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Branches of Ayurveda
Introduction
Ayurveda is a science of health and healthy living. It
is a very scientifically designed pathy that is meant
for relieving people from there misery. It is more than
5000 years old science but even then it had separate
specialized branches according to the need of the
patient. It is divided into eight parts. These are:-
»
Kaya chikitsa
(general medicine)
»
Bal roga or kumar
bhritya (pediatrics)
»
Grah or bhoot vidya
(psychotherapy)
»
Shalakya tantra (eye,
ear, nose and throat related science)
»
Shalya (surgery)
»
Agad tantra
(toxicology)
»
Rasayan (science of
rejuvenation)
»
Bajikaran (science of
aphrodisiac)
Kaya chikitsa (General Medicine)
It is the main branch of ayurveda and deals with the
general medicine. Kaya in literal terms means body.
Hence it is related to the methods by which body is
relived by miseries. But is the myth that it only deals
with the physical body. It also helps in combating with
the subtle body also. Hence it is more of a
psycho-somatic way of treatment. When the tridosha (vata,
pitta and kapha) of the body gets vitiated, it
interferes with the sapt dhatus (seven tissues) of the
body to disrupt the normal bodily function. Kaya
chikitsa is s holistic way of curing a disease by
reaching the root cause the problem and then rectifying
it with the medicines and food supplements. Various
methods have been devised to examine the patient so as
the cause of his misery and ailments are detected.
Accordingly he is supplied with the remedy. There has
been inclusion of various methods of performing
treatments. One of the most common and the effective way
of treating a disease is panchkarma. This is the series
of five procedures or operations through which body is
purified and cleansed from the vitiated dosha to achieve
the state of homogenizes and happiness. In lay man term
we can define panchkarma as the method by which there is
the reversal of the pathway of the entry of the disease
by detoxifying the body.
Charak samhita is the most appreciated book for
practicing Kaya chikitsa. Charak samhita contains eight
sthana which have a specific knowledge regarding
subjects like anatomy, pathology medicine etc.
Bal Roga or Kumar Bhritya (Pediatrics)
This branch of ayurveda deals with the care and remedies
related to children. It tells us every thing about
parental care right from the birth of the child to the
teens. Every aspect is covered in this subject regarding
the stages of growth. Many methods have been discussed
for improving the immunity and maintaing the proper
growth of the child. All the sequence of the pattern and
stages growth of the child to judge weather his growth
is normal or not.
Kumar bhritya stare that the mental and physical
condition of mother has a great impact on the health of
the child. It also has recommended aahar (food) and
vihar (life style) so as the mother could deliver
healthy baby. It also deals with the treatment of
various disorders like diarrhoea, constipation, fever,
measles etc. other topic that are included in it are how
to conceive, choosing gender of the child, improving
intelligence of the child and midwifery. The major
references of bal roga are found in kashyap samhita.
Grah or bhoot vidya or psychotherapy
It is another very important branch of ayurveda that
deals with the mental disorders. In addition to the
medicinal therapy to improve the condition, certain
therapy like yoga and meditation are also included to
cure a patient. This branch of ayurveda has some
controversies attached to it as some of the experts
believe that this branch deals with the supernatural
forces that occupy the mind and the body. The other
groups of experts believe it as a bacterial and viral
infection in the body and give the explanation by
defining the term bhoot that is synonyms to ghost , the
invisible force that cause trouble to mankind. Bhoot
vidya lays stress on the use of plants for disinfectant
purposes so as to get rid of invisible bad forces
(bacteria and virus) to infect the body and make the
environment pure and disease free. These are mentioned
under the name “graham vidya dravya”. Along with this
other remedies like diet and various yoga procedures are
also mentioned.
