AYURVEDA

Indian culture Student: Luka Petrač, JAP

Mentor: prof.dr. Arun Mishra Student number: 18100975

Date: 23.2.2015
TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Introduction
2. Understanding Ayurveda
2.1.History
2.2.What is Ayurveda
2.2.1. Ayurveda Concepts
2.3. Current status of Ayurveda in India
3. Ayurveda and Modern medicine
3.1.The difference in the approach between modern medicine and
Ayurveda
4. Hon can Ayurveda contribute to modern medicine
4.1.Ayurveda’s treatment approach
4.2.Ayurveda and early diagnostic of diseases
4.2.1. The Importance of Early Detection
4.3.Ayurveda and cancer
4.3.1. Similarities in the treatment of cancer between modern and
Ayurveda medicine
4.3.2. Differences in the treatment of cancer between modern and
Ayurveda medicine
5. Conclusion
6. Literature
 1. Introduction

Ayurveda is an important part of Indian culture, which is why I decided to do a

research paper about it and its correlation with modern medicine. My paper will be
essentially divided into two parts. In the first part I will focus on Ayurveda, its history
and on what Ayurveda actually is. In the second part I will focus on the relationship
between Ayurveda and modern medicine.
2. Understanding Ayurveda

For the first part I will try to give a short introduction into Ayurveda.

2.1 History

Ayurveda (Sanskrit: Āyurveda आयुर्वेद) or Ayurveda medicine is a type of Hindu

traditional medicine that is native to India. The first historical documents about Ayurveda
are found in Rigveda and Atharvaveda, that is in two of the four main Vedas (books of
wisdom), written in Vedic Sanskrit. The exact period in which the four main Vedas
(Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda), were written is still being debated, but
they are believed to be around 5000 years old.

Although there is still a discussion going on about the origin of the Vedas, if it was
Indian or brought to India later with the Arian invasions, it has been mostly proven that its
origins come from the Indian subcontinent.

Rigveda mentions medicinal practices and the art of healing several times, but it is
from Atharvaveda, a book that was written later on as a separate Veda, that Ayurveda is
believed to originate from or at least its fundamental believes. Atharvaveda does not deal
only with medicinal issues but also deals with other life aspects such as the material,
social and political aspects.

The most ‘’complete’’ and the most detailed book about Ayurveda is Charaka Samhita
written about a 1000 years after Atharvaveda. It was a wise man by the name Atreya, who
supposedly got the knowledge from the gods, who created the fundamental thoughts
about Ayurveda. But the first written version of Charaka Samhita was written around the
7th century BC by Atreya’s best student Agnivesha that written the texts in the form of a
debate and called it Agnivesha Tantra. In the 6th century BC the texts of Agnivesha
Tantra were expended and ennobled by Charaka, who called the new texts Charaka
Samhita. The texts were rewritten and modernized again in the 4th century AD by a
scholar from Kashmir, called Dridhabala.

There are many other very important Ayurveda texts and books, one being Sushruta
Samhita, written by Sushruta, a contemporary of Charak. Sushruta is very important
because describes various chirurgical techniques.

Ayurveda has evolved over the years and is now integrated with other traditional
practices, including yoga, and is still evolving.

2.2 What is Ayurveda

 First we must know that Ayurveda is divided into eight different medical
professions or components. The canonical components of Ayurveda are derived from
classical Sanskrit literature, in which Ayurveda was called "the science of eight
components" (Sanskrit aṣṭāṅga अष्टांग). The components or medical professions
are:

• Kayachikitsa (general medicine): "cure of diseases affecting the body".

• Kaumāra-bhṛtya and Bala Roga (pediatrics) : deals with the treatment of
children.
• Shalya tantra (surgery): deals with surgical techniques.
• Śālākya-tantra (ophthalmology): deals with diseases of the teeth, eye, nose,
ear etc.
• Bhuta-vidya (psychiatry): deals with the causes, which are not directly
visible and not directly explained by tridosha, pertaining to micro-organisms or
spirits.
• Agada-tantra (toxicology): deals with antidotes to poison.
• Rasayana-tantra (Geriatrics/Antiaging): deals with rejuvenation.
• Vajikarana tantra (aphrodisiacs): deals with healthy and desired progeny.

