As Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, India, celebrates 100 years of its founding,
it boasts branches and outlets all over the country. And if people from
all over the world throng to the Indian State of Kerala now for availing
the benefits of
ayurveda,
the credit undoubtedly goes to Arya Vaidya Sala, a name synonymous with
the purest, authentic form of ayurveda
"IF COMMERCIALISATION IS DONE PROPERLY AND FAITHFULLY, THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR"
Excerpts
from an interview with Aryvaidyan P.K. Warrier, Managing Trustee and Chief
Physician of Arya Vaidya Sala, who has been elected the next President of
All India Ayurvedic Congress.
What
is the guiding vision of the Arya Vaidya Sala?
Preservation and promotion of
ayurveda by providing genuine ayurvedic
medicines, treatment, education and research facilities for the benefit
of the whole world and maintaining the ayurvedic system of
health care
resorting to timely adaptations.
What
are the major treatments available at the Arya Vaidya Sala?
We provide patients with genuine ayurvedic medicines, classic ayurvedic
treatment such as panchakarma, rasayana therapy as well as Kerala special
treatments. A few treatments designed by us out of clinical experience
are also included.
Is
there a Kerala School of Ayurveda? If yes, how is it different from the
Ayurveda practiced in North India?
Ayurveda is taught in our Ayurvedic College following the CCIM syllabus.
But in practice, Kerala has a rich and salient tradition in ayurveda,
which could be called 'Kerala School of thought' in ayurvedic system.
Do
you think research in ayurveda must be modernized?
The Research Protocol should contain the materials and methods of both
modern medicine and ayurveda. But the primary objective should be the
exploration and revalidation of the potentials of
ayurveda for the benefit
of humanity.
What
are the advantages of ayurveda compared to other systems of medicine?
Ayurveda is not simply a system dealing with pathogenesis or therapeutics.
It holds out an integral vision of
health care and adopts holistic techniques
to achieve its goals-namely healthful longevity and pure and effective
treatment for the ailments.
Why
is ayurveda called a holistic system?
Ayurveda is primarily a philosophy of life. It incorporates ethical, moral
and spiritual dimensions to
health and undertakes the task of making human
beings capable of attaining the ultimate goals of
life through integrated
activities.
What
are the features of the ayurvedic treatment for mental illness?
This is a unique ayurvedic tradition. A standard
health care system normally
holds out a clinician's approach to
health and disease.
Ayurveda speaks
on the
nature of a happy and good life, code of conduct for healthy living,
virtues of social and personal hygiene, measured diet, importance of exercise
and ethical conduct. Treatment for mental illness depends upon the condition
of the patient. Snehapanam, dhara to head, thalam on the vertex, internal
medicines and appropriate panchakarmas are certain unique methods.
Do
you think commercialization of ayurveda is diluting the purity of the
system?
If commercialization is done properly, faithfully, there is nothing to
fear.
What
are your future plans?
Research and development, augment of medicinal plant cultivation and continuation
of the
work on
health care. To uplift
ayurveda to the status of cardinal
health care system all over the world is the motto and our efforts would
be directed to achieve this goal.
