Chowkhamba Krishnadas Granthmala 000

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yurveda Darana
PHILOSOPHICAL SPECULATIONS IN INDIAN MEDICINE
PROF. SURENDRANATH DASGUPTA

Compiled by:

Dr. Manoj Sankaranarayana MD(Ay)

Dept. of Sahit Siddhnta& Saskrta Rajiv Gandhi Ayurveda Medical College, (Govt of Puducherry Institution), Mahe, U.T.Pondhicherry.

Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi

Publisher Printer Graphics Edition ISBN

: : : : :

Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi. Chowkhamba Press, Varanasi. Shreyashi Graphics, Varanasi. 2013 000000000000000000

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PREFACE

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The art of healing plays a pivotal role in the shaping of any civilized society and its future course of development. Fortunately, in India, the healing awareness through ages is preserved in form of well knit medical compilations in Sanskrit and regional languages. The indigenous medical wisdom of India even played a very vital role in the early development of European botanical science1. The concept of global village, demands every culture and their associated knowledge to play an active role beyond their traditional spatial plane. In order to appreciate the subtler nuances of any traditional medicine for the benefit the contemporary world order, one must be able to appreciate the cultural, historical, and philosophical factors that have influenced its development. Any attempt to strengthen the safety and efficacy of traditional medicine through scientific research must respect its established theory and practices. World Health Organization while formulating the general guidelines for methodologies on research and evaluation of traditional medicine; emphasized the respect for this fundamental outlook in all its future studies on traditional medicine.2 The following basic principles. On the one hand, the methodologies should guarantee the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines and traditional procedure-based therapies. On the other hand, however, they should not become obstacles to the application and development of traditional medicine. The complex issue has been a concern for national health authorities and scientists in recent years. Thus any person who attempts to deconstruct the concepts of yurveda not only requires a thorough understanding of clinical principles and practice of the system but also a firm grounding in its fundamental orientation.

1 2

p.1, D.Wusjastyk: The Combinatorics of tastes and humours in classical Indian medicine and mathematics. June 2000. p.2,General guidelines for methodologies on research and evaluation of traditional medicine WHO 2000.

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Prof.Greitt Jan Meulenbeld, the Dutch Indologist, who demystified the history and tenets of Indian medicine, on this topic observes as follows: The study of traditional systems of knowledge requires a fair description of each systems i.e., a description that does not start from the demarcationist principle of the Western science alone can be regarded as a system of knowledge based on the rationality and directed at the structure of reality. Applied to yurveda, this means that we need a description of this particular medical system that does not presuppose the universal validity of the methodological norms of Western medicine, thus degrading any system of medicine that differs from it. Fairness requires a thorough study of the metaphysical basis of yurveda, its methodological and heuristic principles, as well as, its adapatablity and its potential for producing new knowledge. Research on this line will not only yield results which are theoretically interesting and useful for the comparative study of the medical systems but will also serve practical aims since, to take one example, the degree of adaptability of a medical system is of vital importance for its survival in a changing society . The required type of description does not yet exist with regard to yurveda. The numerous books and articles on this subject by Indian authors are usually biased and contaminated by interpretations reflecting the struggle for power of the practitioners and their efforts to prove that their system is as valid as or more valuable than, that of Western medicine. Attempts by non-Indian authors to provide us with a more adequate picture are not known to me.3

p.1, G.Jan Meulenbeld, Chapter1, Reflections on the basic concepts of Indian pharmacology, Studies on Indian Medical History edited by Gerrit Jan Meulenbeld, D. Wujastyk, (1987 UK first edition); 2001 reprint Motilal Banarasi Das, NewDelhi.

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Cakrapi observes the influence of various schools of Indian tradition in the medical system. Indeed he positions yurveda as a separate school of thought having allegiance to all intellectual traditions of India, which are not antagonistic to tenets of yurveda. Cakrapi conveys his idea through the explicit usages like vaidyakadarana4 and asmaddarana5. Though the tradition as well as modern researches shows the uniqueness of Indian medicines theoretical foundation and its interaction with then live systems of thought is not well appreciated and given its due credit by Indian scholars and academy. This can be shown by the observations by wellknown Indian thinker D.P.Chattopadhayas observation on Indian medicines relationship with philosophical systems. This looks like a queer junk-shop in which dismantled parts of various metaphysical modelssometimes with random labels stuck to these- are sought to be joined to each other, uninhabited by any consideration of their mutual coherence and, with a total disregard for the question of their possible relevance to the theoretical requirements of medical practice. And yet we are asked to believe that this shows the philosophical convinction of the ancient doctors All this, however, means one thing. The source-books of yurveda in their extant forms give us the apparent impression of being quaint bundles of incompatible ideas.6 These prejudicial and non-historic attitudes towards the basic oreientaion of yurveda demand the true seekers of this system
4 5
6

sparane sparanendriye vyuradhika vaidyakadarane pcabhautikatvd indriyasyetyartha. rotra csmaddarane pcabhautika. pp.11, 15,Science and Society in Ancient India, Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya, Research Publications, Calcutta,1977

