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PRACTICE OF AYURVEDA SWAMI SIVANANDA Published by THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY P.O. SHIVANANDANAGAR—249 192 Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal, Himalayas, India 2006 First Edition: 1958 Second Edition: 2001 Third Edition: 2006 [ 2,000 Copies ] ©The Divine Life Trust Society ISBN-81-7052-159-9 ES 304 Published by Swami Vimalananda for The Divine Life Society, Shivanandanagar, and printed by him at the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy Press, P.O. Shivanandanagar, Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal, Himalayas, India PUBLISHERS’ NOTE Sri Swami Sivanandaji. Maharaj was a healer of the body in his Purvashram (before he entered the Holy Order of Sannyasa). He was a born healer, with an extraordinary inborn love to serve humanity; that is why he chose the medical profession as a career. That is why he edited and published a health Journal “Ambrosia”. That is why he went over to Malaya to serve the poor in the plantations there. And, strangely enough, that is why, he renounced the world and embraced the Holy Order of Sannyasa. He was a healer of the body and the soul. This truth is reflected in the Ashram which he has established in Rishikesh. The huge hospital equipped with modern instruments was set up and the entire Ashram where all are welcome to get themselves healed of their heart’s sores and thoroughly refresh themselves in the divine atmosphere of the holy place. Sri Swamiji wanted that all systems of healing should flourish. He had equal love and admiration for all systems of healing. He wanted that the best of all the systems should be brought out and utilised in the service of Man. He has written a number of books on all aspects of Healing—from the Naturopathic and Allopathic points of view. This one dealing with Ayurveda is a valuable addition to the healer’s armamentarium. Ayurveda is the Veda or knowledge of Ayus or life. It has been classified as the Fifth Veda. Ayurveda is a distinct Veda. It is even superior to the other Vedas because it gives life which is the basis of all enjoyments, study, meditation and Yoga Sadhana. Ayurveda is the science of life. It shows the way to (5) remove diseases, to keep up sound health and attain longevity. Ayurveda was in vogue in India since very early times. The Ayurvedic and Siddha systems have played a very important and vital part in the sphere of public health. Their popularity is due to their availability, cheapness and efficacy. Here is a beautiful ideal of Charaka: “Not for self, not for the fulfilment of any earthly desire of gain, but solely for the good of suffering humanity should you treat your patients and so excel all. Those who sell the treatment of disease as merchandise gather the dust and neglect the gold.” Charaka also says: “A physician who cannot enter into the innermost soul jof the patient with the bright light of the lamp of his own knowledge cannot successfully treat any disease.” India has ever been evolving art after art, science after science, as her contribution to the common heritage of all the nations of the world. Her greatest gift to the world is the gift of the spiritual science of Self-perfection. Next to it we should place this Science of Life, the Ayurveda, as a precious gift to be carefully developed and broadcast to all nations. It is a national duty of every Indian. THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY (6) CONTENTS Chapter I Ayurveda—Theory and Practice...................... 13 Chapter II Ayurvedic Ethics .......................! .............................. 33 Chapter III Doctrine of Vatha-Pitta-Kaphas.................................. 36 Chapter IV Doctrine of Rasa, Veerya, Vipaka and Prabhava . . . 50 Chapter V Hygienic Principles in Ayurveda.................................. 56 Chapter VI Ayurveda on D ie t......................................................... 68 Chapter VII Ayurvedic Psychology.................................................. 78 Chapter VIII NadiVijnana ................................................................. 85 Chapter X Indian Surgery ............................................................. 96 Chapter XI Nidana.................................................................... 101 Chapter XII Ayurvedic Chikitsa ..................................................... 107 Chapter XIII Indian Materia Medica..................................... Ill (7) Chapeter XIV Home Remedies ......................................................... 128 Chapter XV Common H erbs............................................................ 131 Chapter XVI Charaka’s Classification of D rugs............................... 136 Chapter XVII Classification of Drugs — t .......................................... 142 Chapter XVIII Classification of Drugs — II .......................................... 146 Chapter XIX Index to Therapeutic Action of Bazaar Drugs . . . . 148 Chapter XX Ayurvedic Preparations .............................................. 156 Chapter XXI Ayurvedic Preparations Explained............................... 158 Chapter XXII KayaKalpa..................................................................... 203 Chapter XXIII The Rasayana Treatment.............................................. 214 Chapter XXIV Yantras........................................................................... 216 Appendix Definitions in Ayurveda.............................................. 219 Rajo Dharm a................................................................. 229 Nomenclature of D iseases.......................................... 239 Diseases of the E yes..................................................... 248 Index to Diseaes and Treatment.................................. 250 (8) Ayurvedic Quotations.....................................................254 Ayurvedic Jottings.............................................................256 Maharshi Chyavana and Chyavanaprash.......................266 The Bilwa Tree: Its Properties and U s e s .......................268 Kuppamani.......................................................................270 Cancer...............................................................................270 Lumbago................................................................ 272 Saltless Diet ...................................................................276 Causes of Diseases .........................................................276 The Three Pillars in Ayurveda..........................................277 Ayurveda—Although Ancient It Can Be Ever New . 280 (9) About the Author:— SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA Bom on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious family of Sage Appayya Dikshitar and several other renowned saints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity with all mankind. His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a health journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission. It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to qualify for ministering to the soul of man. He settled down at Rishikesh in 1924, practised intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, saint, sage and Jivanmukta. In 1932 Swami Sivananda started the Sivanandashram. In 1936 was bom The Divine Life Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organised. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 Swamiji undertook a lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953 Swamiji convened a ‘World Parliament of Religions’. Swamiji is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to all nationalities, religions and creeds. To read Swamiji’s works is to drink at the Fountain of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 Swamiji entered Mahasamadhi.