2.2.1 Ayurveda Concepts

According to Ayurveda theory, everything in the universe, living or not, is connected.
Good health is achieved when your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the
universe. A disruption of this harmony can lead to poor health and sickness.
For followers of Ayurveda, anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional
well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe. Some things that can
cause a disruption include:
 Genetic or birth defects
 Injuries
 Climate and seasonal changes
 Age
 Emotions
How your body works to keep you healthy and your unique physical and
psychological characteristics combine to form your body's constitution, or prakruti.
Prakruti yields two important understandings. A person has a permanent or stable nature
for the entire life and efforts to maintain or change physiology must keep this balance
point in mind. In addition each type will suggest an area tending to go out of balance, a
disease tendency, requiring lifelong attention to maintain balance. A vata type naturally
tends to constipation, arthritis, anxiety; a pitta type tends towards inflammations,
infections, ulcers; and kapha types tend to overweight, diabetes, congestive disorders, etc.
The implication of pakruti is that it helps explain why people react differently to the same
things. The medical implication for this is that certain people will have a natural
predisposition or sensitivity to certain medicines and this can be predicted. Your prakriti
is believed to stay the same for your entire life. However, how you digest food and
eliminate waste can influence it.
Every person is made of a combination of five basic elements found in the universe:
 Space
 Air
 Fire
 Water
 Earth

These elements combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies,
called doshas. They control how your body works. The three doshas are:
 Vata dosha (space and air)
 Pitta dosha (fire and water)
 Kapha dosha (water and earth)

Everyone inherits a unique mix of the three doshas. One dosha is usually more
dominant. Each dosha controls a different body function. It is believed that your chances
of getting sick are linked to the balance of your doshas.

2.3 Current status of Ayurveda in India

Around 70 percent of the healthcare needs of India is still being catered by
traditional systems of Medicine including Ayurveda, which highly depend on the
natural resources. It is estimated that the world has about 250,000 plants to which
India’s contribution is about 50,000 plants of all groups including about 20,000
flowering plants and conifers. It is estimated that out of these, 7,000 plants are used in
the Traditional Systems of Medicine and according to a recent survey it is reported
that 1,700 plants are used in the Ayurveda system of medicine. However, the number
 of vegetable drugs actually used by various Ayurveda practitioners in India and
available in different markets is around 700.

3 Ayurveda and Modern medicine

In the past 30 years traditional Indian, Chinese, Tibetan and many other culturally
based medical systems have permeated the West and have become increasingly accepted
by the public. There has also simultaneously been recognition by Western medicine that
illness an disease are not merely a physical phenomenon, but also have cultural,
sociological and anthropological dimensions (Kleinman A., Eisnberg, L., Good, B., 987,
251-258). The development of Western medicine has its original roots in indigenous
medical sistems, and the development of the scientific metod in the 17th century created a
steady divergence from the empirical practice of medicine from ancient Greece. In the last
400 years, modern medicine has had a coeval existence with traditional or indigenous
medicine in many cultures, both in the West and in the developing world. Traditional
medical systems should be valued as a healing art, as they are the result of several
thousand years of empirical observation, experience and learning. The present situation is
that medical care has evolved in many countries with patients participating actively in
both medical systems in order to improve their health (Ayurveda, A NEW WAY FOR
HEALTHY LIFE IN EUROPE., Regis A. de Silva., 2010, 33).
Even though there is an increasing use of Ayurveda in the West, there are still several
cultural, regulatory and legal barriers in integrating Ayurveda or in fact any other
traditional medicine with Western medicine. The incorporation of Ayurveda into the
medical system care can be achieved only by dialogue, education and advocacy.

3.1 The difference in the approach between modern medicine and Ayurveda
Modern medicine is also referred to as an allopathic type of medicine. The
allopathic way of threating a disease is with medicine that has the opposite effect than the
disease. It specializes on the identification and treatment of symptoms. Pain is treated
with antipain medication, menstrual cycles with hormones, acid with neutralization, and
so on. Modern medicine approaches an illness or a disease in a reductive way, comparing
the human body to a machine. On the other hand Ayurveda is a holistic medicine and it
derives from the conception that a human being is an indivisible whole and you can’t
break it into parts and as such it has to be treated as a whole. In the table below you can
see the comparison between the holistic and allopathic relationship with health and health
treatment.

REDUCTIVE HOLISTIC
It treats the human body as a machine A person is an unbreakable whole that
that can be divided into parts and can’t be divided into parts and it can’t
checked part by part. be treated without taking into
consideration the cultural, social and
spiritual surroundings and the
connection with the cosmos.
It treats a disease as a malfunction of a Not being in harmony with the cosmos
body part is the result of every disease. It is
unlimited in time and space.
The human body is treated on a The irregularities are treated within
biological and molecular level and it is social, cultural and spiritual
treated with medication and physical surroundings. Body, soul and mind are
procedure. Body and mind are treated treated as a whole.
separately.
Coincidence plays a big role in the The universe is a perfectly organized
formation of a disease. whole, where nothing happens without
a reason and everything is moving
towards a predestinated goal. A
diseases or an illness is not the result of
coincidences.
Time and mater are reduced into Mater is intertwined and dynamic. It is
smaller units. constantly changing, and doing so, it
defines time. Time is eternal.

