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 numerous 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 principles and laws laid for consumption of meals in Ayurveda texts and likewise 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 very best method of righteous residing, 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 steer clear of ailments of all types. We’re from what we eat. Subsequently, we should always take heed to what and the way and likewise how a lot we eat. One also needs to have an intensive data concerning the meals and all the pieces 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 likely be talked about forward within the article) would take utmost warning about each subtleties of meals (and likewise life-style actions) and because of volunteered self-discipline into these could be able to avoiding / stopping many or virtually ailments, defend himself / herself from them and have an ideal steadiness of psychosomatic well being. However, an individual who doesn’t have these qualities could be extremely undisciplined because of his mind and thoughts being clouded by rajas and tamas qualities, makes unsuitable meals decisions, not comply with the meals regimens and etiquettes and can turn out to be sufferer of a big selection of ailments.
On this article we will see what are these 9 qualities one ought to have, to make very best meals decisions 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 defend your self from ailments
Grasp Charaka, whereas differentiating a smart individual from an ignorant individual by way of making meals decisions says that – a smart individual at all times 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 at all times desire making unhealthy decisions and therefore are victims of many food-induced and psychosomatic ailments. However, the smart one that is sattvika in nature will likely be wholesome as a result of he’s disciplined in not solely making good meals decisions but in addition would comply with wholesome meals regimens as a behavior, all through his life.
Associated Studying – ‘Rajas and Tamas – Healthful meals decisions and prevention of ailments’
Can an clever and discovered individual keep away from ailments?
Sure and no. Sure, when the discovered and clever individual can be bestowed with or has inculcated the 9 qualities (which we’ll focus on forward) in himself will likely be devoid of rajas and tamas qualities and therefore can keep away from ailments of meals origin. However, it isn’t adequate for an individual to be clever and discovered, it can be crucial for her or him to beat their rajas and tamas qualities and inculcate these 9 gunas – qualities. It will allow him to make good meals decisions 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 smart, clever, discovered and inquisitive one that is bestowed with or who has inculcated the beneath talked about 9 qualities will make good meals decisions and would comply with a healthful routine and is therefore proof against meals induced ailments and likewise numerous sorts of ailments of bodily, psychological and emotional origin.
The 9 qualities are as beneath defined –
1. Shrutam
An individual who’s nicely discovered could have sound data of each subtlety of meals and its decisions, concerning the high quality, amount, etiquettes and time and reasoning behind each meal. He would learn about good and unhealthy decisions and likewise their penalties. He would know the results of constructing good and unhealthy decisions of meals and likewise about faulty and unwholesome meals mixtures. He would make a apply of significant consuming and comply with it daily, all through his life. Shrutam additionally means an obedient individual. These folks comply with the directions given by a smart individual or doctor religiously and inculcate good practices associated to meals and life-style modifications 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, apply and likewise advocate the identical (shruti can be a synonym of aptopadesha i.e. teachings of nice gurus documented within the treatises, so, shruta can be an individual who’s an ardent follower of shastra, and therefore is taken into account smart and clever).
2. Buddhih
An clever individual can be a nicely discovered individual. He could have a presence of thoughts in all the pieces, the subtleties of meals decisions and their good and unhealthy penalties on this context. Intelligence backed up by an excellent data is a gamechanger in making good meals decisions 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 could have good reminiscence. This reminiscence backed up with excellent intelligence tapped from good data of the ideas from treatises and teachings of masters will assist her or him to recollect the information and figures about meals and meals decisions. If these folks or anybody nearer to them have suffered from some illness because of unsuitable meals decisions by way of high quality or amount or because of untoward mixtures, they’d undoubtedly have these experiences saved of their recollections. Subsequent time they’d not make the identical mistake as a result of they’re cautioned by the reminiscence information that their system has saved. Good recollections of excellent experiences of meals will assist one to make wholesome decisions of meals. Reminiscence of unhealthy experiences with sure meals or meals mixtures will alert the individual from committing the identical errors once more. On this method, she or he is not going to commit prajnaparadha – aware errors, which is a crucial causative issue for a lot of ailments.
4. Daksha
A smart individual is blessed with talent and self-discipline. Daksha additionally means capability, talent, experience or honesty. Once we talk about meals decisions, an individual who’s expert in meals sciences may also be self-disciplined within the decisions he makes. He will likely be an individual who would share his experience with others via 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 consultants speaking sense about meals on social media and creating meals consciousness via their write ups, together with meals bloggers and vloggers. On the identical time, these individuals are additionally dedicated to do what they educate and preach as a result of they’re trustworthy to themselves.
5. Dhruti
Dhriti means dedication or firmness. It additionally means perseverance, endurance, steadiness or advantage. A smart one that can be decided will overcome temptations associated to meals decisions. He will likely be cautious, regular and stand agency to his choices of taking solely healthful meals and comply with meals regimens since he could have utmost endurance and perseverance to take action. One could 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 power to do it each time and follow a healthful routine. Doing something repeatedly and never breaking the principles of something and abiding to a great format wants immense data, intelligence, reminiscence, self-discipline, experience, dedication 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 discovered individual will likely be bestowed with readability of speech, which can be pure. So, this individual is aware of what to talk and when. There will likely 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 individual. This attribute is required to comply with, educate and preach healthful regimens.
8. Shama
Shama means quietness, tranquillity or psychological steadiness / quietness. It additionally means calmness and peace of thoughts. Sensible individuals 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 individuals are wealthy in sattva guna and have management over rajas and tamas qualities. In a state of tranquillity, the individual would take correct choices associated to healthful routine and would additionally comply with the identical.
9. Dhairya
Dhairya means braveness. Sensible and discovered individuals are brave and courteous. Dhairya can be stated to be a great drugs for the thoughts. Braveness helps one to make robust and secure choices and management oneself from diverting from the selections that are made. It wants braveness to abstain from unwholesome meals and routine and likewise to decide on and comply with solely healthful meals and routine.
To Sum up,
The one that is bestowed with the above stated 9 options or qualities is taken into account as a smart individual. Since he’s smart, he’ll clearly make aware decisions 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 are usually not restricted to creating good decisions 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 decisions is measured on the premise of 9 qualities like shruta and so forth 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.
However, an ignorant individual is not going to possess these 9 qualities. It is because his thoughts will likely 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 problems 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 will likely be indulged in prajnaparadha i.e. obsessed to do mental errors or sins (mental blasphemy – doing the unsuitable 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 also bask in extreme sahasa i.e. adventurous actions past his or her capability or in rash behaviours. Doing these items would solely yield momentary pleasure. However a smart individual won’t ever bask in such actions since he has readability of thoughts and consciousness. Subsequently, he’s at all times wholesome and comfortable.
