Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Grasp Charaka, in chapter 28 of Charaka Samhita Sutra Sthana part speaks about varied sorts of meals and drinks that we take and the importance of following a disciplined routine of meals in order to maintain our bodily, psychological and emotional well being in a state of stability. For this to occur, one must be sensible in selecting good meals when it comes to high quality, amount and time of consuming. One ought to all the time be indulged in significant consuming following the principles and laws laid for consumption of meals in Ayurveda texts and in addition by following meals etiquettes with presence of thoughts and utility of consciousness. That is so true as a result of ahara – meals is one among the many three supporting pillars of our life, the traya upastambhas (nidra – sleep and brahmacharya – celibacy or ultimate means of righteous dwelling, being the opposite two supporting pillars).
Context – Charaka Samhita Sutra Sthana, Chapter 28 – Vividha Ashita Peeteeyam Adhyaya, Verses 36-40
Taking good meals and following good and useful way of life regimens would assist one to avoid ailments of all types. We’re from what we eat. Subsequently, we should always take heed to what and the way and in addition how a lot we eat. One also needs to have a radical information concerning the meals and every thing associated to it together with what’s appropriate and what’s to not her or him.
Grasp Charaka additional tells that solely an individual endowed with Nava Gunas i.e. 9 qualities (which can be talked about forward within the article) would take utmost warning about each subtleties of meals (and in addition way of life actions) and attributable to volunteered self-discipline into these could be able to avoiding / stopping many or virtually ailments, defend himself / herself from them and have an ideal stability of psychosomatic well being. However, an individual who doesn’t have these qualities could be extremely undisciplined attributable to his mind and thoughts being clouded by rajas and tamas qualities, makes flawed meals selections, not observe the meals regimens and etiquettes and can turn into sufferer of a wide selection of ailments.
On this article we will see what are these 9 qualities one ought to have, to make ultimate meals selections and hold oneself wholesome and powerful. Not directly we focus on the advantages of observing correct meals routine and dangerous results of not observing them.
9 qualities it is advisable to defend your self from ailments
Grasp Charaka, whereas differentiating a sensible individual from an ignorant individual when it comes to making meals selections says that – a sensible individual all the time choses healthful and good meals as a result of he’s predominant in sattva attribute whereas an ignorant individual, his thoughts being dominated by rajas and tamas qualities would all the time favor making unhealthy selections and therefore are victims of many food-induced and psychosomatic ailments. However, the sensible one who is sattvika in nature can be wholesome as a result of he’s disciplined in not solely making good meals selections but additionally would observe wholesome meals regimens as a behavior, all through his life.
Associated Studying – ‘Rajas and Tamas – Healthful meals selections and prevention of ailments’
Can an clever and realized individual keep away from ailments?
Sure and no. Sure, when the realized and clever individual can also be bestowed with or has inculcated the 9 qualities (which we are going to focus on forward) in himself can be devoid of rajas and tamas qualities and therefore can keep away from ailments of meals origin. However, it isn’t enough for an individual to be clever and realized, it is vital for her or him to overcome their rajas and tamas qualities and inculcate these 9 gunas – qualities. It will allow him to make good meals selections that are additionally wholesome and healthful.
What are these 9 qualities that one ought to have in order to defend himself from ailments?
श्रुतं बुद्धिः स्मृतिर्दाक्ष्यं धृतिर्हितनिषेवणम्| वाग्विशुद्धिः शमो धैर्यमाश्रयन्ति परीक्षकम्||३७||
लौकिकं नाश्रयन्त्येते गुणा मोहरजःश्रितम् | तन्मूला बहवो यन्ति रोगाः शारीरमानसाः||३८||
A sensible, clever, realized and inquisitive one who is bestowed with or who has inculcated the under talked about 9 qualities will make good meals selections and would observe a healthful routine and is therefore resistant to meals induced ailments and in addition varied sorts of ailments of bodily, psychological and emotional origin.
The 9 qualities are as under defined –
1. Shrutam
An individual who’s nicely realized can have sound information of each subtlety of meals and its selections, concerning the high quality, amount, etiquettes and time and reasoning behind each meal. He would find out about good and dangerous selections and in addition their penalties. He would know the results of creating good and dangerous selections of meals and in addition about faulty and unwholesome meals mixtures. He would make a observe of significant consuming and observe it every single day, all through his life. Shrutam additionally means an obedient individual. These individuals observe the directions given by a sensible individual or doctor religiously and inculcate good practices associated to meals and way of life adjustments of their life. If shrutam is an obedient pupil of Ayurveda, he would respect what has been talked about within the shastras – treatises or taught from his instructor, observe and in addition advocate the identical (shruti can also be a synonym of aptopadesha i.e. teachings of nice gurus documented within the treatises, so, shruta can also be an individual who’s an ardent follower of shastra, and therefore is taken into account sensible and clever).
2. Buddhih
An clever individual can also be a nicely realized individual. He can have a presence of thoughts in every thing, the subtleties of meals selections and their good and dangerous penalties on this context. Intelligence backed up by an excellent information is a gamechanger in making good meals selections which types a basis and backdrop for complete well being.
