Role of Ayurvedic Factors in Psychology

About the Author Dr. Ranjana Pandey, author of this book titled "Role of Ayurvedic Factors in Psychology" has done her undergraduate study from Lalit Hari Govt. Ayurvedic College Pilibhit. Then she was selected in PG entrance examination of highest reputed Institute of Ayurveda, NIA Jaipur. She completed her MD (Roganiddan & Vikriti vigyan) in 2013. Her PG work was based on manas roga entitled. "Standardization of Ayurvedic Assessment criteria for manas roga WSR to Anxiety disorder & randomized controlled upshayatamak trial of medhyavati" At prent time she is working as assistant professor in Dr. Krishna Gopal Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital, Sarmau, Jhansi. Some scientific paper on mental disorders have also been published in different journals.

Foreword Ayurveda originated from the Vedas which gave the eternal and consistent knowledge about manas. On the basis of this knowledge ayurveda gives a wholesome and universal outlook in the medical world especially in the field of mental health. Ayurvedic psychiatry is very rich and fruitful for mental diseases because ayurveda gives the ultimate solutions and wide-ranging explanatory concepts about mental health and its diseases, with the help of its scientific understanding and philosophical approach.

In above cited verses of Bhagwata Geeta and Kanthaupanishada, Acharyas says about the link between manas and purusha. Bio-logical body is continuously nourished by nature through indriyas (sense organs). Indriyas are the receivers of nature and they again disperse the senses to mana. Thus it reached upto the purest form of knowledge means sattva. This pure form of knowledge is delivered to the buddhi means intellect where intellect is supreme to the knowledge. In this series buddhi plays an important role for doing actions for avyakta atma or purusha. This is the concept where ayurveda is unique and completely different from other medical sciences.

Acharya Charaka has given detailed and minute classification about manas (mind) into eight important factors i.e. mana, buddhi, sangya-gyana, bhakti, sheela, cheshta and achara in the reference of mental disorders. This book gives admirable ayurvedic approach as well as modern concept of DSMIV-TR about the appllied use of these mental faculties. There is description about normal functions and state of these eight factors as well as causes of their vibhramsa state, pathogenesis, symptom's and its management. There is also de-scribed the role of these eight factors in the mental health of persons and applied use of eight fold mental examination in the diseased mental patients. Concept of mental health in the form of practical use and importance of indriyopkramdiya, sadvritta and achar rasayan is also described in this book. This book is also lighted the importance and practical use of the concept of prgyapradha and asatmyaindriyartha as well as their role and utility in mental health or in present psychiatry. The role of good food habits in mental health is repeatedly advocated for mental health in ayurveda where ayurveda has totally different concept of sattva as a connecting link between mind and body. Sattva is the most propitious product which is manufactured after the completion of digestion process. Adversely effects of waste producing diets on mental health are also described in this book. Basic principles of ayurveda related to psychology are concluded in this book.

Now this is the need of present time to open the Pandora box of Ayurveda and enrich the medical science not only in psychology but also in every field of medical sciences.

Preface Marley-Mark Twain has quoted that "Out of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most." These words express the importance of mind in a body because a healthy mind controlled his body perfectly. Our Acharyas have also quoted the importance of mind by saying the most important organ of body.

The development of human being started in the lap of nature. We get birth in this nature, stay and enjoy the life with nature and at last assimilate in this nature. We are made up of nature and if we keep our self nearer to nature then we can get better healthy life. Acharya Charak has clearly mentioned that if we keep the factors normal by which we are made up of then only we can achieve the healthy state. It is believe that the reason behind the development of Ayurveda is for the removal of sorrow of human being and for continuous happiness.

Ayurveda is the one of the medical sciences, which not only highlighting the cure of disease but also give different method for the maintenance of healthy state of an individual both physically and mentally.

When we look the definition of health given by W.H.O. "health is the state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." According to the Sushruta the healthy state of human has equilibrium in Dosa, Dhatu, Agni, and proper excretion of Malas with healthy state of Indriya and Mana. He included both the physical as well as mental health of individuals. Co-incidentally there is much similarity in the definition of health explained by W.H.O. and Sushruta. Sushruta's definition of health is very close to the complete health. Ayurvedic definitions assimilate all the approach whether it is physical, mental, sensorial or spiritual. So we can say that complete health is related with both physical as well as mental health. Ayurveda is only one of the oldest accepted systems of medicine, originated from Vedas which deals with physical, Psychological and spiritual well being of the human being and cover ups all the features of the human life. Ayurvedic perspective of abnormality of mind has been considered in terms of impairment in the functions of Manas. So, symptoms produced in mental disorder can be explained on this ground. Common classification of mental disorders as Manasika Vikara and Manasa Roga has been explained in the ayurvedic texts; at various places. So ayurveda emphasized on subjective criteria of both physical & mental illness. Charaka has described the significance of Manasa Bhava and their assessment in detail.

The present time is the era of communication in which whole world is packed together into a global community. The life became so fast in which we loosed so many precious equipments of our life. Our lifestyle has been changed completely in which we focused only physical things, the other valuable things like social, emotional, mental, and spiritual are being ignored completely. Due to this many nerve racking events tales place in our daily routine life & we suffer with stress in most of the time. So our society became more prone for the psychiatric illness in the comparison of any other illnesses. So it is very necessary to elaborate ayurvedic principles as a clinical fundamental of psychiatry according to this era. This is the primary step towards ayurvedic psychiatry in the form of this book.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages