Ayurveda

Cassia Occidentalis

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Botanical Name : Cassia Occidentalis
Family Name : Fabaceae (leguminaceae)
Common Name : Coffee Senna, Negro Coffee, Coffee Weed, Stinking Weed, Foetid Cassia
Part Used : Roots, Leaves, Seeds
Habitat : Throughout india, growing abundantly immediately after rains.
Product offered : Seeds
Uses : The plant is bitter, purgative, laxative, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, hepatoprotective, anti-malarial, analgesic, vermifuge and febrifuge. It mainly used to detoxify liver, use to cure internal bacterial and fungal disorders, to kill parasites and viruses, enhances immunity, and promotes perspiration. It is also helpful in cough, convulsions, reduces blood pressure, reduces spasms and as cardiotonic.

Azadirachta Indica

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Botanical Name : Azadirachta Indica
Family Name : Meliaceae
Common Name : Lilac, Margosa Tree, Neem, Neem Chal
Part Used : Leaves, Flower, Oil, Seed.
Habitat : It is evergreen and grows throughout india.
Product offered : Bark,Leaves,Seeds,Fruit,Oil,Flower,Stem
Uses : It acts as vermifuge, insecticide, astringent, tonic and antiseptic. It possess anti diabetic, anti bacterial and anti viral properties and used successfully in cases of stomach, worms and ulcers. Root barks possess astringent, tonic and antiperiodic properties. It is also useful in malarial fever. The oil is used in making neem-based soaps, shampoos and toothpaste.

Artocarpus Heterophyllus

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Botanical Name : Artocarpus Heterophyllus
Family Name : Moraceae
Common Name : Jack Fruit, Jakfruit
Part Used : Seeds, Jack Fruit, Leaves
Product offered : Seeds, jack fruit, dried fruit, leaves
Uses : The leaves are useful in fever, boils, wounds , skin diseases. The young fruits are acrid, astringent, carminative and tonic. The ripe fruits are sweet, cooling, laxative, aphrodisiac and tonic. The seeds are sweet, diuretic, aphrodisiac and constipating. The wood is nervine, sedative and is useful on convulsions. The latex is useful in dysopia, opthalmities and pharyngitis. The Chinese consider Jackfruit pulp and seeds tonic, cooling and nutritious, and to be "useful in overcoming the influence of alcohol on the system." The seed starch is given to relieve biliousness and the roasted seeds are regarded as aphrodisiac. The ash of Jackfruit leaves, burned with corn and coconut shells, is used alone or mixed with coconut oil to heal ulcers. The dried latex yields artostenone, convertible to artosterone, a compound with marked androgenic action. Mixed with vinegar, the latex promotes healing of abscesses, snakebite and glandular swellings. The root is a remedy for skin diseases and asthma. An extract of the root is taken in cases of fever and diarrhea. The bark is made into poultices. Heated leaves are placed on wounds. The wood has a sedative property; its pith is said to produce abortion.

Anethum Graveolens

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Botanical Name : Anethum Graveolens
Family Name : Apiaceae
Common Name : Dill, Dill Weed, Garden Dill.
Part Used : Fruits And Leaves.
Habitat : It is found in tropical and sub-tropical parts of india and cultivated throughout india.
Product offered : Leaves, wholeplant, oil
Uses : The fruits are acrid, aromatic, bitter, digestive, carminative, stomachic, stimulant, antispasmodic, antihelmintic, anodyne, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactagogue, expectorant, cardiotonic, febrifuge, antispasmodic and antidysenteric.

It is useful in flatulence, colic, dyspepsia, intestinal worms, digestive problems, insomnia, inflammation, hiccough, cough, asthma, bronchitis, fever, ulcers, skin diseases, haemorrhoids and cardiac debility. It acts as stimulant for lactation.

Fruits and leaves are used as spice for flavoring salads, soups, pickles and breads, mainly by food industry. It is also used as insecticide.

Aloe Vera

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Botanical Name : Aloe Vera
Family Name : Liliaceae
Common Name : Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Curacao Aloe, Indian Aloe, Ghi Kunvar
Part Used : Flowers, Roots
Habitat : South and south western india.
Product offered : Leaves, Aloe Vera Gel, Aloe Vera Powder
Uses : It is useful for X-ray burns, dermatitis, cutaneous and disorders of skin. Drug from juice is tonic and is used in jaundice, ameneorrhoea, atonic and piles. Aloe Vera Gel has the remarkable ability to heal wounds, ulcer and burns.

Adiantum Capillus

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Botanical Name : Adiantum Capillus
Family Name : Pteridaceae
Common Name : Maidenhair Fern, Lady Fern.
Part Used : Fronds, Leaves And Rhizomes.
Habitat : Woodland garden; dappled shade; shady edge and cultivated beds.
Product offered : Leaves, Wholeplant
Uses : Maidenhair fern is antioxidant, astringent, liver bile stimulator, blood cleanser, cardiotonic decongestant, detoxifier, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, depurative, antidandruff, vermifuge, hepatoprotective, hypocholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, stimulant and tonic. It is mainly useful in respiratory problems, hair loss, gallstones, liver problems, wounds, diabetes, skin problems, diarrhea, and dysentery. It is helpful to cure jaundice, convulsions and many chronic diseases.

Leaves are edible and used in making tea and other refreshing drinks. Leaves are used as garnished material on foods.

