SIDDHA PRINCIPLES OF DISEASE PREVENTION
(Prevention of Diseases through Siddha system of Medicine)
One of the salient feature of siddha system of medicine is that, prevention of diseases is given much importance than cure. This can be understood from the lot of space assigned to “Pini anugaa vidhi” (rules to keep diseases away) in siddha literatures. Siddhars, the founding pillars of siddha system, have recommended certain basic guidelines to be followed for healthy living. This includes observation of certain regimen, taking in to account of some factors like the habitat where a person lives, the seasonal changes and dietary habits etc. Their concepts pertaining to Thinai/Nilam ozhukkam (disciplines according to habitat), Kaala ozhukkam (seasonal discipline), Unavu (diet) and Naal ozhukkam (daily regimen) are highly specific and followed even today.
Along with this, the concept of “Kaayakarpam” mentioned by siddhars for prevention of diseases is highly admirable as it makes the body resistant to infections.
THINAI OZHUKKAM (HABITAT DISCIPLINES):
Habitat was divided in to five types in ancient Tamil literature depending upon the landscape and landforms. Different types of habitats, common diseases and predominant humour which are prevalent among the people living in those habitats are described in siddha texts. For healthy living and prevention of diseases, preventive measures are to be taken depending upon the habitat.
The following table given below briefly explains this principle
Sl.no |
Habitat |
Geographical description |
Prevalent disease
|
Dominant humour |
1. |
KURINCHI |
Land of hills, mountains and surroundings |
Fevers which mainly affect the hematopoietic system |
Kabam |
2. |
MULLAI |
Land of forest |
Vatha diseases (diseases affecting joints and nerves) |
Pitham |
3. |
MARUTHAM |
Land of crops and agriculture |
Suitable land for living |
All the three humours are in balanced state |
4. |
NEITHAL |
Land of sea shore and its surroundings |
Severe forms of vatha diseases, swelling of liver, intestinal diseases. |
Vatham |
5. |
PALAI |
Dry, desert land and their surroundings |
All kinds of diseases |
All the humours are deranged |
Diet and drugs that normalize the increased humour are recommended by siddhars depending upon the seasonal changes as discussed in the following headings.
KAALA OZHUKKAM (SEASONAL DISCIPLINES) :
According to Tamil as well as siddha tradition, whole year is divided in to six seasons as follows which are called as perumpozhuthu (larger periods) and each season consists of two months approximately.
KAR |
Dark clouds and Rainy season |
Monsoon |
KUTHIR |
Cold wind season |
Autumn |
MUNPANI |
Early dew season |
Winter |
PINPANI |
Late dew season |
Early spring |
ILAVANIL |
Light warmth season |
Spring |
MUDHUVENIL |
Hot season |
Summer |
The regimen that must be followed during each season is briefly tabulated below:
SEASON |
PREFERRED TASTE |
DIET |
LIFESTYLE CHANGES |
PREVENTIVE MEDICATION |
MONSOON |
Sweet, sour & salt |
Old rice, rain water, deep well water, hot water, water/butter milk mixed with panchakolam (mixture of dried ginger, root of pepper, Piper longum and Plumbago zeylanica). Diet,easily digestible with sour and salt taste, rich in fiber content should be taken. |
All wearable items including dresses should be well dried and scented with sandalwood. Bare foot walking on wet floor is to be avoided. |
Laxative, appetite stimulants.
