The sounds of the Sama Veda being chanted reverberated in the halls of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Ayurveda College. Chanted by just two persons—Vedaratnam Dr Sivakaran Namboothiri and his disciple—the notes transported the audience into a spiritual plane. The chants from the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda and the Yajur Veda provided the right atmosphere in which the national level seminar, ‘Mani, Mantra and Aushada’, was conducted.
Jointly organised by Sri Jayendra Saraswathi College and Maharishi Sandipani Rashtriya Vedavidya Pratishtan, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, it was a three-day workshop (October 24-26) of immersive learning about the origins of ayurveda, its beginnings in the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda and various references to health, disease and its management. Ably coordinated by the principal of the college, Dr Ramadas Maganti, Professor of Sanskrit, S Venugopalan and Dr M N Sunandan, the workshop brought together experts on the four Vedas and their commentaries on wellness, disease, its causes and how to deal with it both from the practical and spiritual plane.
The inaugural address was given by Professor K V Seshadrinatha Sastrigal, former principal of the Madras Sanskrit College. In his brilliant exposition on ‘Mani, Mantra and Aushada’, the professor talked about the importance of this triad in maintaining health. According to him, the whole universe is composed of elements that can contribute to human wellbeing. The only job of a healer—the ayurvedic vaidya—is to make use of nature’s offering to relieve suffering. The source of all this knowledge is in the Vedic corpus. Each expert spoke about the information contained in the four Vedas which could be used by vaidyas.
‘Mani’, which we would loosely interpret as gems, has a wider connotation in healing. It is made from various herbs such as Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Vasa (Acorus calamus), from precious and semiprecious stones and from various minerals and metals.
The use of ‘Mantra’ in addressing health and disease was talked about in great detail. While deploying mantra, says Prof Seshadrinatha Swamigal, all of the mantra’s sounds, syllables tones or swaras come into play. It is not enough if it is chanted silently. Clarity and ease of recitation is important. Reciting a mantra repeatedly with ease brings about subtle changes in our nervous system which helps maintain health. According to the professor, regular chanting brings about balancing in the three doshas of vata, pitta and kapha. Ayurvedic vaidyas aim at balancing these three doshas at all times to prevent disease and promote wellness. Aushada is something that we are all familiar with.
The Brihattrayee and Laghutrayee, the six famous books on ayurveda, expound at length on the various dravyas and formulations that can be used in the management of health. Ours is an ancient pharmacopoeia tracing its lineage to the Vedas, in existence for 5,000 years and more. These aushadas have stood the test of time and are extremely beneficial to human welfare.
Brahmasri Dinakara Sharma talked about the mantras in the Rig Veda. He talked about the Agamarshana Sukta, Akshibhyamte Sukta, Rogana Upanishad, Sri Suktam, Parjanya Suktam, Aikya Padya Suktam etc. In particular, Akshibhyamte Sukta is helpful in addressing diseases of the eyes, ears, nose, face, tongue, head, genitals, bladder, kidney, bones, skin, hands, liver, heart, spleen, stomach, hips, thighs, anus and legs. The young Brahmasri S Sudarshana Ganapatigal talked at length on the Yajur Veda and its content on health and expiation. Professor T P Radhakrishnan Namboodiri, principal, Madras Sanskrit College, Chennai, talked about Jyotisha Shastra and the effect of grihas on different diseases.
The Anugrahabhashanam by Jagadguru Pujyasri Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Sankaracharya Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham highlighted the need to delve into the depths of our tradtional knowledge while at the same time keeping abreast of modern concepts in health and wellness.
The need to democratise our traditional knowledge was also touched on by some speakers so that it could reverberate in the four corners of India and the world.The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail.com/arogyamantra.blogspot.com