Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine
With the aroma and packs of spices and herbs hanging on the ceiling, the traditional medicine practitioners could be found in the old cities petite streets, manifesting their centuries old techniques of traditional medicine. Every morning, one can see people flocking in their shops for medicines holding their quest in finding a remedy for their unknown problem. Within second the practitioners checks the eyes, tongue and other vital status and then forward his statement in related with the treatment. Looking at it from the technical side, the practitioner’s first studies the feasibility of the patient’s body enclosing the symptoms creating a scenario of diagnosis stage, as in Ayurved, disease is regarded as a symptom of imbalance where disease is treated for symptom not for the disease.
Then after evaluating the status, the practitioner forwards medicines of mixed herbs with aromatic spices. These doses of spices are supposed to be taken at specific time with maintaining strict diets. Although, for a normal person it’s hard to stand the smell or taste but one cannot quantify the reality of these medicines being free from side effects and on the same hand the relatively low prices have certainly increased its popularity among local’s specially old aged people. The basic ingredients of these medicines are composed of fine herbs and spices that the Ayurvedic researchers gather from the forest and other markets in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar where the exotic and indigenous herbs are evolving as a good import and export business. In our country, from the ancient time civilization has been adjusted in the cast and creed system where each of the cast has been endowed with specific work for e.g. Chhetri are entrusted as warrior clan, Bahuns are entrusted with religious activities, Baidhayas are entrusted with the medical line etc. The practice of this systematic civilization has not only helped the people to develop specific skills and techniques but on the other hand has given an edge to relate the people to their work class or group.
Perfecting their skills to sharpen their knowledge, the generations of practicing and passing have resulted in better opportunity of growth and development in the transcending process. Moreover, practically ruling the formulas of centaury old recipes of herbs and spices, these practitioners learn their skills by working and learning method where generations of cumulative study and detailed research have honed the disease diagnosis process. According to the ancient text and script, Ayurved is considered as “Knowledge of life” where the Mind Body and Soul have been differentiated in the proper form linking it with the nature and stressing nature as the supreme healer.
Basically in Ayurved, body is divided into there important forces within the body. The first one is known as Pitta (the force of the sun) which is hot and rules the digestive processes and metabolism. Similarly, the second one is Kapha (likened to the moon, the creator of tides and rhythms) which has a cooling effect and governs the body’s organs, fluids and lubricants; and the third one is the Vata (wind) which relates to movement and the nervous system. The adequate balanced of the three is considered to be healthy where as dis-balance in any of the component is considered to bring metabolic changes which triggers in as a symptom of a disease. Though, modernization has exploited the medical industry in gaining a fast reputation but still in the close competition of the faster growing allopathic medicine, the Ayurvedic industry have acclimatizing people consoling the world with the theme of being natural and living naturally. Still today, the Traditional Ayurvedic practitioners survive with the stand of curing diseases like Jaundice, Gastric, Diabetes Mellitus, various types of arthritis and bronchial asthma, aches and other disease where patients are tired to the level of testing allopathic medicine and find traditional herbs and spices more irrefutable. Furthermore, it is believed among the locals that allopathic medicines are quick in action but in long run, the medicine fails to tackle the problem while on the other hand the Ayurvedic medicines take times but cures the disease from root level and it is due to such believe that the traditional medicine practitioner survive with a quest. Growing to the aspect of giving the Ayurved as a status, the Nepal government has escalated to stand the Ayurved Campus for Ayurvedic education in Nepal as in the form of Naradevi Ayurveda Hospital located in Naradevi, which has been catering the needs of the people. It is said that nature holds the power of healing and acclimatizing the nature’s power, the traditional medicine practitioners have prolonged their glorious tradition of serving people in the name of practicing this art of nature to the ultimate level of finding a new existence and survival.
By Shreedeep Rayamajhi