3. Smriti
An individual who’s wealthy in sattvika guna of the thoughts and has balanced rajas and tamas qualities can have good reminiscence. This reminiscence backed up with superb intelligence tapped from good information of the ideas from treatises and teachings of masters will assist her or him to recollect the details and figures about meals and meals selections. If these individuals or anybody nearer to them have suffered from some illness attributable to flawed meals selections when it comes to high quality or amount or attributable to untoward mixtures, they’d positively have these experiences saved of their reminiscences. Subsequent time they’d not make the identical mistake as a result of they’re cautioned by the reminiscence recordsdata that their system has saved. Good reminiscences of excellent experiences of meals will assist one to make wholesome selections of meals. Reminiscence of dangerous experiences with sure meals or meals mixtures will alert the individual from committing the identical errors once more. On this means, she or he is not going to commit prajnaparadha – acutely aware errors, which is a vital causative issue for a lot of ailments.
4. Daksha
A sensible individual is blessed with ability and self-discipline. Daksha additionally means skill, ability, experience or honesty. Once we discuss meals selections, an individual who’s expert in meals sciences can even be self-disciplined within the selections he makes. He can be an individual who would share his experience with others via teachings and talks or write-ups and would encourage the individuals to eat wholesome meals. Within the trendy period, we are able to discover many weight loss plan specialists speaking sense about meals on social media and creating meals consciousness via their write ups, together with meals bloggers and vloggers. On the similar time, these persons are additionally dedicated to do what they train and preach as a result of they’re trustworthy to themselves.
5. Dhruti
Dhriti means willpower or firmness. It additionally means perseverance, persistence, steadiness or advantage. A sensible one who can also be decided will overcome temptations associated to meals selections. He can be cautious, regular and stand agency to his selections of taking solely healthful meals and observe meals regimens since he can have utmost persistence and perseverance to take action. One can have good Dhriti when his rajas and tamas qualities of thoughts are in a state of stability and when he has conquered his senses.
6. Hita Nishevana
One must be habituated to consuming ‘solely good meals’ and may have the power to do it each time and persist with a healthful routine. Doing something repeatedly and never breaking the principles of something and abiding to a superb format wants immense information, intelligence, reminiscence, self-discipline, experience, willpower and perseverance. One is endowed with this high quality provided that one has balanced his rajasika and tamasika bhavas.
7. Vak Vishuddhi
Vak Vishuddhi means readability and purity of speech. A sensible and realized individual can be bestowed with readability of speech, which can also be pure. So, this individual is aware of what to talk and when. There can be no manipulation in what he tells. These individuals inform what they do and do what they inform. Vak Shuddhi displays the sattvika nature of the individual. This attribute is required to observe, train and preach healthful regimens.
8. Shama
Shama means quietness, tranquillity or psychological stability / quietness. It additionally means calmness and peace of thoughts. Smart persons are bestowed with the advantage of being quiet, tranquil, calm and composed and would have peace of thoughts. This state is attainable solely when the attributes of the thoughts are in a state of stability individually and mutually. These persons are wealthy in sattva guna and have management over rajas and tamas qualities. In a state of tranquillity, the individual would take correct selections associated to healthful routine and would additionally observe the identical.
9. Dhairya
Dhairya means braveness. Smart and realized persons are brave and courteous. Dhairya can also be stated to be a superb medication for the thoughts. Braveness helps one to make robust and steady selections and management oneself from diverting from the selections that are made. It wants braveness to abstain from unwholesome meals and routine and in addition to decide on and observe solely healthful meals and routine.
To Sum up,
The one who is bestowed with the above stated 9 options or qualities is taken into account as a sensible individual. Since he’s sensible, he’ll clearly make acutely aware selections associated to meals and because of this would get pleasure from good well being and longevity.
Placing it the opposite means, to be wholesome one ought to observe a healthful routine in relation to meals and way of life practices. (The above stated 9 qualities aren’t restricted to creating good selections of meals however are relevant for selecting something good). To observe a healthful routine, she or he must be sensible. Knowledge and intelligence of an individual who’s eligible to make healthful selections is measured on the premise of 9 qualities like shruta and so on that he has.
One must be bestowed with the above stated 9 qualities to be sensible. Such an individual would have conquered his rajas and tamas attributes and therefore would observe a healthful routine. This can be a basis to get pleasure from good well being and longevity.
However, an ignorant individual is not going to possess these 9 qualities. It is because his thoughts can be enveloped by moha (tamas) i.e. illusions and rajas i.e. attraction and attachments. These individuals is not going to observe a healthful routine and therefore succumb to varied issues of physique, thoughts, senses and feelings.
Additional on,
प्रज्ञापराधाद्ध्यहितानर्थान् पञ्च निषेवते| सन्धारयति वेगांश्च सेवते साहसानि च||३९||
तदात्वसुखसञ्ज्ञेषु भावेष्वज्ञोऽनुरज्यते| रज्यते न तु विज्ञाता विज्ञाने ह्यमलीकृते||४०||
An ignorant individual can be indulged in prajnaparadha i.e. obsessed to do mental errors or sins (mental blasphemy – doing the flawed issues knowingly). He additionally indulges himself in ahita arthas i.e. unwholesome gratification of 5 senses and vega dharana i.e. forcibly withholding the pure urges of the physique. He can even bask in extreme sahasa i.e. adventurous actions past his or her capability or in rash behaviours. Doing this stuff would solely yield short-term pleasure. However a sensible individual won’t ever bask in such actions since he has readability of thoughts and consciousness. Subsequently, he’s all the time wholesome and completely happy.