Stay young and Healthy : Ayurvedic tips

The techniques advised to maintain youthfulness and to enhance longevity, intellectual power, physical strength etc. are called the “Rasayana Thantra”, or the strategy of Rasayana treatment. Rasayana can be defined as the use of techniques helpful in maintaining the seven elements like RASA, RAKTHA, MAMSA, MEDA etc. in their qualitative potency.

“Labhopayohi sasthanam
Rasadeenam rasayanam”

By the Rasayana treatment we get better longevity, memory power, comprehension, health, youthfulness, bodily of senses, conversational skill and public esteem. The Rasayana application removes sleepiness, laziness, exhaustion, weakness, lethargy, debility and also maintains VATA, PITHA and KABHA in harmonious proportion Rasayana has also the capacity to give stability and strength to the body and increase hunger.

Those who are incapable of thinking about their souls, the indolent, the poor, mentally imbalanced, the grieving and the sinner do not deserve Rasayana treatment. The period suitable for Rasayana treatment is youth or its beginning.

DIFFERENT RASAYSNA APPLICATIONS

On the basis of practical application Rasayana treatment is classified into two, KUDIPRAVESIKAM and VATHATHAPIKAM. Kudipravesikam is Rasayana application strictly observing the restrictions (PATHYAM) after admitting the patient into a house built as prescribed. Vathathapikam is the system of Rasayana application without observing the restrictions. Kudipravesikam is the best of them. On the basis of the result of the application Rasayana treatment is further classified into KAMYAM, NAIMATHIKAM, AJASRIKAM, SMSODHANAM and SAMSAMANAM.

KUDINIRMANAVIDHI

The house built as dictated for the purpose of Rasayana treatment as per the prescription of the Kudipravesika system is called a KUDI. A Kudi must have three chambers. The door of each chamber should be so made that light and wind will not enter from one chamber to the other directly. The windows should be small. Arrangement should be made to regulate the temperature inside the chambers so that a pleasant climate is experienced. The patient should not go out till the Rasayana application is over. Therefore conveniences should be provided within the Kudi for the patient to attend to his daily routine.

One who is calm, intelligent, equipped with necessary appliances for entry and with self-control alone can enter the Kudi. After admitting a person fit for Rasayana treatment into the Kudi he should be purified by purging through SNEHASWETHANGAL.

For this purpose powder of KADUKKA, VYAMBU, VIZHALARI, TURMERIC (MANJAL), THIPPALI, CHUKKU (Dry Ginger) should be taken mixing it with INDUPPU and JAGGERY (SHARKARA) in warm water. The measure of the powder mix to be given should be decided considering the AGNIBALA, KOSHTA etc of the patient. After the purging is completed the patient is made to regain strength by observing the system of PEYATHI as prescribed and should then he given YAVANNAM mixed with ghee. Considering the age, nature and SADMYAM of the individual appropriate Rasayanam should be applied. During the Rasayana application the restrictions suggested under the SNEHAVIDHI should be observed.

Appropriate Rasayanam like Brahmarasayanam or Chyavanaprasam could be selected.

VAJEEKARANAM

Copulation is the important factor which gives man physical rapture and mental poise. There are clear suggestions in Ayurveda regarding the order in which it should be performed. A person in good health can in winter have sexual indulgence any number of times according to his carnal desire. But he can have sex only once in three days in Spring and Autumn and once in fifteen days only in summer.

Ayurveda enjoins that one shall not have undue carnal passion for women and desire for extra-marital connections. A person who is strict in observing celibacy, bereft of any interest in the pleasure of Coitus and self-contended can fall asleep whenever he wants. A wife’s embrace and sexual connection with wife have been advised for the pleasure of sound sleep. To give birth to healthy and intelligent children the sperm and ovum should have the requisite quality. VAJEEKARANAM is the special portion which describes how the sperms could be made to be of such quality and how by increasing the production of semen man could perform powerfully like a horse the sexual act with a woman. The word VAJI means horse and the word VAJAM has the meaning coitus and semen.

Man should daily take medicine which increases the production of Semen. Apart from one’s own physical vigour and mental happiness the creation of progeny of good quality and health also depend upon this habit. VAJEEKARANA medicines give maximum vitality. Healthy and young persons as well those who take vajeekarana medicines can indulge in sex everyday in all the six seasons.

A person who takes Vajeekarana treatment should first make his body pure by undergoing Grithaseva. Thereafter the bowels must be cleaned through processes like purgation and spewing. Then milk, meat and Mamsarasa should be included in the diet. Later KASHAYAVASTHI and SNEHAVASTHI should be done using ghee, oil, Mamsarasa milk, sugar and honey. Vajeekarana treatment should be done on a person who has been prepared like this.

