Textbook of Ayurveda

General Principles of
Management and Treatment
Volume Three

by
Vasant D. Lad, M.A.Sc.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

 Table of Contents
Foreword ~ / xv

About the Author ~ / xix

The Use of Sanskrit ~ / xxi

1 Chikits¡ ~ ¢yurvedic Management and Treatment of Disease to Bring a

State of Balance / 1
¢yurveda Treatment Protocols / 4
Complications, Multiple Pathologies, and Drug-Related Disorders / 13
The Four Pillars of Chikits¡ / 15
Agni and K¡ya Chikits¡ / 17
The Main Categories of Chikits¡ / 19
Detailed Categories of Chikits¡ / 21
A. Internal Shodhana / 21
B. External Shodhana / 23
C. Internal Shamana / 24
D. External Shamana / 24
Santarpana and Apatarpana Chikits¡ / 25
Examples of Santarpana (Anabolic) Therapy / 26
Examples of Apatarpana (Catabolic) Therapy / 26
Apunarbhava Chikits¡ / 27
Trividh¡ Chikits¡ / 28
Vih¡ra or ¢ch¡ra Chikits¡, Lifestyle or Behavioral Medicine / 28
Summary / 30

2 Dosha Gati ~ How a Dosha Moves During the Disease Process / 33

Downward, Upward, and Linear Gatis / 34
Adho V¡ta / 34
¿rdhva V¡ta / 35
Tiryag V¡ta / 36
Adho Pitta / 36
¿rdhva Pitta / 37
Tiryag Pitta / 38
Adho Kapha / 38
¿rdhva Kapha / 39
Tiryag Kapha / 39
Multiple Gatis / 39
Blood Disorders with Adho, ¿rdhva, and Tiryag Gati / 40
Serious Dosha Disorders with Adha, ¿rdhva, and Tiryag Gati / 43
Increased, Decreased, and Stable Gatis / 45
Increased Dosha (Vruddhi) / 45

 vii
 Decreased Dosha (Kshaya) / 46
Stable Dosha (Sth¡na) / 46
Koshtha, Sh¡kh¡, and Marma Gatis / 47
Koshtha Gati / 47
Sh¡kh¡ Gati / 47
Marma Gati / 50
Summary / 51

3 Vega Vidh¡ranam Chikits¡ ~ General Management of Disorders Due to the

Suppression of Natural Urges / 53
Suppression of the Urge to Pass Gas / 53
Suppression of the Urge to Pass Feces / 54
Suppression of the Urge to Urinate / 55
Suppression of the Urge to Belch / 55
Suppression of the Urge to Sneeze / 55
Suppression of Thirst / 56
Suppression of Hunger / 56
Suppression of Sleep / 56
Suppression of Cough / 57
Suppression of Heavy Respiration / 57
Suppression of Yawning / 57
Suppression of Tears / 58
Suppression of Vomiting / 58
Suppression of Semen / 58
Summary / 59

4 ¢h¡ra Chikits¡ ~ Food as Medicine / 61

General Principles of ¢yurvedic Nutrition / 61
Sources of Food / 61
Vegetarianism / 62
Genetic Modification and Organic Food / 62
Preparation of Food and Cooking Techniques / 63
How to Eat / 64
Water / 66
The Right Quantity of Food / 66
Timing of Meals / 67
Fasting and Cleansing Diets / 67
The Qualities of Food / 69
Incorporating All Six Tastes in your Daily Diet / 69
Digestive Disorders / 70
Food Combining / 72
Improving Digestion / 75
D£pana and P¡chana / 76
Seasonal Eating Guidelines / 78
Spring / 78
Summer / 79

viii 
 Fall or Autumn / 80
Winter / 81
Food Guidelines for Each Dosha / 81
Meal Suggestions / 83
Kitchari / 86

5 Vih¡ra Chikits¡ ~ A Healthy Lifestyle / 89

Basic Principles for a Healthy Lifestyle / 90
Diet / 92
Time / 92
Biological Time / 93
Din¡charya, The Daily Routine / 98
Daily Routine During Menses / 106
Rutuchary¡, Seasonal Routines / 106
Annual Phases / 106
Seasonal and Daily Cycles of the Doshas / 108
Seasonal Characteristics / 109
Seasonal Transitions and Cleansing / 110
Seasonal and Daily Cycles / 111
Seasonal Routine for Spring / 112
Seasonal Routine for Summer / 116
Seasonal Routine for Fall / Autumn / 122
Seasonal Routine for Winter / 126

