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 steadiness. For this to occur, one must be smart in selecting good meals by way of high quality, amount and time of consuming. One ought to at all times be indulged in significant consuming following the foundations and rules laid for consumption of meals in Ayurveda texts and in addition by following meals etiquettes with presence of thoughts and software 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 excellent method 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 helpful life-style regimens would assist one to stay away from ailments of all kinds. We’re from what we eat. Due to this fact, we should always take heed to what and the way and in addition how a lot we eat. One also needs to have an intensive data concerning the meals and every little 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 will probably be talked about forward within the article) would take utmost warning about each subtleties of meals (and in addition life-style actions) and because of volunteered self-discipline into these can be able to avoiding / stopping many or nearly ailments, protect himself / herself from them and have an ideal steadiness of psychosomatic well being. Alternatively, an individual who doesn’t have these qualities can be extremely undisciplined because of his mind and thoughts being clouded by rajas and tamas qualities, makes fallacious meals selections, not comply with the meals regimens and etiquettes and can develop into sufferer of a big selection of ailments.
On this article we will see what are these 9 qualities one ought to have, to make excellent meals selections and preserve oneself wholesome and robust. Not directly we focus on the advantages of observing correct meals routine and dangerous results of not observing them.
9 qualities it’s essential protect your self from ailments
Grasp Charaka, whereas differentiating a smart particular person from an ignorant particular person by way of making meals selections says that – a smart particular person at all times choses healthful and good meals as a result of he’s predominant in sattva attribute whereas an ignorant particular person, his thoughts being dominated by rajas and tamas qualities would at all times choose making unhealthy selections and therefore are victims of many food-induced and psychosomatic ailments. Alternatively, the smart one who is sattvika in nature will probably be wholesome as a result of he’s disciplined in not solely making good meals selections but additionally would comply with 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 particular person keep away from ailments?
Sure and no. Sure, when the realized and clever particular person can also be bestowed with or has inculcated the 9 qualities (which we’ll focus on forward) in himself will probably be devoid of rajas and tamas qualities and therefore can keep away from ailments of meals origin. Alternatively, it isn’t adequate for an individual to be clever and realized, it is crucial for her or him to overcome their rajas and tamas qualities and inculcate these 9 gunas – qualities. This can 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 protect himself from ailments?
श्रुतं बुद्धिः स्मृतिर्दाक्ष्यं धृतिर्हितनिषेवणम्| वाग्विशुद्धिः शमो धैर्यमाश्रयन्ति परीक्षकम्||३७||
लौकिकं नाश्रयन्त्येते गुणा मोहरजःश्रितम् | तन्मूला बहवो यन्ति रोगाः शारीरमानसाः||३८||
A smart, 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 comply with a healthful routine and is therefore proof against 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 data of each subtlety of meals and its selections, concerning the high quality, amount, etiquettes and time and reasoning behind each meal. He would learn about good and unhealthy selections and in addition their penalties. He would know the results of creating good and unhealthy selections of meals and in addition about misguided and unwholesome meals combos. He would make a observe of significant consuming and comply with it daily, all through his life. Shrutam additionally means an obedient particular person. These folks comply with the directions given by a smart particular person or doctor religiously and inculcate good practices associated to meals and life-style adjustments of their life. If shrutam is an obedient scholar 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 smart and clever).
2. Buddhih
An clever particular person can also be a nicely realized particular person. He can have a presence of thoughts in every little thing, the subtleties of meals selections and their good and unhealthy penalties on this context. Intelligence backed up by an excellent data is a gamechanger in making good meals selections which varieties 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 data 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 folks or anybody nearer to them have suffered from some illness because of fallacious meals selections by way of high quality or amount or because of untoward combos, they might positively have these experiences saved of their reminiscences. Subsequent time they might not make the identical mistake as a result of they’re cautioned by the reminiscence information that their system has saved. Good reminiscences of fine experiences of meals will assist one to make wholesome selections of meals. Reminiscence of unhealthy experiences with sure meals or meals combos will alert the particular person from committing the identical errors once more. On this method, 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 smart particular person is blessed with ability and self-discipline. Daksha additionally means capability, ability, experience or honesty. Once we discuss meals selections, an individual who’s expert in meals sciences may even be self-disciplined within the selections he makes. He will probably be an individual who would share his experience with others by means of teachings and talks or write-ups and would encourage the folks to eat wholesome meals. Within the fashionable period, we will discover many food regimen specialists speaking sense about meals on social media and creating meals consciousness by means of their write ups, together with meals bloggers and vloggers. On the identical 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, endurance, steadiness or advantage. A smart one who can also be decided will overcome temptations associated to meals selections. He will probably be cautious, regular and stand agency to his choices of taking solely healthful meals and comply with meals regimens since he can have utmost endurance and perseverance to take action. One can have good Dhriti when his rajas and tamas qualities of thoughts are in a state of steadiness and when he has conquered his senses.
6. Hita Nishevana
One must be habituated to consuming ‘solely good meals’ and may have the flexibility to do it each time and keep on with a healthful routine. Doing something repeatedly and never breaking the foundations of something and abiding to a very good format wants immense data, 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 smart and realized particular person will probably be bestowed with readability of speech, which can also be pure. So, this particular person is aware of what to talk and when. There will probably be no manipulation in what he tells. These folks inform what they do and do what they inform. Vak Shuddhi displays the sattvika nature of the particular person. This attribute is required to comply with, train and preach healthful regimens.
8. Shama
Shama means quietness, tranquillity or psychological steadiness / quietness. It additionally means calmness and peace of thoughts. Sensible 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 steadiness individually and mutually. These persons are wealthy in sattva guna and have management over rajas and tamas qualities. In a state of tranquillity, the particular person would take correct choices associated to healthful routine and would additionally comply with the identical.
9. Dhairya
Dhairya means braveness. Sensible and realized persons are brave and courteous. Dhairya can also be stated to be a very good medication for the thoughts. Braveness helps one to make sturdy and steady choices 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 comply with 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 smart particular person. Since he’s smart, he’ll clearly make acutely aware selections associated to meals and in consequence would get pleasure from good well being and longevity.
Placing it the opposite method, to be wholesome one ought to comply with a healthful routine in relation to meals and life-style practices. (The above stated 9 qualities usually are not restricted to creating good selections of meals however are relevant for selecting something good). To comply with a healthful routine, she or he must be smart. Knowledge and intelligence of an individual who’s eligible to make healthful selections is measured on the idea of 9 qualities like shruta and many others that he has.
One must be bestowed with the above stated 9 qualities to be smart. Such an individual would have conquered his rajas and tamas attributes and therefore would comply with a healthful routine. This can be a basis to get pleasure from good well being and longevity.
Alternatively, an ignorant particular person is not going to possess these 9 qualities. It is because his thoughts will probably be enveloped by moha (tamas) i.e. illusions and rajas i.e. attraction and attachments. These folks is not going to comply with a healthful routine and therefore succumb to numerous 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 particular person will probably be indulged in prajnaparadha i.e. obsessed to do mental errors or sins (mental blasphemy – doing the fallacious 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 may even take pleasure in extreme sahasa i.e. adventurous actions past his or her capability or in rash behaviours. Doing these items would solely yield non permanent pleasure. However a smart particular person won’t ever take pleasure in such actions since he has readability of thoughts and consciousness. Due to this fact, he’s at all times wholesome and glad.
