Ayurveda is anAdi (without a beginning). It is believed that:

• Lord Brahma, the Creator, "remembered" Ayurvedic knowledge and transmitted it to his son, Daksha Prajapati.

• Daksha passed it down to the twin Vedic gods Ashwini Kumaras. The twin gods became the physicians of the gods, and the Devas of Ayurveda.

• The twin gods presented Ayurveda to Devendra (Lord Indra), the King of Gods.

• Indra had three physicians as his disciples:

  • Rishi Bharadwaj

    • Rishi Atreya learned it from Rishi Bharadwaja. The followers of his school are called Vaidyas

    • Agnivesha who was Atreya's disciple developed the fundamental Ayurvedic text

    • Agnivesha's disciple Charaka developed Charaka Samhita which continues to be used even today.

  • Rishi Kashyapa

  • Rishi Divodas Dhanvantari (believed to be the grandson of Lord Dhanvantari) - The followers of his school are called Dhanvantaris

Per Mahabharata, Dhanvantari is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu Himself, who manifested (with a nectar pot), during the great cosmic churning of the ocean for the celestial nectar of immortality, to help humanity cure diseases.

What I find interesting is that, as with every aspect of Sanatana Dharma, Ayurveda is deeply rooted in the historical, cultural and spiritual fabric. It does not have a "founder" and is the intellectual property of not 1 entity but of all the higher beings who brought forth this knowledge to us humans.

Ayurveda has 8 different branches:

• Internal Medicine (kAya-chikitsa or agni chikitsa) - focuses on doshic balance and imbalance, metabolic function and digestion

• Surgery (shalya chikitsa) - focuses on invasive treatments (some of which are still used although minimally, like leech therapy) including surgery (which is currently not practised)

• ENT and Ophthalmology (salakya shikitsa or Urdhvanga) - focuses on organs in the head region including Ears, Nose, Throat, Eyes and Dental

• Aphrodisiacs/Fertility Science (vajikaran) - focuses on reproductive health

• Pediatrics (bAla chikitsa/ kaumarbhritya) - focuses on child's health from pre-natal to adolescence

• Psychology and Psychiatry (bhUta-vidya or Graha-chikitsa) - focuses on mental and spiritual faculties

• Toxicology (agadha-tantra), which focuses on poisons ranging from insect bites to heavy metals and plants, and includes a medical jurisprudence role in which practitioners address cause of injury, death, and other medical ethics

• Rejuvenation/Geriatrics (rasAyana) - focuses on promoting and prolonging healthy life

Ayurvedic herbology is quite different from the Western herbology.

• First off, Western herbology is limited to plant-based herbs. In Ayurveda, the term "dravya" is used - which includes any substance that has medicinal properties and can carry out an action when used. This includes plant-based herbs - including all parts of the plants/trees like leaves, barks, roots etc., animal-based substances like milk, gemstones like pearl and coral, metals like gold etc.

• While Western herbology focuses primarily on healing, Ayurvedic herbology, additionally also focuses on using the same for preventive purposes

• Western herbology describes the physical properties of a herb. A herbalist isn't required to understand the human body. However, an Ayurvedic practitioner is required to have an extensive knowledge of the human body and understand the dravyas in the context of the functioning of the body.

• In Ayurveda, the whole dravya is used and extracts aren't part of the practice. However, in Western herbology, it's common for the active ingredients to be extracted and used

• Conversely, a specific herb that has good and toxic properties may be used in Ayurveda after a cleansing process or shodhana to remove the toxicity and utilize the rest of the herb, whereas, Western herbology typically eliminates these herbs from being used

• Most herbal preparations in the Western herbology are consumed directly or if in tablet/capsule form, swallowed with some water. However, in Ayurveda, the "anupAna" or the delivery method/vehicle is extremely important and is based on issue being addressed. These are the secondary dravyas that are used to assist the herb in reaching the correct location and maximizing impact

• Ayurvedic preparations may combine 60+ dravyas, carefully chosen for specific actions, whereas Western herbology will typically combine just a handful of herbs in any given preparation

• Additionally, Ayurvedic herbology/"dravyology" includes understanding the energetics of a herb and not just the physical properties. Below are the various properties that Ayurveda considers for each dravya:

  1. Rasa - Taste. Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, Pungent and Astringent

  2. Virya - Potency. Hot vs. Cold.

  3. Vipaka - Post-digestive taste.

  4. Guna - Quality. Heavy vs. light, Drying vs. nourishing etc.

  5. Karma - Action due to Qualities.

  6. Prabhava - Special effect that cannot be explained

Kalaripayattu, or the art of the battlefield, is the oldest known martial art in the world from which all others are said to have originated.

• It derives from Dhanurveda, which is an upaveda of Yajurveda.

• It is said to have been practiced by Lord Parashurama, per scriptures

• Bodhidharma is said to have taken this art to China which served as the foundation for Chinese martial art forms

• Kalaripayattu emphasizes on fitness, health, agility and appropriate breathing techniques for each form/posture and used to serve as the mechanism to train soldiers in the past.

• Although several types of weaponry are used, the initial training is that of the body movement of which there are about 30 basic series.

• Kalaripayattu is said to be the source of the Abhyanga techniques in Ayurveda and Ayurveda, which is derived from Atharva Veda, is in turn said to be the source of the Marma points knowledge which is used in Kalaripayattu. In fact, Kalaripayattu uses these 107 marma points (64 of which are sensitive/lethal) during the fight to subdue the enemies!

• The art form was popular across India before it was banned by the British along with Ayurveda. It survived quietly in the south, especially in Kerala and is seeing some revival now, thanks to the interest in fitness and holistic health!

• Kalaripayattu practitioners are also healers like their Ayurveda counterparts.

References:

• https://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/kalaripayattu-the-mother-of-martial-arts-that-combines-yoga-and-ayurveda-218625/

• https://www.bookmartialarts.com/news/the-worlds-oldest-martial-art

• https://naya-ayurveda.com/Ayurveda-and-Kalari