and cobalt


Till the next forthnight… Radhekrishna!!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Eight Branches of Ayurveda

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna to one and all!

Continuing the thread from our previous post, let us take a look at the descriptions of the remaining four branches of Ayurveda.


5. Bhuta + vidya Graha Chikitsa: Graha Chikitsa is that branch or sub-division that mainly deals with the management of psychological disorders of human beings produced as a result of invasion by some evil spirits.

6. Kaumara + brtyakam Baala chikitsa: As the name suggests, it is that branch of Ayurveda which deals with children. The diseases suffered by children and the treatment given for curing is Balachikitsa.

7. Rasayanam Jara Chikitsa: Jara Chikitsa or the rejuvenating therapy is that which promotes rejuvenation in a healthy person and cures the disease of a diseased person.

8. Vajikaranam Vrishya Chikitsa: Vrishya Chikitsa is the branch of ayurvedic treatment which includes drugs that are mainly used for improving fertility and a study of aphrodisiacs. These drugs also increase the strength and stamina of the person. All this is included in Vrishya Chikitsa.

Now let us move on to our next section.

Section II : Information about Indian herbs

The herb for this forth night is known as Oont Katara in Hindi; Camel’s Thistle in English and Echinops Echinatus in Latin.

· It’s a thorny plant growing to the height of one metre

· It is the favourite food of camels

· Juice of it’s flowers relieves night blindness

· Its bark is a specific cure for coughs, fevers and dropsy

· The root of this plant boiled in milk acts as a aphrodisiac

We will take up a new topic in our next post. Till then Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Eight branches of Ayurveda

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna to all!

We hope that our readers have maintained their respective new year resolutions taken with tons of enthusiasm. We also hope that our readers have started devoting a small portion of time every day for doing Namajapam.

Coming to our articles, you have known the eight specialties of Ayurveda in the last article. In this post, we will describe those eight specialties in detail.

1. Kaya Chikitsa: Kaya means the living human body, which includes body and mind both. It includes both, the visible body as well as the subtle body. Kayachikitsa is that medicinal branch which includes all the diseases situated in the body like fever.

2. Sala – Saalaakyam (Urdhvanga Chikitsa): Urdhvanga means the organs situated above the neck and the treatment of eyes, ears, nose, throat and head is Urdhvanga chikitsa or shalakya.

3. Salya + apa + hartrkam (Shalya Chikitsa): Shalya Chikitsa is the branch of ancient Indian surgery that describes in detail about the pre-operative procedures, general procedures, post-operative procedures, marma’s (vital points) and also about anesthesia. The description of the types of bandages, shastra (sharp instruments), yantras (blunt instruments), and sutures (stitches) has been described in this branch.

4. Visha + gara + vairodhika + pra + samanam (Damastra Chikitsa): Damastra chikitsa is the branch which includes the science of poison.

…. to be continued

Section II : Information about Indian herbs

Coming to our section on Indian herbs, the herb we will tell you about is named Machhechi Booti (Hindi).

· It’s a small spreading herb growing in ponds when they start drying up in the summer heat.

· It’s a good remedy for piles

· It is also used in prescriptions for salves and ointments for drying up wounds

That concludes the post for this forth night.

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Etmology of the Eight parts of Ayurveda

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,

Wishing all of you a very happy and prosperous new year!
All of us think about improving our life in some way or the other at the outset of every new year. So this year let us think of improving our life by devoting some portion of our valuable time towards attaining spiritual knowledge. We, the members of Radhekrishna Sathsangam urge our readers to do more and more chanting of the Radhekrishna namam and attain spiritual bliss.

We have started the topic on the Eight Specialties in Ayurveda in the previous blog post. The shloka mentioned in the previous post contains the names of each of the eight specialties. In this article let us take a look at the etmology of the eight specialties. Given below are the meanings of each of the terms mentioned in the shloka. Please read the blog post for 22nd December 2008 to know about those terms and the shloka.