|
AUTUMN |
Sweet, bitter& astringent |
Green dal, rice, thinai (millet), pigeon pea, goatmilk, gooseberry, green and leafy vegetables. |
To avoid day time sleep, overeating and exposure to dew; evening walk and wearing clean and neat dresses are advised. |
Purgation with oils and bloodletting procedures. |
WINTER |
Sweet, sour & salt |
Urududal and wheat containing diet should be added. |
Early breakfast, usage of warm water and warm clothes and avoiding direct exposure to cold. |
Oils that minimise vayu should be applied on head and body. |
EARLY SPRING |
Sweet, sour & astringent |
SAME AS FOR |
WINTER |
SEASON |
SPRING
|
Bitter, pungent & astringent |
Rice, thuvarai (pigeon pea), ghee, kezhvaragu (ragi) and fruits like mango, banana and jack mixed with honey should be added to diet. Pieces of sandalwood or vettiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) to be put in boiled and cooled water and used for drinking. |
Sleep during day time and wakefulness during night should be avoided. |
Emetics and nasal applications. |
SUMMER |
Sweet |
Easily digestible tasty food rich in fiber and water content should be taken. Grapes, pomegranate, cardamom, ilupaipoo (flower of Madhuca longifolia), jathicai (nutmeg) and palm jaggery are also recommended for this season. |
Consumption of alcohol to be strictly avoided. |
Medicines that normalize vatham. |
NAAL OZHUKKAM (DAILY DISCIPLINE)
A whole day is divided in to six parts known as sirupozhuthu (small periods), and each part of the day is dominated by a humour as follows:
Vaigarai (dawn) |
2 A.M TO 6 A.M |
KABAM |
Kalai (morning) |
6 A.M TO 10 A.M |
VATHAM |
Nanpagal (noon) |
10 A.M TO 2 P.M |
PITHAM |
Aerpadu (dusk) |
2 P.M TO 6 P.M |
KABAM |
Malai (evening) |
6 P.M TO 10 P.M |
VATHAM |
Yamam (midnight) |
10 P.M TO 2 A.M |
PITHAM |
1.A healthy person should wake up between 4 to 6 a.m. This will help the three humours to be maintained in the balanced state.
2.Drinking pure water immediately after waking will help to normalize, if any aggravation of pitham humour. It will also help to avoid constipation.
3.Evacuation of bowels in the morning is essential for appetite and balancing of three humours.
4.Brushing the teeth in the morning with twigs of trees like asokku (Saraca asoka), vembu (neem), aathi (beedi leaf tree), aal (Indian banyan), vel (gum Arabic tree) etc are recommended.
5.Oil bath, at least twice in a week will help in prevention of diseases. Also siddhars have specified the time hour during which oil bath should be taken during each month of a year.
6.Pancha karpam powder, which is a mixture of kasthuri manjal (aromatic turmeric), milagu (pepper), vembin vithu (seed of neem), kadukkai thol (skin of Terminalia chebula fruit) ,nelli paruppu (seed of gooseberry), mixed with boiled milk and applied on head before taking bath keeps the body cool and the humours static.
7.Food should be taken only after the previous diet has been properly digested. Only when hungry, one should take food and that too in right quantity depending upon the need.
8.While sleeping one should lie in the left lateral position keeping the left hand supporting the head and the left knee flexed and right leg extended over it. Day time sleep should be avoided. Sleeping bed should be used depending upon the season and the affecting disease. For instance, sleeping in mat made up of screw pine leaves (Thazhampai padukkai) is advised for giddiness, vomiting and aggravation of pitham.
9.Natural urges should not be suppressed. They are flatus, sneeze, micturition, defecation, yawning, hunger, thirst, cough, rapid breathing, sleep, vomiting, tears, ejaculation and normal breathing.
10.Good virtues should be practiced, leaving all evil deeds and characters.
According to the siddhar Therayar, the following principles should be followed for long life, as mentioned in his classic poem,
“பாலுண்போம்; எண்ணை பெறின் வெந்நீரில் குளிப்போம்;
பகற்புணரோம்.............................
UNAVU (DIET)
Siddhars have also recommended dietary habits to be followed for a healthy life. Food habits like time of diet, quantity, constituents of a healthy diet etc are mentioned in detail in siddha literature. Especially specific ingredients to be added in diet, for people with different body constitutions, are recommended. Few important ingredients can be found in the table below.
