Fundamental Maxims of Ayurveda

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

From the Jacket:

The entire Ayurvedic treatment revolves upon the threefold concepts Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which, in a balanced state, ensure the health of an individual. When this balance gets disturbed diseases set in. Any sort of increase or decrease destructs the balance of the dosas. This results in the manifestation of disease. Correct assessment of the level of disturbance in exact dosha or identifying the root cause of the disease leads to long lasting and speedy relief to the sufferings of the patient. Sri Govindan has taken immense paints to highlight the possible doshas. He has also given us a compendium of disease that are likely to emanate from a preponderance of one or the other doshas. Besides, he has indicated the practices that help to restore the disturbed balance in gunas. Above all, he has warned the reader about the dangers of excessive or wrong applications.

It is a must for every aspirant for Ayurvedic treatment. After going through this book, the patient will understand the doctor better and thus become a partner in the curing and healing process, facilitating speedy recovery.

Ayurvedic treatment, on the other hand, may appear as a slower process, involving longer periods of treatment and adherence to strict medication and diet regime. This is compensated for by the disease being eliminated at the grass-root level. Thus the results achieved are not only long lasting but are also astonishing. Hence it is that we are witnessing a noticeable shift to Ayurveda and other traditional health care systems. In this context the timing of the release of this book is most appropriate.

About the Authors:

The author, Shri S.V. Govindan, hails from the village Manassery in Ottapalan, situated in the Palghat district of Kerala in southern India. Born on December 24, 1924, Govindaji is the youngest son in a family of five children. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Kerala where he was educated by his brothers who were school teachers at the time. Govindanji has come a long way in gathering valuable experience not only as a teacher in various Khadi Vidyalayas in the country, but more so as an expert masseur with a healing and sympathetic hand.

Govindanji, a devoted social worker, is a disciple of Acharya Vinoba Bhave. He has been active in the field of Sarvodaya work for many years. The usefulness, scientific reliability, and simplicity of massage as a way of serve the masses attracted him. He wanted to help those for whom the conveniences and amenities of costly medicines were out of reach. The value of this useful technique is often overlooked, even by the enlightened. When Govindanji was initiated into this field of massage by none other than Shri K. Kelappan, a national leader from Kerala, he realized that it was one of his mission to promote this useful technique by study and propagation. By reading and observation he learned the theory and practice of massage. Encouraged by Vinobaji Bhave, Govindanji wrote his first publication in Hindi Maalish ka Marma. The practicality of the book attracted many who were interested in this field. Many people read it and encouraged the author to bring out this English version of it.

Shri S.V. Govindan known as Govindanji is more a saint than a common man. Simple life and high thinking is being practiced throughout his life successfully and so a man of sancity. He is an acclaimed expert in Yoga and massage techniques.

When I came to know about his effort on a book about ayurvedic principles. I naturally was very eager to go through it. Though this book is intended for laymen according to the author but on going through it I feel that it is useful even for a professional.

A book can be said to be useful if we get a lot of information or can gain a compilation of scattered bits of datas. In this respect this book is very beneficial. The vastness of the subject and the simple way of approach may cause some problem to laymen to move ahead smoothly in the first chapter but as we advance things change and the matter turns to be quite absorbing.

When I went through if for the first time I thought to tell him to strike off the list of books regarding each branch of Ayurveda. But on a second thought I dropped this idea because it will be useful for a professional in many ways.

The chapters are arranged in a unique order as to make the progression savory. The signs of good and bad messengers and symptoms of nearing death are not commonly deal with in ayurvedic books for common people. But proper significance is given to that subject in this book which is very advantageous.

Selection of datas mode of compilation and the nature of language followed in this book are admirable. These features make the book worthwhile for laymen as well as professionals.

Before concluding I would like to appreciate and admire the effort Govindanji has made in releasing such a work and certainly he has carved out for himself an honorable place in the succession of ayurvedic writers by the release of this book.

When I was first invited to Germany in 1986 my friend Mr. Peter Ruhe arranged a meeting in Berlin in which I had to speak on Ayurveda. I requested him to change the subject as I didn’t know anything about Ayurveda except something about Ayurvedic Massage. He replied that it would not be possible as more than twenty five doctors had already been informed by phone that they would attend the conference. I could not find any book on Ayurveda in English or in Hindi to refer to. Really I prayed the almighty to help me. I prepared my talk in writing covering 7-8 pages which was enough for 40-45 minutes. I touched vata, pitta, kapha the tridosa, some of the special treatments of kerala like Navarakkizhi, Pizhichil and just mentioned the purification process of Pancakarma without any explanation. My talk was translated sentence by sentence into German language. So it took about 90 minutes altogether. After my speech a German lady doctor who had read about Ayurveda also spoke for about 30 minutes. So that audience were satisfied.

During my journey I had seen several Ayurvedic books in German, Italian and French. I had also seen the costly books of Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Vasant lad on Ayurveda and the audience began to appreciate my talks. I thought it would be better for the common people to understand Ayurveda if I could publish it.

I should mention some of the important authors and works that I had referred to for this work. They are Agrivesa, Atreya, Bhadra, Saunaka, Bhela, Bhoja, Candra Nandana, Caraka, Cikitsa Kalika, Cikitsa Sara Sangraha. Cintamani, Dalhana, Gargam Gopura, Hariscandra, Harita, Jejjata, Kasyapa, Krsnatreya, Ksarapani, Kharanada Narapati Carya, Nagarjuna, Padma Prayoga Parijata, Ratnakara, Rasa Ratnakara, Rasa Sara, Rasa Sara, Rasa Siddhanta, Rasarnava, Rudra Kautuka, Rudra Tantra, Raudramsa, Sarrigadhara, Sivagama, Sivamekhala, Saunaka, Siddha Sara, Susruta, Vaisistha, Vagbhata, Vacaspati, Videsha, Viveka Martanda, Visvamitra, Virabhadra, Vaikhanasa, Vaidyalankara, Vaisvanara, Yoga Pradipa Yoga Ratnavali Yoga Sastra Etc. I am grateful to all of them.

When I prepared the copy for publications I contacted Mr. Shakti Malik, Abhinav Publications New Delhi who had published my first book Ayurvedic Massage and he agreed to publish it. So I am thankful to him.

Dr. R. Sreekumar one of my grand nephews helped me a lot for the computer work.

I sincerely hope that this book will enlighten the readers who are interested in Ayurveda and leaving the antibiotic medicines come forward for the Ayurvedic treatment which is really a holistic treatment.