1. Kaya + chikitsaa = Body + treatment

2. Sala – Saalaakyam = Relating to the upper branches of ear, nose, throat and the eyes.

3. Salya + apa + hartrkam = to be removed by thorn (knife) i.e. surgery

4. Visha + gara + vairodhika + pra + samanam = poison + venom + resisting + pacification = toxicology

5. Bhuta + vidya = that which was (ghost) + knowledge = psychology

6. Kaumara + brtyakam = child + service = Pediatrics

7. Rasayanam = treatment with chemicals (science of rejuvenation)

8. Vajikaranam = stimulating amorous desires = Aphrodisiacs

Section II : Information about Indian herbs

In this post let us know about the herb known as Indrayan (Hindi) also known as Colosynth in English and Citrullus Colocynthis in Latin.

· It is a creeper with large flowers

· It has a bitter fruit

· The pulp of its fruit and the root are used in medicine; both are cathartic

· It is also useful in cases of rheumatism and syphilis

· It is a cure for chronic catarrh and premature graying of hair

That concludes the topic for this forthnight.

Till the next forthnight, Radhekrishna to all our readers!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Eight parts of Ayurveda

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,

Radhekrishna to all!

Let us see the link between the discussion in our previous post with a western reference.

Hippocrates Aphorism (460 BCE)

“In every disease, it is a good sign when the patient’s intellect is sound and he enjoys his food; the opposite is a bad sign.”

This clearly shows the similarity in thinking between the eastern and western cultures in the field of medicine as far as the tests of cure are related. In the previous post we had mentioned about passage from Astanga-hrdaya, a book written by Vagbhata which also lays emphasis on the same point.

Now we shall take a look at some Sanskrit shloka’s which are from Indian books written on medicine and related topics. In this post let us look at a sloka which describes the “Eight Specialities in Ayurveda”:

Tasyaaurvedasyaangaanyastau tadyathaa
kaayachikitsaa saalaakyarn salyaapahartrkam
visagaravairodhikaprasamanam bhutavidya
kaumaarabhrtyakam rasaayanam vajikaranamiti

Meaning:
The parts of this Ayurveda are eight, they being internal medicine, relating to the upper branches of the ear, nose, throat and eye, surgery, toxicology, psychiatry, paediatrics, science of rejuvenation and the science of aphrodisiacs.

Source: Caraka-samhita, Sutra-sthaanam, Adhyayah 30, Paragraph 28 (1st Century BCE)

We will continue this thread in the next post.

Section II: Information on Indian herbs:

A herb that grows in Kashmir called as Gul Banafsha (Hindi) also known as Violet flowers in English and Viola Odorata (Latin). Its dried flowers are available everywhere in the country.

1. It is effective in fevers, catarrh, pleurisy, pneumonia and cough

2. A paste of flowers applied to the forehead also relieves headache

That concludes this post. Till the next forthnight Radhekrishna to all….

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

The test of cure in Ayurveda

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna!

We concluded the discussion on the five types of prana in our previous posting. This topic on the five types of pranas has been explained to our readers in a very detailed and simplified manner over the last 17 weeks. Hope the readers have enjoyed this topic.

Before we began the topic on “the five pranas”, we were explaining the tests in Ayurveda by which a physician used to ascertain whether a person had been cured of his illness or not. The Ayurveda test is simply what every single patient looks for and understands as relief from illness. These tests are health-centric and match well with the patients understanding of well being. The nature of the tests warrants the attending physician eliciting the status from the patient, as he cannot declare the patient cured through measurable parameters like temperature or blood pressure. 2000 yrs ago, at least in this land; our Bharatha Bhoomi, the doctors understood cure the same way as the patients did. These tests for discharging a patient as cured are relevant for illness of any kind.

Let’s begin a fresh topic for this fortnight. But before that let’s take a look at the paragraph below.

[A passage from Astanga-hrdaya, a book written by Vagbhata]
Handling the root cause:

“Sages know man as having his root in his mind and the branches below (i.e. the body is controlled by the mind). Therefore, a physician who strikes at the very root i.e. the mind, the crucial factor, in any disease whatsoever; would conquer the diseases more quickly.”

Source: Bhela-samhita.

