The Origins and Evolution of Ayurveda: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science

1. ‘Ayur’‘veda’ – ‘Life’‘Science’ Udai SJC – 3rd March Happy Holi Nikhil Rasiwasia

2. Ayurveda - Origins • Accurate dating is uncertain • More objectively identifiable after the advent of Buddhism (c. 500 BC) • Invasion of Darius, Alexander brought exchange • Significant medical content can be found in Rig-Veda (presumed origin c. 1500 BC) • Early writings on perishable bhojpatra

3. Vedas • It is the bedrock upon which Ayurveda rests • Considered to be composed around 1500-2000 BC • Four veda • Rig-veda : lots of stuff • Sam-veda : Soma sacrifice • Yajur-veda : entire sacrificial rite • Athar-veda : non-relegious (1200 BC), lots of medical text (fever, diarrhes, heart disease, jaundice, cough, leprosy) • Authoritative supplements • Brahmanas • Aranyakas (“the forest books", meaning treatises for sadhus living in the wilderness.) • Upnishads (self development spiritual text, philosophy, meditation, and the nature of God )

4. End of Vedic Period (500 BC) • Subsequent text deriving from primary vedic samhitas • Laid more emphasis on the dharma of self-development with explicit spiritual and philosophical content • Vedanta – derived from Upnishads • Ramayana • Mahabharat, Bhagavad Gita • Puranas – AD 320 to 520 - "tales of ancient times"

5. Ayurveda and Buddhism • Buddhism • attempt to purify, restructure and reform older vedic traditions. • Comfortable adopting Ayurveda • Jivaka, - Taxila’s outstanding Ayurvedic physician, buddha’s personal physicin • Ashoka (convert to buddhism established many charitable hospitals) • Spread of Buddhism == spread of Ayurveda • Nagarjuna – AD 100, brought about significant advances in Ayurveda – father of iatrochemistry – preparation of medicinal mineral substances

6. Westerm Medicine and Aurveda • Hippocrates : Father of western medicine • Humoral theory – blood, phelgm, yellow bile, black bile • Dietary therapy, influence of seasons on health • Aristotle • Relied heavily on empirical observation and naturalistic classification • Four prime qualities: hot, cold, wet, dry • Four fundamental essence: air, water, fire, earth

7. Chinese medicine and ayurveda • Oldest extant chinese medical text – Huang-di Nei-jing or Inner classic of the Yellow Emperor (300 BC) • Similarities – because of exchange of ideas via Buddhism and trade.

8. Ayurveda and Arab Medicine (Unani Tibb) • Arab medicine by Avicenna (AD 980) • Produced Canon of Medicine, a compendium of the previous works of Hippocrates and Galen • Mostly based on Greek medicine (Unani) • Reports of exchange of ideas – Ayurvedic physicians were invited to baghdad to teach and organize hospitals

9. Earliest Texts • 760 BC: Charaka Samhita – herbal or plant based pharmacopoeia • 660 BC: Sushruta Samhita – Surgival approaches • 7th Century : Ashtanga Sangraha of Vagbhata of Sindh – summary of previous two • AD 100: Nagarjuna – iatrochemistry • 1331: Madhava Nidana by Madhava of Kishkindha – Ayurvedic Diagnosis • 14th Century - Sarangadhara Samhita – Pulse Diagnosis

10. Ayurveda in 19th Century • Ayurveda flourished till 12th century, till the Muslim invasion • Not much progress from 12th to 17th century • British invasion : 1833 virtually all ayurveda schools closed, opening of British medical schools • 1920: a national revival and resurgence of interest in traditional Indian culture and practices • 1946: Formal govt. recognition and reacceptance of Ayurveda and resurgence of research. • Currently, however it holds a secondary place in medicine in India • Indian govt. officially recognizes as legitimate: Allopathy, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Unani Tibb, Ayurveda, and its cousins Siddha and Yoga.