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to know its subtler naunaces and there comes the role of Prof.Dasguptas work on Indian medicines philosophical speculations.7 Prof.Dr.Surendranath Dasgupta, polymath scholar, in his pioneering encyclopaedic work on Indian Philosophy (History of Indian Philosophy), was the first one to make a comprehensive analysis of the various speculations put forward by the physicians and is relation with to general currents of Indian philosophy.8 Though many later studies on various aspects of philosophical speculations in yurveda are available to us and there are still many to follow, Dr.S.Dasguptas work stands out as classical work for any student who wishes to survey the philosophical ideas embedded in the various treatises of yurveda. A thorough reading Prof Dasguptas work will certainly dispels the myth that ancient Indian medical wisdom is entirely oriented around the magico-religious beliefs of brahmaical religion. So we strongly feel that our foot steps to future and modernity is not by alienating from our roots but by
7

We first came to know about this work and need to teach this from the very beginning of formal Ayurveda teaching from Padmasri Dr.K.Rajagopalans vision statement on Modern Day Ayurveda teaching at Kottakkal AryavaidyaSala fonders day seminar. For example :-It must, however, be noted that the translation I have given of some of these words cannot be regarded as satisfactory ; for in the translation I could only give one sense of a word, which in the original Sanskrit has been used in a variety of senses which the word has. Thus, for example, I have translated rka as rough." But it also means "slim," "lean," "having insomnia," or (of a voice) "broken," and so forth. There is no English synonym which would have so many senses. - These very words show the understanding of Prof.Dasgupta in deconstructing Indian medicine in any modern language.

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rediscovering the vibrancy inherent in our cultural heritage including yurveda. The compilation of Dr.S.Dasguptas study on speculations in yurveda: yurveda darana9 is our first work in this direction. The studies on philosophical speculations in yurveda found scattered in this classical work i.e., History of Indian Philosophy, is compiled in to single volume for easier access of graduate and postgraduate students of yurveda. We hope that yurveda community; the students in particular, will be benefited by this humble effort. Last but not the least I must credit Rajiv Gandhi Ayurveda Medical College, Mahe for stimulating me to undertake this work. I extend my sincere gratitude to Shri.E.Valsaraj, Hon.Minister for Homeaffairs and Health and Family Welfare; Dr.P.UnniKrishnan, Principal, RGAMC, Mahe, for valuable suggestions and guidance; Dr.Santhoshkumar Kottarakkara, H.O.D, Dept.Samhita, Samskrita and Siddhanta RGAMC, Mahe; Dr.C.D.Sahadevan, Dr.R.Krishakumar, and Dr.Jeorom. V.Kurian, Dept.of Indian Systems of Medicine; and to my friends Dr.Bimal.K.N, Dr.S.Pramod, Dr.V.K.Thampan, Dr.P.SankaranaNair, Dr.B.Harikumar, Dr.Legil Chandran, Dr.A.R.Kapare, Dr.ShineyMenon, Dr.D.Panda, Dr.M.P.Seshnag, Dr.P.P.Jiggesh, Dr.P.Rammanohar, Dr.P.K.V.Anand, Dr.U.Indulal, Dr.M.P.Praveen, Jithu, Prabin, and Balanmash.

Dr. Manoj Sankaranarayana

The compilation omits his observations on history of yurveda and its anatomical aspects in an attempt to focus more on its tenets.

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Index 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. yurveda and the Atharva Veda. Practice of Medicine in the Atharva-Veda. The Foetus and the Subtle Body Foetal Development Growth and Disease. Vyu, Pitta and Kapha Head and Heart The Circulatory and the Nervous System. The Nervous System of the Tantras. The Theory of Rasas and their Chemistry. An Early School of Skhya. Caraka, Nyya stras and Vaieika stras. The Psychological Views and other Ontological Categories. Logical Speculations and Terms relating to Academic Dispute.

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15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

Tantrayukti Did Logic Originate in the Discussions of yurveda Physicians? yurveda Ethics. Springs of action in the Caraka-sahit. Good Life in Caraka.

MATTER FOR OUTER/INNER COVER biographical details of S Dasgupta

PICTURE

S.DASGUPTA ( October 1887 18 December 1952) Surendranath Dasgupta was born in Kushtia, Bengal (now in Bangladesh). His ancestral home was in the village Goila in Barisal District. He studied in Ripon College Calcutta and graduated with honours in Sanskrit. Later, he received his

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Masters degree from Sanskrit College, Calcutta in 1908. He got a second Masters degree in Western Philosophy in 1910 from the University of Calcutta. During the early 1920s, he traveled to England, where he earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Cambridge. His important works are: A History of Indian Philosophy, 5 volumes; General Introduction to Tantra Philosophy; A Study of Patanjali; Yoga Philosophy in Relation to Other Systems of Indian Thought; A History of Sanskrit Literature; Rabindranath: The Poet and Philosopher; Hindu Mysticism; Kavyavicha; Saundaryatattva; Rabidipika (information on basis of Banglapedia, encyopedia britanicca)

MANOJ SANKARANARAYANA Dr. Manoj Sankaranarayana, born in a traditional Tamil Brahmin family of South Kerala, started his Ayurveda studies under his grand father Vaidyavachaspathi. Vaikom.P.Mahadeva Iyer. Completed his formal education from Govt.Ayurveda College, Thiruvananthapuram. His area of rearch during his postgarduation was Sanskrit Ayurveda commentarial tradition. Along with his conventional Ayurveda schooling he got trained under Dr.K.Rajagopalan MBBS, DAM; receipant of Padmasri, Vaidyabhushanam.K.Raghavan Thirumulpad; receipant of Padmabhushanam, Arumanoor Paramesvaran, Dr.C.D.Sahadevan, Dr.G.Asokan, Dr.J.Srinivasamurthy, Prof.O.VisvanathanAchari, and Prof. K.N.Raman Kartha.