|
|
 |
|
|
The science of life, intended by Ayurveda is much more than mere skill of treatment or diagnosis of a diseased condition. It is meant for the total concept of life, which includes both man and his environment.
As we all know,
- Man is a biological entity.
- He needs to adjust to the physical environment and as a social and spiritual entity, he needs to adjust and react to the society in which he lives and to the spiritual ideals upheld by it.
Such well-being alone is real and true of man in his entirety and such is the object of science of life achieved by Ayurveda. Hence it is called the
“Science of life”.
|
|
Definition
|
 |
The word ‘Ayurveda’ is composed of two words viz.
Ayu and Veda where Ayu means life and Veda means science.
Thus Ayurveda means science of life which also covers the ‘art of living’.
It is interesting to note that the ‘Ayu’ of Ayurveda is a combination of sharira (body), indriya (perceptory organs), sattva (mind) and atma (soul). Here lies the basic difference in Ayurveda and the other systems of medicine, that the soul, which is unknown has been incorporated in the study of science.
|
|
Ayu
|
|
Ayu can be defined as a composite material constituting five bhutas, body, senses, mind and soul. This combined composition forms the Purusha (Man) as the independent parts do not have any existence. In other words, Ayu is the stream of life having consciousness of pain, pleasure, thinking and recognizing. It has automatic activity and reacts to stimuli. Any of the constituents of ‘Ayu’ perishes, but Atma is imperishable.
|
|
Aims of Ayurveda
|
|
Prevention is better than cure - is the principle followed by Ayurveda.
Ayurveda, which is the oldest science, aims at the following:
- Maintaining the health of the healthy, which means following the principles of Swastha-Vritta which includes the Daily Regime and Seasonal Regime.
- Maintaining Dhatu samya {equilibrium of body elements}.
- Procedures and ways of maintaining that equilibrium of body elements.
- Ayurveda not only cures the disease, but also give views regarding promotion, prolongation and maintenance of a happy and healthy life.
- It imparts knowledge of life.
- It describes the span of life, about useful and harmful, happy and unhappy and also gives guidelines for what is beneficial and harmful to life.
- It is the science, which describes signs of health and factors responsible for its maintenance as well as action logical factors, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diet and drugs in disease state.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mansik Gunas