4 Hon can Ayurveda contribute to modern medicine

From here on I will try to describe the fields where Ayurveda could contribute to
modern medicine.

4.1 Ayurveda’s treatment approach

Ayurveda has three broad themes of treatment. These are elimination therapies
(shodana or Panchakarma), pacification therapies (shamana), and nourishing therapies
(bhrimana). Panchakarma includes nasal administration for vata, pitta and kapha,
medicated enemas for vata, purgation and bloodletting for pitta, and vomiting for kapha.
Symptomatic treatment of this type of disease is not effective in bringing a cure.
Pacification strategies, or balancing with opposites, include diet, lifestyle, herbs,
meditation, yoga, and so on. Nourishing therapies are used when strength or emaciation
issues are being treated.
 The model of disease development in Ayurveda describes six stages. Knowledge of
the symptomatology of each stage for each dosha enables the practitioner to properly
diagnose and treat the disease. This knowledge shows how a common cold becoming
chronic may become asthma or congestive heart failure; or how multiple sclerosis starts
with worry, constipation and the need to control and ends with degenerative changes in
challenged nervous tissue. The classification of the western disease scheme manifests in
the fourth stage of the development of disease according to Ayurveda. This knowledge
enables the Ayurveda practitioner to prevent the serious diseases indicated in the western
classification of disease.

4.2 Ayurveda and early diagnostic of diseases

Ayurveda has still a lot to offer to modern medicine, but one of the most important
things is their system of early diagnostic of diseases. As mentioned before Ayurveda uses
the dosha system which is also used in diagnostics. Ayurveda states that vata, pitta and
kapha are present in every part of the body but have their ‘’homes’’ in the digestive tube.
It means that when imbalanced, they tend to accumulate in certain parts of digestive tract:
vata in large intestine, pitta in small intestine, kapha in stomach. So physicians should pay
close attention to the symptoms of digestive system, as described by the patient, if the
disease is to be found and prevented in its early, still easily curable state. Another aspect
of life which should be followed is the mind and subtle changes in its attitudes, moods,
predominant feelings and patterns of sleep, because often, those subtile changes in the
plane of mind, can give us some clues even before recognizable symptoms are detected in
the indigestive system.
Also as mentioned before, disease develops in six stages according to Ayurveda. Now
I will describe those six stages, because they are very important for diagnostics in the
Ayurveda system.

The six stages are:

 Accumulation. The first thing that happens in the disease process is an

accumulation of the dosha, usually in the dosha’s “home” in the GI
tract. Vata lives in the colon, pitta in the small intestine, and kapha in the stomach.
This stage is relatively minor, and often the body’s wisdom corrects the imbalance
by intuitively guiding us to avoid the causative factors until the symptoms have
 passed. Examples of this stage include heaviness in the stomach or poor appetite
(kapha), pain in the abdomen or intense hunger (pitta), or constipation, gas, and
bloating (vata).
 Provocation. After a dosha has accumulated, if the body is unable to correct the
imbalance our symptoms may worsen. These symptoms often become chronic, but
since they’re only mildly uncomfortable most of us ignore these symptoms or
suppress them with over-the-counter medications. For example, kapha moving into
this stage may lead to excess mucous, sinus congestion, cold, cough, or excessive
salivation. Pitta moving into this stage can lead to heartburn, acid indigestion, or
nausea. And Vata moving into this stage can lead to abdominal distention or pain,
gurgling intestines, breathlessness, or chronic constipation.
 Spreading. Once the dosha has accumulated and been provoked, if it is not
brought back into balance it begins to spread from the GI tract into the general
circulation. Symptoms here may include water retention, increased sinus
congestion, lymphatic congestion, and a generalized heavy feeling (kapha), hives,
rashes, acne, burning sensations, and intense heartburn (pitta), or dry skin, cold
hands and feet, ringing in the ears, and possibly heart palpitations (vata).
 Deposition. This is the stage where the dosha, after moving through the
circulation, finds a weak tissue and plants itself in that tissue. This is the beginning
of actual disease, according to Ayurveda. Symptoms will vary based on the tissue
that the dosha has entered. For example, if vata dosha enters the bone tissue, it can
lead to cracking and popping joints. In this stage, only the function of the tissue is
affected. The structure of the tissue remains intact unless it is untreated and
progresses to the next stage.
 Manifestation of disease. This is the stage where western medicine will give a
patient a clinical diagnosis. The doshas begin to break down the actual structure of
the tissues. For example, in the case of vata entering the bone tissue, it could result
in osteoarthritis or osteopenia. After the structure of the tissues has begun to
deteriorate, it is much more difficult to reverse the progression of disease.
Complications, in this stage of the disease process, the dosha has severely
damaged the tissue it is affecting and may begin to affect the surrounding tissues,
resulting in additional complications. In the above example, this is where vata in
 the bone tissue completely breaks down the joints and a replacement is needed, or
it becomes full-blown osteoporosis. Treatment is very difficult if not impossible at
this stage–often we can only manage the disease and slow its progression.