6 Shamana Chikits¡ ~ Palliative Therapies / 131

Shamana Therapies / 132
D£pana: Kindling Agni / 132
Qualities that Diminish Agni / 133
Mental ¢ma and Emotional Imbalance / 134
P¡chana: Burning of Toxins / 136
Detecting ¢ma in the Gastrointestinal Tract / 137
When to Use P¡chana / 139
Simple Rules for Digesting ¢ma / 139
Kshut Nigraha: Fasting from Food or Eating a Mono-Diet / 140
Fasting Techniques / 142
Trut Nigraha: Observing Thirst and Minimizing Liquid Intake / 145
Water Consumption / 146
Vy¡y¡ma: Exercise / 148
¢tapa Seva: Exposure to Sunlight / 151
Chandra Seva: Exposure to Moonlight / 153
Maruta Seva: Exposure to Fresh Air / 154
Conclusion / 155

 ix
7 Shodhana Chikits¡ ~ Cleansing Therapies / 157
Introduction to Shodhana Therapy / 157
Shodhana Chikits¡ / 160
A Deeper Understanding of Shodhana / 163
P¥rvakarma: Pre-Purification Measures / 165
Snehana / 166
Main Categories of Snehana Substances / 168
Abhyanga, Generalized Oil Massage / 171
Svedana / 179
Agni Svedana / 179
Anagni Svedana / 183
Other P¥rvakarma Treatments / 188

8 Pañchakarma Chikits¡ ~ Therapies to Remove Excess Dosha / 193

The Benefits of Pañchakarma / 193
Dietary and Lifestyle Guidelines during Pañchakarma / 194
The Pañchakarma Therapies / 195
Vamana: Emesis Therapy / 196
P¥rvakarma for Vamana (Pre-Emesis Measures) / 202
Procedure for Vamana / 203
Pashch¡t Karma for Vamana (Post-Emesis Measures) / 205
Virechana: Purgation / 205
Basti: Medicated Enema or Colon Therapy / 214
How to Administer a Basti / 220
Specific Types of Basti / 221
Anuv¡sana: Oil Enema / 221
Nir¥ha: Decoction Enema / 223
Bruhana: Nutritional Enema / 224
Madhu Tailam: Honey and Sesame Oil Enema / 225
M¡tr¡: Anuv¡sana Basti / 226
Piccha Basti / 227
Uttara: Vaginal or Urethral Basti / 227
Rakta Moksha: Bloodletting or Cleansing of the Blood / 231
Nasya: Nasal Administration of Medications / 235
Specific Types of Nasya / 238
Pashch¡t Karma: Post-Pañchakarma Measures / 244
A. ¢h¡ra (Diet) / 244
B. Vih¡ra (Daily Activity or Lifestyle) / 246
C. Ras¡yana / 249
D. Pr¡yogika Nasya / 249
E. Dh¥mana / 249
External Shodhana / 250
Ksh¡ra Karma / 250
Sh¡stra Karma / Shalya Tantra / 251
Agni Karma / 251
Pralepa Karma / 252

x 
9 Tanm¡tr¡ Chikits¡ ~ Subtle Therapies / 253
The Sensory Pathways of Our Inner Pharmacy / 253
Shabda (Sound) – Speech Therapy, Counseling, Sound, and Mantra Therapy / 253
¢yurvedic Counseling / 254
Sound and the Five Elements / 255
Healing Sounds for the Chakras / 255
N¡dam in Meditation / 256
Astrological Sounds / 257
Healing the Organs with Sound / 257
Sanskrit Letters and the Five Elements / 258
Sparsha (Touch) – Massage and Touch Therapy / 260
Massage / 262
Polarity Therapy / 263
Marma Therapy / 263
Lepana / 264
Touch Beyond Touch / 264
Mudr¡ (Auto-touch Therapy) / 265
R¥pa (Form, Color) – Chromotherapy / 267
Color Spectrum Light / 267
Colors and the Doshas / 268
How to Use Color / 269
Colors, Days of the Week, and Planets / 271
Color Visualization / 272
Water and Color / 272
Colors and the Emotions / 272
Gemstone and Crystal Therapy / 273
Tr¡taka / 276
Yantra / 276
Rasa (Taste) – Taste Therapy / 277
Gandha (Smell) – Aroma Therapy / 280
Essential Oils / 282
Incense / 283
Insect Repellents / 283
Properties of Some Important Essential Oils and Attars / 283
P¥j¡ and Meditation / 286
Meditation / 287

