Panchakarma in Ayurveda, the Indian systems of medicine
Panchakarma therapy is an integral part of Ayurveda, the ancient medical system of India. According to Ayurveda, every person is born with a basic nature that does not change over time. In Ayurveda this genetic make up is known as one’s prakruti. The Sanskrit word Prakruti has different meanings. Outside the world of ayurvedic medicine, the word mainly stands for ‘Nature’ – the universe with all its phenomena. But the word is used in the ayurvedic medical parlance to denote a person’s constitution in terms of the three somatic humors – the tridoshas. The concept of tridoshas which forms the key stones of the vast structure of the ayurvedic science or the Indian system of medicine needs further explanation.
The process of health and disease of such a human entity is determined by the equilibrium and disequilibrium of those three somatic humors we call tridoshas. When a person enjoys good health, the tridoshas are said to be in a balanced state. In that state the tridoshas are termed tridhatus. But when the balance is disturbed, the onset of disease begins. Causes for the disturbance of the equilibrated state of the humors can be several. Toxins however play a vital role. In Ayurveda ‘amam’ is a word that denotes the internal toxins which act as causative factor to illness.
To Charaka the physician of olden times, ‘a human being is the unified state of physical body, cognitive organs, mind and soul. The physical body with the cognitive organs is called ‘Sarira’, constituent part of which in the ultimate analysis reduces to the five great elements. Since, Ayurveda has to deal with the physical body, in other words gross matter, it resorts to the nyaya, vaiseshika and sankhya system of philosophy which explain the evolution of the physical world. Sankhya epistemology very particularly had postulated that the five Bhutas (elements), Akasha (Ether), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jala (Water) and Prithvi (Earth) are the atomic and molecular constituents of gross matter.
The elements Air and Ether (Space) is the same as Vata in the human body, Pitta in the human system is akin to the Fire Element and Kapha is the combined form of Water and Earth elements.
To translate the tridoshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha with a precise modern scientific terminology is indeed difficult. However, these three humors are responsible for all the function that occur in the human system both in the domains of biology as well as pathology.
The various processes that go on inside the human physiology is explained not by the performances of the tridoshas alone. But dhatus and malas are also there to be added with the doshas to become the tricomponents that govern the whole human system. Dhatu is also a word which bears several meanings. Without going into the subtleties of its meaning dhatu may be translated as body tissue.
Rasa (nutritional fluid plasma), Rakta (blood), mamsa (muscles), Meda (Adipose tissue), Asthi (Bone), Majja (bone – marrow) and Shukra (semen / ovaries) are the seven dhatus.
Dhatus, whether in the state of solid, semisolid or fluid, they are always retained with in the body and are always replenished in the process of metabolism.
Malas are substances which are expelled from the body. Faeces, urine and sweat are malas which are discharged from the body as they are waste matter formed during the process of digestion.
Thus the dosha, dhatu and malas form important components in the body and are the ones which govern all process that take place in the human physiology.
Micromolecules of metabolic wastes and undigested food particles are the main part of this toxins, which may often get trapped at various sites within the tiny channels of the human body and remain there for long. This paves the way to certain disorders in the internal functions and eventually leads to illnesses and the reversal is possible only through the elimination of the toxins from the body.
Ayurvedic physicians of the remote past who discovered the causes of diseases also had found out many wonderful, intricate and yet system friendly methods of elimination of these toxins. Taken into account, that the amam can be present at different regions of the human body and to facilitate its elimination, five kinds of therapies have been developed. These therapies are collectively termed as ‘the Panchakarma’ or five actions.
Nasyam, Vamanam, Virechanam, Vasti and Rakta moksha are the five different therapies in Panchakarma. Each of the Pancha karma therapies is performed in three stages called Purva Karma, Pradhana Karma and Paschat Karma. In other words, they are the preliminary, main and post stages of a single mode of action.
Various Purvakarma (preliminary) and Pashatkarma (post) treatments can be listed as Snehana, Snehapana, Abhyanga, Patrasweda, Choornasweda, Pindasweda, Pizhichil, Dhara, Dhanyamla Dhara, Ksheeradhara, Netradhara, Shirodhara, Avagaha Sweda, Bashpasweda, Kati Vasti, Shirovasti, Pichu, Urovasti, Upanahasweda, Talam, Talapotichil, Karnapoorana, Lepana, Udwartana, Snana, Peyadikrama.
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