4.2.1 The Importance of Early Detection

The earlier the stage that the disorder can be diagnosed, the easier it is to reverse the
underlying imbalance. For example, in Stages One and Two, simple dietary measures or
adjustments to the daily and seasonal routine are often sufficient to reverse the imbalances
and prevent the manifestation of disease. In Stage Three and Four, additional approaches,
such as herbal therapies, and cleansing procedures can help. By purifying the toxins and
accumulated doshas from the body at each season, the build-up of the doshas can be
avoided. In Stages Five and Six, typically multi-modality approaches are needed,
including physical, mental and environmental approaches.

4.3 Ayurveda and cancer

Ayurveda describes different stages of tumorigenesis as chronic inflammatory and

intractable diseases with the possibility of developing malignancy, precancerous growth
or probable malignancy, granthi (benign glandular swelling), and arbuda (definite
malignancy. According to Ayurveda, cancer results from lifestyle errors, such as
unhealthy foods, poor hygiene, or poor behavior, or from physical trauma, all leading to
imbalances of vata, pitta, and kapha, resulting in injury to the inner layer of the dermis
(rohini, the sixth layer of the skin) and the formation of abnormal branches of blood
vessels. The therapeutic approach involves prakritistani chikitsa (health maintenance),
rasayana chikitsa (restoration tonormal), naishthiki chikitsa (spiritual approach), and
roganashani chikitsa. Treatment involves the surgical removal of tumor, herbal remedies,
dietary modification, and spiritual treatment (examples: detoxification, rejuvenation,
prayers, music therapy, aromatherapy, gem therapy, sound therapy, stress relief,
meditation, yoga, and astrology)

4.3.1 Similarities in the treatment of cancer between modern and Ayurveda

medicine

There are several common features between the ayurvedic concept of cancer and
those currently practiced. These include surgery followed with treatment with drugs
derived from plants. An example of the similarity is the use of Vinca rosea in the
treatment of cancer, which is very well described in Ayurveda. Modern medicine has
shown that vincristine, derived from the plant Vinca rosea, can be used as a standard
therapy for several cancers. Similarly, paclitaxel for breast and ovarian cancers and
arsenic trioxide for acute myelogenous leukemia are being used after they were
scientifically proven to be effective by modern science.

4.3.2 Differences in the treatment of cancer between modern and Ayurveda

medicine

Although modern science believes in using a single chemical entity for a particular
cancer, Ayurveda treatment involves the use of whole plant extracts. It is possible that
enhanced toxic effects associated with modern medicine are due to a lack of other
components of the plant. Ayurveda usually recommends the use of several plant extracts
in combination.
Ayurveda medicine takes into consideration the behavioral, physiologic, and
psychological effects of drugs on the whole mind-body complex. Modern medicine must
start accepting and incorporating the mind and emotional aspects of the whole being while
considering the treatment of an individual person. Already, yoga and meditation
techniques and prayer therapy have started to be implemented in many major cancer
treatment centers.

5 Conclusion

After finishing this paper I learned that Ayurveda has ben increasingly gaining
popularity in the western culture, especially the past 30 or 40 years. In these period it has
also gained popularity and acceptance in the sphere of modern medicine, that
acknowledged many of Ayurveda’s treatments and approaches. Personally, I really like
its holistic way of approach towards illness and diseases, which is something, that I really
think, is missing in Western medicine. There are so many other things that Ayurveda can
teach modern medicine, and I hope that the cultural, regulatory and legal barriers that are
preventing Ayurveda treatments, practices and diagnostics to be integrated into the
modern medicine, can finally be overcome.
6 Literature
 Judith H Morrison, (1994): Knjiga o Ajurvedi; vodnik za dobro počutje.
Gnosis-quatro, Singapur
 Smajo Safić Gupta, (2013): Ajurvedska medicina za fizično, mentalno in
duhovno zdravje. Chiara, Ljubljana
 Dr. Vinod Verma (2008): Ajurveda, način življenja. Primus, Brežice
 Samo Kreft, Lenart Škof (2010): Ayurveda: a new way for healthy life in
Europe. Annales, Koper
Internet sources:

 http://www.metaphysicspirit.com/books/Ayurvedic%20Concepts%20of
%20Health.pdf.
Prachi Garodia, Haruyo Ichikawa, Nikita Malani, Gautam Sethi, Bharat B.
Aggarwal: From Ancient Medicine to Modern Medicine: Ayurvedic
Concepts of Health and Their Role in Inflammation and Cancer