Acacia Catechu

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Botanical Name : Acacia Catechu
Family Name : Mimosacaae
Common Name : Cutch Tree, Catechu, Black Cutch
Part Used : Bark And Heartwood
Habitat : Found in indian forests, upto the elevation of 1,500 m.
Product offered : Roots, stem
Uses : Bark of cutch tree is strong antioxidant, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal in nature.

It is useful in passive diarrhea, high blood pressure, dysentery, colitis, gastric problems, bronchial asthma, cough, leucorrhoea and leprosy. It is used as a mouthwash for mouth, gum, sore throat, gingivitis, dental and oral infections.

Heartwood is used to yield concentrated aqueous extract i.e. cutch. Cutch (extract) is astringent, cooling, and digestive. It is useful in cough, diarrhea, ulcers, boils and eruptions of the skin.

History

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There is a concept that has been passing down verbally from generation to generation in India about the origin of Ayurveda. Accordingly, the ancient "Rishis" or wise men of India gathered at the foot of the Himalayas. Their objective was to innovate together the secret of leading a healthy, long life. The final product of their effort came to be known as Ayurveda or the "science of life".

Documented references to the precise timing of the origins of Ayurveda are not available. The age of Ayurveda has been established on the basis of correlating the evidence with other disciplines as well as circumstantial evidence. Ayurveda is said to have been first compiled as a text by Agnivesha, in his book Agnivesh tantra, which was written during Vedic times. The book was later revised by Charaka, and renamed to Charaka Samhitā (encyclopedia of the physician Charaka). early texts of Ayurveda include the Charaka Samhitā and the Sushruta The system was orally transferred via the Gurukul system until a script came into existence.

The earliest scripts would have been written on perishable materials such as Taalpatra and Bhojapatra, which could not be readily preserved. The script was later written on stone and copper sheets. Verses dealing with Ayurveda are included in the Atharavaveda, which implies that some form of Ayurveda is as old as the Vedas. Ayurvedic practices have also evolved over time, and some practices may be considered innovations upon earlier Vedic practices, such as the advances made during the Buddhist period in India.

Hinduism attributes the genesis of Ayurveda to several theories in which the knowledge is believed to have been passed on from being to being, initially, through its realization by the divine sages, and gradually into the human sphere by a complex system of mnemonics. Details of Ayurvedic traditions vary between writers, as is expected when oral traditions are transcribed from multiple sources. The earliest authors of Ayurvedic manuscripts recorded divergent forms of the tradition.

Ayurveda & Purana

In the Mahabharata it is stated that Lord Krishna had a son named Samb. He was suffering from leprosy. In order to treat him, Krishna invited special Brahmins from shakdvipa (believed as present-day Iran). They were sun worshipers and famous astronomers. They treated Samb and cured him of leprosy. Shakdvipiya brahmins originated from those shakdvipa origin brahmins and are also called as magi brahmins. Sakaldwipya are said to be specialized in ayurveda,astronomy,astrology and the Sakaldwipiya are the sun worshipper or so-called Saura. The most detailed account of the origin of Śākadvīpīs or Bhojakas occurs in Bhavishya Purana (chapter 133). They also played a great role in Ayurveda. The founder of modern Ayurveda Charaka was a Maga or Sakaldwipiya. .

Historical evidence

The history of indigenous Indian medical science is probably as old as the Indus Valley Civilisation dating back to 3000 BC. The meticulously planned cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro are pointers not only to India’s rich cultural heritage but also to its advanced systems of hygiene and health care. The remains of deer antler and bitumen found in Harappa testify to the existence of a medical science. It was between 1200 and 700 BC, that the four sacred Vedas were composed. References to diseases, herbs and herbal cures can be seen in all the four Vedas especially in the Rig Veda.

The Atharva Veda has many hymns eulogizing herbs. Many plants were worshipped as deities and invoked by incantations. There were also many Mantras (invocations) to combat jaundice, consumption and hereditary diseases among others. The Atharvan hymns chanted for the cure of diseases were known as Bhaishajyams and those for attaining longevity and prosperity were called Ayushyams. These hymns, especially the Ayushyams are considered to be the foundation for advances in later medicine.

Eight Branches (Ashtanga) of Ayurveda

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The eight branches of Ayurveda are:

Internal medicine - Kayachikitsa
Surgery - Shalya Tantra
Ears, eyes, nose and throat - Shalakya tantra
Pediatrics - Kaumarabhritya Tantra
Toxicology - Agada Tantra
Purification of the genetic organs - Bajikarna (or Vajikarana) Tantra
Health and Longevity - Rasayana Tantra
Spiritual Healing/Psychiatry - Bhuta Vidya

What is Ayurveda

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Ayurveda (Devanagari:: आयुर्वेद) or Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient system of health care that is native to the Indian subcontinent. Even today it is very common in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and is used by millions of people. Ayurveda is also gaining popularity in the west. The word "Ayurveda" is a tatpurusha compound of the word āyus meaning "life," "life principle," or "long life" and the word veda, which refers to a system of "knowledge." Thus "Ayurveda" roughly translates as the "knowledge of life," "knowledge of a long life" or even "science of life." According to Charaka Samhita, "life" itself is defined as the "combination of the body, sense organs, mind and soul, the factor responsible for preventing decay and death, which sustains the body over time, and guides the processes of rebirth." to this perspective, Ayurveda is concerned with measures to protect "ayus", which includes healthy living along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. Ayurveda is also one among the few traditional systems of medicine to contain a sophisticated system of surgery (which is referred to as "salya-chikitsa").