Encyclopedia of Hinduism

(Darren Dugan) #1

Further reading: Hans T. Bakker, Ayodhya (Groningen,
Netherlands: Egbert Forsten, 1986); Ramchandra Gan-
dhi, Sita’s Kitchen (New Delhi: Wiley Eastern, 1994);
Philip Lutgendorf, “Imagining Ayodhya: Utopia and
Its Shadows in Ancient India.” International Journal of
Hindu Studies 1, no. 1 (1997), pp. 19–54.


Ayurveda
Ayurveda (from ayus, “life,” and veda, “knowl-
edge”) is the ancient tradition of medicine in
India. It is said to originate in the ATHARVA VEDA.
The text Ayurveda, which is no longer extant, was
said to have been written by Dhanvantari, the
physician of the gods.
Ayurveda stresses the close observation and
diagnosis of the patient by the doctor. Medicines
are not prescribed so universally as in Western
allopathic medicine; when they are prescribed
they are tailored to the bodily tendencies of the
patient.
Much of Ayurvedic medicine is based on the
understanding of three humorlike systems in
the body called wind, bile, and phlegm. Imbal-
ances in these humors are seen to be the cause of
various ailments of body and mind. Diet, herbs,
water, minerals, and other treatments are used for
cures. Some, but not all, of Ayurvedic treatment is
homeopathic. The ancient tradition of Ayurveda
was first put into textual form (the Charaka Sam-
hita) by Charaka or Agnivesha, who claimed that
he drew on the Ayurveda of Dhanvantari.


Further reading: Ram Karan Sharma and Bhagwan
Dash, trans. and critical exposition, Agnivesa’s Cara-
kasamhita. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Studies, Vol. 94
(Varanasi: Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2002);
Vasant Dattatray Lad, Secrets of the Pulse: The Ancient
Art of Ayurvedic Pulse Diagnosis (Albuquerque, N. Mex.:
Ayurvedic Press, 1996); K. G. Zysk, Religious Medicine:
The History and Evolution of Indian Medicine (New
Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction, 1993).


Ayyappan
Lord Ayyappan of Sabrimali in Kerala is a divinity
with a synthetic character. He is said on the one
hand to be the son of SHIVA and MOHINI, VISHNU’s
female form. He is also said to be an incarnation
of the Buddha. Furthermore he is honored in
Kerala by Muslims. According to the myth, the
god transformed himself into a baby who was
found by the king Pandalam, who was childless.
Ayyappan was then adopted as his heir. After a
short time, Pandalam’s queen produced her own
son, and she tried afterward to get rid of Ayyap-
pan. She pretended she was ill and said only tiger’s
milk could cure her.
Ayyappan went off to the forest and returned
riding a tigress. In his search for tiger’s milk,
Ayyappan had been sent to heaven by Lord Shiva
to kill a demoness, Mahishi. Ayyappan had suc-
ceeded in ejecting her from heaven and making
her fall to Earth. The demoness asked him to take
her as his wife, but, he, being celibate, decided not
to accept her. However, Mahishi is given a promi-
nent place at the Ayyappan shrine.
In recent years a winter pilgrimage has been
instituted to the Ayyappan shrine; it takes place
between December 15 and January 15, depend-
ing on the lunar calendar. This men-only event
involves an arduous climb up the hills of the
Western Ghats and has become popular through-
out India. Participants dress in black, take a vow
of celibacy for the duration of the celebration,
prepare for the pilgrimage by singing praises to
Ayyappan, and then head off on the long trek. All
castes and creeds are allowed to enter the Ayyap-
pan, shrine, but women in their fertile years are
not permitted as Ayyappan is said to be “lord of
celibacy.” Ayyappan is sometimes also referred to
as Shasta, or “ruler of the realm.”

Further reading: E. Valentine Daniel, Fluid Signs:
Being a Person the Tamil Way (Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1984); Lord Ayyappan, the Dharma

K 58 Ayurveda

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