BODY CONSTITUTON |
INGREDIENTS TO BE ADDED IN DIET |
VATHAM |
bitter gourd, velavarai (Dolichos lablab), manathakkali (Solanum nigrum), yanai nerunchil (Tribulus terrestris), mookiratai (Boerhaavia difffusa), musumusukai (Mukia maderaspatana) etc. |
PITHAM |
cucumber, vallarai (Centella asiatica), puliarai (Oxalis corniculata), kovai (Coccinea grandis), ponmusuttai (Sida acuta), oritazhttamarai (Lonidium suffrutiocosum), sundai (Solanum torvum) etc. |
KABAM |
brinjal, peipudal (Trichosanthes cucumerina), bittergourd, fig, pepper, turmeric, mustard, sundai (Solanum torvum),tender gooseberry etc. |
KAYAKARPAM
Kayakarpam is one of the special therapies in siddha system of medicine which deals with decreasing the morbidity and increasing the lifespan of an individual. Kayakarpa drugs are classified in to general (pothu karpam) and specific (sirappu karpam). The general karpam drugs can be taken by any one at any time for attaining optimum health, whereas specific drugs are meant for period of illnesses and physical imbalances.
The general drugs are very much beneficial in boosting the immune system, and thereby preventing diseases. According to Siddha Materia Medica, Kayakalpa formulations include herbs, minerals and elements of animal kingdom.
Some herbal kayakarpa drugs are mentioned here,
TAMIL NAME |
BOTANICAL NAME |
PARTS USED |
DURATION |
METHOD OF CONSUMPTION |
Ven thutthi |
Abutilon vitifolium |
Leaf and flower |
40 days |
As curry |
Sen nayuruvi |
Achyranthes aspera |
Whole plant |
40 days |
Decoction |
Vilvam |
Aegle marmelos |
Fruit |
40 days |
Decoction/pickle |
Katrazhai |
Aloe barbadensis |
Fleshy leaf |
40 days |
Dried powder |
Ponnangkani |
Alternanthera sessilis |
Whole plant |
40 days |
Fried with ghee, pepper and salt |
Kodi pasalai |
Basella alba |
Leaf |
40 days |
As curry |
Mukkirattai |
Boerhavia diffusa |
Whole plant |
40 days |
As curry |
Milagu |
Piper nigrum |
Seed |
80 days |
One pepper on first day, increasing one by one up to 40 on 40th day and then gradually decreasing up to one till 80th day. |
Vallarai |
Centella asiatica |
Leaf |
40 days |
As curry |
Pirandai |
Cissus quadrangularis |
Stem |
40 days |
As curry adding pepper and salt. |
Elumichai |
Citrus limon |
Fruit |
Six months |
Juice or pickles. |
Kovai |
Coccinia grandis |
Fruit |
40 days |
As curry |
Chirakam |
Cuminum cyminum |
Seeds |
80 days |
One seed on first day, increasing one by one up to 40 on 40th day and then gradually decreasing up to one till 80th day. |
Karisalankanni |
Eclipta alba |
Whole plant |
60 days |
Powder(Chooranam)with tender coconut water for one month followed by one month with honey. |
Nelli |
Emblica officinalis |
Fruit |
40 days |
500mg powder (chooranam) along with 100mg Abraga chendooram with honey. |
Vishnu karanthai |
Evolvulus alsinoides |
Whole plant |
40 days |
5 gm of fresh plant with milk |
Aalamviluthu |
Ficus benghalensis |
Ariel roots |
40 days |
Juice 1 to 2 ml with sugar candy |
Orithazh thaamarai |
Hypanthus enneaspermus |
Whole plant |
40 days |
5gm paste with milk |
Thumbai |
Leucas cephalotes |
Whole plant |
40 days |
1 to 2gm powder with butter |
Malai vembu |
Melia azedarach |
Leaf and bark |
40 days |
1 to 2 gm powder with milk |
Manathakkali |
Solanum nigrum |
Whole plant |
40 days |
Curry /pickles/decoction |
Thuthuvalai |
Solanum trilobatum |
Whole plant |
40 days |
As curry/ pickles |
Kadukkai |
Terminalia chebula |
Epicarp |
40 days |
Powder (500 – 1000mg) with water |
Amukkara |
Withania somnifera |
Root |
40 days |
500mg powder mixed with ghee |
Inji |
Zingiber officinale |
Rhizome |
40 days |
Outer skin removed, sliced, soaked in honey and 3 to 5 slices , early in the morning |
Note: Consulting a siddha physician is necessary for choosing the right preventive measure / diet/ kayakalpam drug, depending upon the body constitution and other factors for optimum results.
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