10 Marma Chikits¡ ~ Energy Pathways for Healing Body, Mind, and

Consciousness / 289
Functions of Marm¡ni / 290
Marma Points as Diagnostic Tools / 291
Marma Points for Prevention of Disease / 291
Marma Points as Therapeutic Tools / 291
Different Methods of Healing through Marma Points / 294
Shodhana / 294
Shamana / 296

 xi
 Ras¡yana / 297
V¡j£karanam / 297
First Aid Management / 297
Tanm¡tr¡ Chikits¡ / 298
How Marma Therapy Works / 299
Classification of Marma Points / 300
Vital Marm¡ni Points / 300

11 Yoga Chikits¡ ~ Healing through Yoga, Pr¡n¡y¡ma, and Meditation / 303

Yoga ¢sana / 304
¢yurveda and Yoga ¢sana / 305
When to Do Yoga ¢sanas / 307
Pr¡n¡y¡ma / 309
Pr¡n¡y¡ma Practice / 309
Meditation / 323
Empty Bowl Meditation / 323
Blocked Energy in the Chakras / 325
Subtle Energy Channels / 327
Chakra Meditation / 328

12 Dravyaguna Rasa Sh¡stra ~ The Study of a Substance’ s Qualities

and Tastes / 331
Methods of Herbal Preparation / 334
Bhasmas / 335
¢sava and Arishta / 337
Times of Administration / 338
Alphabetical Listing of 24 Common ¢yurvedic Herbs / 341
Triphal¡ / 390
Oil Therapy / 390
Introduction to Oil Therapy / 392
Common Kitchen Spices as Medicine / 398
Seeds Commonly Used in ¢yurveda / 405

13 Ras¡yana Chikits¡ ~ Rejuvenation Therapy / 407

Application of Ras¡yana Techniques / 410
How to Use Ras¡yana Therapy / 411
Rejuvenation through Herbal Ras¡yana / 412
Ras¡yana for the Bodily Channels / 418
Ras¡yana for the Mind / 419
Bhasmas and Alchemical Ras¡yana / 419
Conclusion / 420

14 General Management of the Doshas ~ The Bodily Organization / 425

General Management of V¡ta Dosha / 426
S¡ma and Nir¡ma V¡ta / 428

xii 
 Ushna V¡ta / 430
Tr¡sana Therapy / 433
General Management of Pitta Dosha / 434
S¡ma and Nir¡ma Pitta / 439
Sh£ta Pitta / 441
General Management of Kapha Dosha / 442
S¡ma and Nir¡ma Kapha / 447
Remedies for the Subtypes of the Doshas / 449
Management of Decreased Doshas / 450
Decreased V¡ta / 450
General Management of V¡ta Kshaya / 450
Decreased Pitta / 451
General Management of Pitta Kshaya / 452
Decreased Kapha / 452
General Management of Kapha Kshaya / 453
Summary of Dosha Management / 453

15 General Management of the Dh¡tus ~ The Bodily Tissues / 457

Dh¡tu Chikits¡ / 457

16 General Management of Srot¡msi ~ The Bodily Channels / 495

Sroto Dushti / 496
Management of Srot¡msi / 497
Managing the Sroto M¥la-Marga-Mukha / 500
About Mixing Herbal Formulas / 504
Treatments for Sroto Dushti / 504

17 General Management of Pr¡na, Tejas, Ojas ~ The Bodily Essences / 541

Introduction / 541
Categories of Pr¡na, Tejas, and Ojas Disorders / 543
Management of Pr¡na Disorders / 544
Managing Prano Visramsa / 545
Managing Pr¡na Kshaya / 545
Treating Pr¡na Vruddhi / 546
Managing Pr¡na Vy¡pad / 547
Management of Tejas Disorders / 548
Managing Tejo Visramsa / 548
Managing Tejah Kshaya / 549
Managing Tejo Vruddhi / 549
Managing Tejo Vy¡pad / 550
Management of Ojas Disorders / 551
Managing Ojo Visramsa / 551
Managing Ojo Kshaya / 552
Managing Ojo Vruddhi / 553
Managing Ojo Vy¡pad / 554
Conclusion / 555

 xiii
18 Conclusion ~ / 557

Appendix ~ / 559

Glossaries ~ / 601
Sanskrit Glossary / 601
Medical Glossary / 611

Bibliography and Selected Readings ~ / 621

Acknowledgments / 622

Index ~ / 623

xiv