Shalakya Tantra (eye, ear, nose and throat related
science)
It deals with the cause, diagnosis, prognosis,
prevention and remedies related to eyes, ears, nose and
throat disorders.. As mentioned by sushurut there are
about seventy two disease that is related to eyes. The
name also signifies Shalakya tantra as “shallaka” in
Sanskrit means a probe and all the procedures and
examination regarding ENT and ophthalmology disorders
are done via help of probe. Sushurut samhita has given
even minute details of the Shalakya tantra which are
very similar to that of the modern day detailing. Even
the structure of eyes is defined in such a way that it
is more minutely detailed as the modem sciences. There
has also been mentioning of surgeries like hinoplasty
and auraplasty for cosmetic reasons. Various other
methods regarding the general care of the eye and ENT
structures has been mentioned in the text like charak
samhita, sushurut samhita and ashtang samghrah.
Shalya tantra (General Surgery)
Ayurveda has mentioned surgery which is more advanced
than that of the present era. Surgery belongs to the
Dhanwantry School. Sushurut samhita is considered as the
pioneer in giving procedures in surgeries. Sushurut the
composer of sushurut samhita has very nice described
every thing regarding surgery. It is a fact that for
performing surgeries we must have a greater knowledge of
anatomy. If compare anatomy as mentioned in sushurut,
you will find it more superior and more descriptive the
modern day anatomy. Knowledge of muscle, bones and
tendons and ligaments was very much known to the ancient
ayurvedic physician and surgeons. Sushurut has mentioned
complete and step by step details of various procedures
that are related to the disorders like tumors,
hemorrhages, injuries, fractures and deliveries. Good
references of complicated procedures like intestinal
obstructions and renal calculus have also been found.
Cosmetic surgery was very advanced in that era. His
surgery of trichiasis (eye related disorder) can be
related to the techniques followed in modern day
surgeries. Sushurut samhita also carries full
description of the instruments used in performing
surgeries. These instruments were made from stones,
wood, metals and animal bones etc. a proper care like
sterilization of those instruments were also taken into
consideration. Usage of jaloka (leech) in skin related
disorders and other ailments was also in use which
modern science has now started practicing. Usage of
kshar sutra (medicated thread) was used in excising the
part which was to be operated which was the best
technique to avoid any king of infection and recovery
was very fast.
Agad tantra (toxicology)
It basically deals with the toxins. It mentions the way
of getting rid of positioning in the body. There is
mentioning of wide range of poisons which are either of
animal or plant origin. There is also the mentioning of
poisons derived from minerals like arsenic etc and
artificial poisoning substances. Charak samhita,
sushurut samhita and ashtang samghrah also mentions
about the importance of Agad tantra in our lifestyle. It
has also mentioned about the combination of the food
stuffs that is to be avoided as they can become poison
after coming in contact with each other. It also
mentions about the antidotes of the poisons.
Rasayan (science of rejuvenation)
This branch of ayurveda deals with the promotion of
longitivity and maintaining the health of the people.
With the aid of rasayan we can increase the ojo (life
force) of the body and also increase the immune system
of an individual. In a lay man term rasayan can be said
as the procedure or a substance by which aging process
is retarded.This method of beating our age has been time
tested and was very much in practice in ancient India.
Rishi by practicing therapy was able to attain youth for
very long time. When taken as the literal meaning of the
term rasayan, it means enhancing the effect of rasa (a
vital fluid responsible for creating energy in our
body.). You can yourself think of the importance of
rasayan as it is mentioned in first chapter of chikitsa
sthana of charak samhita. There are several rasayan
mentioned in ayurveda. Major one are: amlaki (Indian
goose berry), shilajit, ashwagandha, bhringraj, triphala
etc.There are two methods of application of rasayans.
These are kutipraveshika rasayan and vatatpika
rasayan.Kutipraveshika is a set up in which there is the
construction of a structure where a person willing of
having rasayan is kept for prescribed amount of time. In
vatatpika there is consumption of various types of herbs
that serves the purpose of rasayan.
Bajikaran (science of aphrodisiac)
This branch of ayurveda deals with the two application.
One is to cover the infertility aspect and other is to
cover the enhancement of sexual powers. Ayurveda has
always stressed on producing a healthy progeny so as our
society can develop. Hence to fulfill these criteria
good qualities of sperms are to be produced. Bajikaran
coves this aspect. It also helps in resolving the sexual
related problems like infertility, impotence, decreased
sperm count etc. |