For Vajeekarana SARESHUKUSAKASADI, RASAYANA, VIDAARYADI, GODHUMADI, SWAYAM GUPTHATHI AND HASTHIKARNA CHURNA RASAYANAM are useful:

SOME OTHER VAJEEKARAM

Oil bath, massage of the body, continuously pouring water on the body, applying sandal, wearing fashionable dresses and ornaments, company of talented musicians and literary figures and friends akin to your character, seeing attractive flowers and trees, listening to the cooing of cuckoo, wearing different dresses according to the seasons, servants who regale, chewing betel leaves, consumption of mild alcohol, beautiful wife and blue moon-lit-night which cool your mind promote increased production of semen.

TRAITS OF AN AGREEABLE WOMAN

The woman who gives mental happiness on just hearing her name, the woman whose sight gives satisfaction never experienced before, the woman who attracts all your senses, the woman who delights in obeying her husband, the woman who has artistic gifts, beauty, youthfulness with accompanying purity and coyness and the woman who is bold in the absence of other persons and is keen to talk about matters in which her husband is interested and the woman with commensurate carnal desire is the agreeable woman.

THE PRACTICE OF THE SEXUAL ACT

All kinds of mutually satisfying sexual play can be practised if they are in consosance with the morality advised by the medical science. The peculiarities of the place and season and one’s own bodily strength should also be taken into account.

The present writer is of the personal view that certain changes in tune with the times are necessary in the field of the Rasayana-Vajeekarana treatment. As a result of orderly progress our span of life has increased. We have also learnt to maintain our health and longevity to the level of the developed countries. While analysing the causes of new diseases we search for the principles enunciated in the old texts, while examining the scope of Rasayana treatment also we escape citing illustrations based on old textual examples. But is old age a disease? Does it call for treatment? What is the mission of Rasayana treatment here? How do we view the diseases incidental to the growth of the body? What is the causative basis of the diseases of old age? We have to think about and analyse many factors.

In CHARAKA treatment commerces and almost completes on the right side of the heart in accordance with the Rasayana system. Palliation of disease and production of vitality are referred to in CHARAKA by the word “Praja”. To understand the message of Ayurveda it is necessary that we study what is meant by “Ageing” and also what is meant by “senescence” The erosion of life force is what is meant by Senescence while ageing refers to growing in age. The erosion of life force is what is meant by Senescence while ageing refers to growing in age. The erosion of life force exhibits itself in the form of wrinkles on the skin, greyness of hair, deficiency in the creative process of the body, the defects in the internal secretory glands, deterioration of senses, muscular weakness, looseness of joints, obstruction to multiplication of cells and such other factors.

Very many ideas have evolved over the last forty years as a result of the studies on the theme of life force. But it is only in the context of the circumstances of ordinary life. Memory power, immunity against infectious diseases and muscular strength are reported to be at their highest at the age of 10, 15 and 25 respectively. In 1954 the team of Michael Roy and Christi found that with ageing the movement of thoracie cavity diminished and the decrease in the elasticity of the lungs affected the mixing of oxygen. But in 1955 the team of Kirk and Larson found out that the power of absorption of the cells increased. It is also believed that with ageing the use of calcium increases and the elasticity of nerves improves. Parks Smith has pointed out in 1954 that it is possible to check the growth of cells by keeping them in low temperature. M.C. Cay had found out in 1955 through experiments that longevity could be increased by feeding nutritive food. In 1955 scientist Bartlet had understood in the light of experiments that mental power diminished with ageing. But according to him this happen in an orderly manner. Mental power increases progressively upto the age of 20 and then declines. Again it increases upto the age of 40 and then declines. Next stage of growth of mental power is after the age of 50. It is again found to decline after 60.

The genetical background behind life span is yet to be scientifically proved. It is also to be understood whether it is the male or female genetical factor which dominates. It is only after surveying many factors that diseases of old age can be treated. While prescribing Rasayana therapy very many simple yet important medicines are referred to in our texts. They should be subjected study. While taking up such matters for study disputes may arise with regard to questions like the duration for which a medicine can be administered. The digestive power of modern man should be analysed. A separate study itself is required to determine how far it would take to treat a body vitiated by the use of other medicines. Here many of the Rasayana treatments which exist in name only will have to be taught with modern arrangements. The SOMA referred to in SUSRUTHAN, THRIBHALA application of CHARAKA, the MAROTI and AARUSHKARAM of VAGBHADA will have to be introduced to modern man in a useful manner. It should be possible for our research to process and produce medicines capable of changing our teeth and bones, hair and nails. Many matters such as identification of medicines, determination of the correct dosage, the period of application of a medicine, the manner of giving medicines to men, women and children will have to be discussed. The changes brought about in the body by the VATHATHAPIKA applications specified in addition to KUDIPRAVESIKA in the Rasayana treatment will have to be observed. Thus the Rasayana-Vajeekarana system should be subjected to a debate in the scientific forum of Ayurveda in order to face the challenges of the times. It should be possible for us make available a comparatively effective and yet cheap system of treatment.

JAI AYURDEDAM JAI DHANWANTHRI

Vaidya Vachaspathy N.K. Padmanabhan Vaidyar