Ram Dutt Tripathi | August, 2002

Was Ayurveda originally developed to save the human race from environmental disasters such as river pollution?

	Ayurveda: Perhaps the world's most ancient therapy

Long ago, great sages lived in the Indo - Gangetic Plain and their wisdom is still available in ancient treatises. One such treatise is Charak Samhita, which is the most important book about the Indian science of life known as Ayurveda, now an alternative therapy the world over.

A story in the Charak Samhita relates that Ayurveda was developed to save the earth and human race from environmental disasters leading to devastating epidemics.

This story was told along the banks of the Ganga nearly 2,500 years ago. And it is still relevant.

One of the great Ayurvedic scholars-Lord Punarvasu Atreya-lived in the forests on the banks of the Ganga near Kampliya about 200 kilometers west of what is now the industrial city of Kanpur.

Bad times ahead
It was a hot summer evening. Punarvasu was teaching his students the principles of Ayurveda dealing with depopulation through epidemics. Pointing towards the night sky, Punarvasu observed, "the planets, the moon, the sun, the wind, the temperature and the place of living, all seem to present bad times ahead in the shape of abnormal seasonal fluctuations. As a result of this abnormality, the earth will fail to produce the herbs having the right qualities of taste, potency, post digestive effects and specific action and this may result in epidemics spreading out."

The disciple Agnivesh then posed an intelligent question: why do such epidemics cause mass destruction of communities. And why persons with dissimilar constitutions and diets, vitality, habits, mind and age, affected by similar diseases simultaneously?

The reply from Punarvasu was very simple: "because there are common factors which are adversely affected. These common factors are - air, water, land and seasons."

This story makes it abundantly clear that Ayurveda had made the environment-pollution linkage all those centuries ago.

Punarvasu goes on describing in detail the specific symptoms of pollution of air, water, land, and time or seasons. He describes preventive steps to save society from pollution related diseases. Some medicines are also prescribed. But the disciple asks the fundamental question: what causes such disastrous pollution?

Good governance is basic
Punarvasu offered the considered opinion that the root causes of pollution are corruption, maladministration and intellectual dishonesty. He explained that when ruling authorities of a country, city and trade guild etc., govern the people irresponsibly, transgressing the law, then their officers and subordinates, businessmen, industrialists and ordinary people also become dishonest. As a result, there is considerable ecological disorder. The seasons get adversely affected, rainfall becomes abnormal or nil, winds do not blow properly, the land also gets adversely affected, water reservoirs dry up and the herbs refuse to offer their natural properties and acquire morbidity.

Lord Punarvasu further says continuous degradation of the environment leads to reduced life span and vitality for mankind. What, then, should be done to save the environment?

The great scholar's prescription does not call for installation of machinery or treatment plants. Instead, he suggests "truthfulness, benevolence, charity and compassion for creatures, sacrifices, worship of the gods, the observance of right, or noble conduct, tranquillity, residing in healthy places, observance of celibacy and the company of those who are observing celibacy, discourse of religious scriptures and constant company of religious, pure and those approved by elders."

While animal rights activists today would certainly have an issue with animal sacrifices, good governance and high ideals sum up the antidote to pollution. They alone are effective measures to curb reckless urbanization and careless industrialization that give rise to pollution.

We could benefit from traditional wisdom and the experiences of our forefathers. Unless we focus on the basics such as good governance, honesty and simple life styles, the environment can never be cleaned, no matter how much money or technology is deployed.

Ram Dutt Tripathi, based in Lucknow, is the voice of the BBC in northern India