From the above paragraph, it can be concluded that the test to check whether a patient has been cured of his illness was very simple and logical; unlike the tests carried out today.
We will look at a western reference to the above paragraph in our next post and then begin with a fresh topic.

Section II: Information on Indian herbs

The herb we will tell you about in this post is called as Bhinaula (Hindi) also known as Cotton seed in English and Gossypium Indioum in Latin. Its uses are as follows:

1. It is used as a part of cattle feed
2. It enhances milk yield
3. It is very good in cases of general debility, cough and asthma
4. It is an antidote for opium and dhatura poisoning

Till the next forthnight, radhekrishna to all the readers.

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

The five pranas and the mind

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna to all!

In this article we will conclude our explanation on the concept of Prana. Let us look at the last sub topic i.e. link between the Pranas and the Mind.

Prana and the Mind

The mind also has its energy and Prana. This is derived from food, breath and impressions externally.

1. Prana governs the intake of sensory impressions.
2. Samana governs mental digestion.
3. Vyana governs mental circulation.
4. Apana governs the elimination of toxic ideas and negative emotions.
5. Udana governs positive mental energy, strength and enthusiasm.
   
   On a psychological level, Prana governs our receptivity to positive sources of nourishment, feeling and knowledge through the mind and senses. When deranged it causes wrong desire and insatiable craving. We become misguided, misdirected and generally out of balance.
   
   Apana on a psychological level governs our ability to eliminate negative thoughts and emotions. When deranged it causes depression and we get clogged up with undigested experience that weighs us down in life, making us fearful, suppressed and weak.
   
   Samana Vayu gives us nourishment, contentment and balance in the mind. When deranged it brings about attachment and greed. We cling to things and become possessive in our behavior.
   
   Vyana Vayu gives us free movement and independence in the mind. When deranged it causes isolation, hatred, and alienation. We are unable to unite with others or remain connected in what we do.
   
   Udana gives us joy and enthusiasm and helps awaken our higher spiritual and creative potentials. When deranged it causes pride and arrogance. We become ungrounded, trying to go to high and lose track of our roots.
   
   Coming to the second section of our article in this post, the herb we will tell you about is called Nigand Babri (Hindi).

1. It is a variety of the Holy Basil (Tulasi)

2. It is a wild plant that grows in the rainy season

3. It has blood purifying qualities

4. It is also used for curing ringworm, scabies, leucoderma and even leprosy.

….concluded

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Linking the Pranas with breathing

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna to one and all!

Let us see the role played by Apana, Samana and Vyana Vayu’s in the creation of the human body, in this article.

Apana Vayu creates the openings in the lower part of the body, those of the urino-genital and excretory systems.
Samana Vayu creates the openings in the middle part of the body, those of the digestive system, centered in the navel. It opens out the channels of the intestines and the organs, like the liver and pancreas, which secrete into it.
Vyana Vayu creates the channels going to the peripheral parts of the body, the arms and legs. It creates the veins and arteries and also the muscles, sinews, joints and bones.

In summary, it can be concluded that Samana Vayu creates the trunk of the body (which is dominated by the gastro-intestinal tract), while Vyana Vayu creates the limbs. Prana and Udana create the upper openings or bodily orifices, while Apana creates those below.

Pranas do not exist only on a physical level.
The navel is the main vital center for the physical body. The heart is the main center for the Pranamaya Kosha. The head is the main center for Manomaya kosha.

Moving ahead let us now see the link between Prana and the Breath.

Prana and the Breath

Breathing is the main form of Pranic activity in the body. Prana governs inhalation. Samana governs absorption of oxygen that occurs mainly during retention of the breath. Vyana governs its circulation. Apana governs exhalation and the release of carbon dioxide. Udana governs exhalation and the release of positive energy through the breath, including speech that occurs via the outgoing breath.

In the next article let us see the link between Prana and the Mind.

Coming to the second section of the post, the Indian herb that we will tell about today is called Rai (Hindi) which is known as Brown Mustard in English and Brassica Juncea in Latin.