11. Ayurveda vs Western Science • Philosophy • W: treats discrete disease entities • A : treats subtle dysphoria, whose disruptive trends may later develop into discrete disease. • Diagnostic • W: scientific objectivity and verifiability (accumulating statistically significant data) – “experience-distant” • A : pratyaksha (perceptive understanding of each individual) – “experience-near” • Treatment • W: Linear logic, categorical and uses a classification system of disease. • A : Maintenance of optimal health by daily proactive care, continually modified according to seasonal changes • Belief • A : Individual has the innate capacity for potential self-correction and primary self healing

12. Why Ayurveda? • Health maintenance rather than disease treatment • System of diet and lifestyle • enhance the quality of life by dealing with subtle trends that might lead to actual disease • Compatible with those whose beliefs include naturalistic, spiritual and consciousness-oriented approaches • Often require intentional and sustained self-discipline, perseverance and active personal role.

13. Ashtanga Ayurveda • Kayachikitsa • Internal Medicine • Shalyatantra • Surgery • Shalakya Tantra • Otolaryngology(ENT), Ophthalmology • Kaumarabhiritya • Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics • Agadatantra • Toxicology • Bhutavidya • Psychiatry • Rasayana • Antiaging and rejuvenation • Vajikarana • Reproductive and aphrodisiac medicine

14. Theoretical Foundations • Darshanas – ideological systems • Astika • Sankhya – nontheistic creation sequence - by Kapila • Yoga – Gradual liberation of human spirit to attain Samadhi – by Patanjali • Nyaya Darshana – monotheistic system, logical approach of apprehending the world using reason • Vaisheshika - postulates that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to a finite number of atoms by Kanada • Purva Mimamsa (inquiry) – emphsis on discipline, ritual and service • Uttara Mimamsa or Advita Vedanta – spiritually oriented, emphasizes the spiritual base of reality, human misperception by Shankara (AD 780) • Nastika • Buddhism • Jainism • Lokayata

15. Epistemology • Knowledge Process • From Nyaya Dharshana philosophy • Four cognitive faculties • Manas – mind as it experiences sensations • Chitta – transmitter from manas to higher cognitive functions • Ahamkara – self-identity that provides the individual with the experience of relative constancy. • Buddhi – most refined, discerning ability, intellect, wisdom • Four techniques of knowing • Pratyaksha – direct sensory perception • Anumana – inference • Sabda – authoritative statement • Upmana - Analogy

16. World View • Essentially unitary and dynamic, integrated coherence with actively interdependent aspects • Dynamic aspect is fueled by constant interaction amongst three doshas – • Vata : movement • Pitta : transformation • Kapha : consolidation • the fundamental regulatory principles of the body’s physiological functioning • Interplay between them modulates the interaction of the Gurvadi Gunas (10 pairs of opposite qualities) • Characterize all perceptible substances

17. Gurvadi Gunas • Shita/ushna • Snigdha/ruksha • Guru/laghu • Sthula/sukshma • Sandra/drava • Sthira/chala • Manda/tikshna • Mridu/kathina • Slaksha/khara • Picchila/sishada

18. English please. • Shita/ushna - cold/hot • Snigdha/ruksha - wet,oily/dry • Guru/laghu - heavy/light • Sthula/sukshma - gross/subtle • Sandra/drava - dense/liquid • Sthira/chala - stable/mobile • Manda/tikshna - dull/sharp • Mridu/kathina - soft/hard • Slaksha/khara - smooth/rough • Picchila/sishada - sticky/clear

19. Vedic Standards • Four basic life goals (purushartha) • Dharma – individual's abidance with the inherent lawfulness in universe – purpose, duty, justice • Artha – possessions • Kama – Pleasure • Moksha – liberation

20. Sankhya Model of Creation • Avayakta • pure existence in its unmanifest state • Absolutely transcendental, indescribable • Essence • Satyam – essential truth • Ritam – deep structure, self-correcting • Brihat – vast breath of its being • Two components • Purusha – primal immaterial matrix out of which all else emerge, pristine consciousness • Prakriti – when ‘purusha’ spontaneously moves, then at that moment the first material energy, prakriti, comes into being.

21. Maha Gunas • Three axiomatic attributes that are inherent to maha gunas (subtle) • Sattva – pure, clear, harmony • Rajas – dynamic movement, agitation • Tamas – interita, dullness • Highly rarefied potentials that impart direction and create a unique character.

22. Ahamkara • Next step in the developmental process of prakriti • A giant leap which eventually becomes most characteristically individualized in human experience • Experience of personal sense of self. • Next all steps are material

23. Pancha Mahabhuti • Ether/Space • Air • Fire • Water • Earth

24. Birth of Doshas - Vata

25. Pitta

26. Kapha