Resumo de Ayurveda: An Ancient Way Of Medi-cure

Ayurveda (???????? Sanskrit: ayu?life; veda?knowledge of) or ayurvedic medicine is a comprehensive system of medicine, first described by Charaka around the beginning of the Common Era, and based on a holistic approach rooted in earlier Vedic culture. Its conspicuous use of the word veda, or knowledge, reveals its role in early Hinduism and describes its hallowed place in India. ?yurveda also had a tradition of surgery. Two early texts of ?yurveda are the Charaka Samhit? and the Sushruta Samhit?.
Basic concepts and methodology
Traditional ?yurveda speaks of eight branches: k?y?chikits? (internal medicine), shalyachikits? (surgery including anatomy), sh?l?kyachikits? (eye, ear, nose, and throat diseases), kaum?rabhritya (pediatrics, gynecology & obstetrics.), bh?tavidy? (psychology). The basic motive of ?yurveda is to keep the healthy person healthy and to cure the ill.
Qualities
It could be said that the simple essence of ?yurveda is knowledge and awareness of the qualities of nature ? called gurvadi gunah. By understanding the qualities inherent in the environment, in foodstuffs, in activities, etc., one gains an appreciation of their effects on the individual constitution through the principle of similarities; i.e., that similarities cause increase while dissimilarities cause decrease. Thus hot qualities in the environment or diet will increase hot qualities in the body.
The gurvadi gunah are listed in V?gbhata's Asht?nga Hridayam as:
Guru (heavy) ? laghu (light)
Manda (slow) ? tikshna (quick, sharp)
Hima (cold) ? ushna (hot)
Snigdha (unctuous) ? ruksha (dry)
Slakshna (smooth) ? khara (rough)
Sandra (solid) ? drava (liquid)
Mrdu (soft) ? kathina (hard)
Sthira (stable) ? cala (mobile)
Sukshma (subtle) ? sthula (gross)
Vishada (non-slimy) ? picchila (slimy)
The Five Elements
According to the ancient Sankhya theory of cosmology, on which ayurveda is based, the "five great elements" (Panchamahabhuta); combine in different proportions to form the material world. Each element possesses different amounts of the above-mentioned gunas; thus each element has its unique qualitative nature. The elements are:
Akasha ? aether
Vayu or Pavan ? air or wind
Agni or Tejas ? fire
Ap or Jala ? water)
Prithvi or Bhumi ? earth
Some authorities state that the early European concept of five elements evolved as a result of contact with ?yurveda.
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