It is a plant which resembles the Mustard plant (Sarson in Hindi)

It yields similar seeds used in plasters for pleurisy, pneumonia

The powder of this plant is used for inducing vomiting in cases of food poisoning or ingestion of other harmful substances.

A pinch of its powder taken with meals hastens the process of digestion and also increases appetite.

That concludes the article for this forthnight.

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

The five Pranas and the physical body

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,

Radhekrishna once again! Wish you all a very happy and noiseless Deepavaali.
As this is a festival that marks the supremacy of good over the evil, take a pledge today to remove evil representing Raavana that is present in the minds of all of us and install goodness representing Rama in the hearts.

As we promised in the previous article, let us see the link between the five pranas and the human body. It is the prana’s due to which the physical body is capable of moving, eating, speaking and doing all the other actions. Let us know how the pranas work exactly to design the body to perform various actions.

Just to refresh, Pranas are five in number and they represent five metabolic functions. Prana (respiration), apana (excretion), samana (digestion), vyana (reversal; e.g. cough, sneeze, hiccups, vomit etc) and udana (circulation).

How Pranas Create The Physical Body :

Without Prana the physical body is no more than a lump of clay. Prana’s sculpt this gelatinous mass into various limbs and organs. They do it by creating various channels. These channels (are called Nadis in Hinduism), through which the pranas can operate and energize gross matter into various tissues and organs.

Firstly Prana Vayu creates the openings and channels in the head and brain down to the heart. There are seven openings in the head namely, the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and a mouth. These are called the seven Pranas or seven Rishis in Vedic thought. Udana Vayu assists Prana Vayu in creating the openings in the upper part of the body, particularly those of the mouth and vocal organs. The mouth, after all, is the main opening in the head and in the entire body. It could be said that the entire physical body is an extension of the mouth, which is the main organ of physical activity, eating and self-expression.

Let us see the functioning of the other prana’s also in the formation of the human body in the next article.

Coming to the second section of the article, we mentioned about the plant called as Mahua in our previous article. It is known as the Indian Butter Tree in English and Bassia Larifolia in Latin. Let us see some more uses of this plant in this article.

1. The paste of its flowers ground along with Strychos beans acts as an antidote to snake poison

2. The vapours of boiling mahua leaves relieve the pain of orchitis. Orchitis is the inflammation of the testicles.

3. Lastly, this plant is also used for production of intoxicating drink

The last use might seem very controversial but it is also important to know the harmful uses of the herbs so that such uses can be avoided.

That concludes the article of this forthnight. Till the next one after fifteen days, Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam

Example related to the concept of Prana

JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna!

As mentioned at the conclusion of the first section of the previous article, let us look at the concept of prana by relating it to the example which even a layman can easily understand.

This is much like the working of a machine:
Prana brings in the fuel, Samana converts this fuel to energy, Vyana circulates the energy to the various work sites. Apana releases the waste materials or by products of the conversion process. Udana governs the positive energy created in the process and determines the work that the machine is able to do.

The key to health and well-being is to keep our Pranas in harmony. When one Prana becomes imbalanced, the others tend to become imbalanced as well because they are all linked together. Generally Prana and Udana work opposite to Apana as the forces of energization versus those of elimination. Similarly Vyana and Samana are opposites as expansion and contraction.

Now that “the Pranas as processes” has been properly explained, the next thing that we will discuss about as regards the five prana’s is the relationship between the five pranas and the physical body. But for that please wait till the next posting!

Section II: Information on Indian herbs

In this article let us see the herb named Mahua (Hindi) also called as the Indian Butter Tree in English and Bassia Larifolia in Latin.

1. It is a large tree with leaves resembling those of the mango tree.

2. Its dried flowers resemble dried grapes

3. The stone of its fruit yields oil used for various purposes

4. Flowers of its tree are very nutritive

5. It acts as an aphrodisiac and increases mother’s milk

We will continue to discuss on some other uses of this plant in our next article. Till then Radhekrishna!

Please let us know your thoughts about the newly introduced section of description of Indian herbs. Your feedback is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Sarvam Guruvaarpanam