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When my father was a boy, he was attacked by some ailment, which caused him lie on bed unconscious. His father and mother became anxious about it. In that time, physicians were rare. In my hometown there was an Ayurvedic Healer who belonged to a traditional Ayurvedic medical practitioner’s family.
Joy J. Kaimaparamban is the author of The Ayurvedic Healer, a novel published by Copperhill Media. For further information log on to his blog at http://www.kaimaparamban.com.
My father had been a votary of Ayurveda. He had told me the reason for it.
When he was a boy, he was attacked by some ailment, which caused him lie on bed unconscious. His father and mother became anxious about it. In that time, physicians were rare. In my hometown there was an Ayurvedic Healer who belonged to a traditional Ayurvedic medical practitioner’s family.
As my father was unconscious, my grandfather was not interested to take him to the infirmary. And the physician was an acquaintance of my grandfather. So he went quickly to the infirmary to bring the physician home. By this time half part of my father’s body became frozen. Seeing the condition, my grandmother and other female members of the family began to cry aloud.
Within minutes grandfather and the physician came to the house. The bewailing of the family members was greeting them. They might have thought the boy had expired. With giving that comment my father was laughing. He had never feared death. The physician entered into the room where the patient had been lying.
The physician examined my father well. Then he took out some medicinal leaves and a tablet from his box. The leaves were squeezed and the juice was taken into a small vessel. He put the tablet into the juice and dissolved it. Somehow, he could exert the medical liquid into the mouth of the patient. Very slowly it flowed into his stomach. The physician sat in a chair looking at his chain-watch, which he had brought. In that time wristwatches had not come into use.
The females stopped their bewailing. As the physician was famous for his medicinal treatment, they believed in him.
Frequently he examined the pulse rate and general body condition. His face showed the sign of expectation.
Within some minutes the frozen state of the half body seemed to have ended. The patient became conscious. The physician looked at each member of the family with a fully bloomed face. The boy had come out of his dangerous condition. But he had to take medicine for some days. Then the physician departed from the house.
My father had told me the story several times. And he had become the admirer of Ayurveda.
Set in the intriguing atmosphere of India in the early 20th century, full of mysticism, love, compassion, and political drama, The Ayurvedic Healer tells the story of Madhavan Namboodiri, a physician practicing an ancient medical science, and his enduring love for Rosilie. By healing the underprivileged, regardless of their civilian and religious status, touching the untouchables, he follows his beliefs and disobeys the rules of his society. His life story is set in the background of India’s struggle for freedom, the communist revolt in the Southern State of Kerala, social advancement, and the emergence of new societies. The Ayurvedic Healer sweeps the reader into an exotic place and time, rendering an intimate experience through sharing Madhavan Namboodiri’s life and love.
Set in the intriguing atmosphere of India in the early 20th century, full of mysticism, love, compassion, and political drama, The Ayurvedic Healer tells the story of Madhavan Namboodiri, a physician practicing an ancient medical science, and his enduring love for Rosilie. By healing the underprivileged, regardless of their civilian and religious status, touching the untouchables, he follows his beliefs and disobeys the rules of his society.
His life story is set in the background of India’s struggle for freedom, the communist revolt in the Southern State of Kerala, social advancement, and the emergence of new societies. The Ayurvedic Healer sweeps the reader into an exotic place and time, rendering an intimate experience through sharing Madhavan Namboodiri’s life and love.
The Ayurvedic Healer is Joy J. Kaimaparamban’s second novel written in English. He has written 18 novels in his native Malayalam language, four of them are children’s literature. His first novel in Malayalam received the Tagore award, named after Rabindranath Tagore, a famous poet, novelist, musician, playwright, and Nobel Price winner.
Joy J. Kaimaparamban was born on October 1939 to a middle class family in the Southern state of Kerala in India. After finishing his education he became a schoolmaster and worked in several Kerala government schools teaching English. He retired in 1995. Currently he lives in Vayalar, a beautiful lakeside village in the Alappuzha (Alleppey) district with his wife and two children.
His first novel written in English, The Azure of Solicitude, was published in 2009. Joy J. Kaimaparamban is not only a passionate story teller. He envisions people and events, past or present, in his native India as material for unwritten works. These visions and the ability to transform them into fascinating stories about his country is a trademark of his novels.
In The Azure of Solicitude I am trying to outline the lives of two villages situating on the bank of Lake Vembanadu, one of the big watercourses of Kerala State, India. It is mixed with reality and fantasy. That novel is being praised by readers and critics.
My fist novel The Azure of Solicitude was published by an American publisher, and now the second one is going to be published by Copperhill Media.
In The Azure of Solicitude I am trying to outline the lives of two villages situating on the bank of Lake Vembanadu, one of the big watercourses of Kerala State, India. It is mixed with reality and fantasy. That novel is being praised by readers and critics.
My second novel, The Ayurvedic Healer, is entirely a different one. It is about the life of an Ayurvedic Healer, who lived for the well-being of others. Despite he was a native of a Northern part of Kerala, he was forced to live in the middle of the State.
I have no direct connections with any Ayurvedic Physicians. By reading several fiction and non-fiction works, I could go through the lives of persons who sacrificed for the people suffered from serious ailments. Sometimes they might have failed in some cases. But yet they did not have taken back from their efforts. The protagonist of my novel Julian Thirumeni is the kind.
I have several times wondered about the decision of writing a novel on an Ayurvedic Healer. Fact is that the founder of our family was an Ayurvedic Physician. He was a Brahmin. Due to some external pressures, he was forced to convert in to Christianity. I had several times heard this occurrence from my father John Kaimaparamban. He was like a friend of me. Being is first son, he had had more affection to me. His father might have fold him the old history. I could understand that it was not connected with a female.
My first attempt of writing the story was in Malayalam, my mother tongue. Despite I wrote it completely it did not give me enough satisfaction. After several years I was writing it in English.
After finishing the first script, I several times have rewritten it. Sometimes I corrected some chapters, which I felt unsatisfactory. At last it took an end. I wish to submit this work as a tribute to my late parents John Kaimaparamban and Rosamma John.
Joy J. Kaimaparamban is the author of The Ayurvedic Healer, a novel published by Copperhill Media. For further information log on to his blog at http://www.kaimaparamban.com.
Ayurveda, is the oldest and most holistic medical system on this planet today. It is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian Subcontinent and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine. It is an age old scientific method of healing with natural products. Knowledge of Ayurveda has been recorded in two of the Vedic texts: the Atharva Veda and the Rig Veda, which are more than 5,000 years old.
As I had written in another post, we are now in the process of publishing Joy J. Kaimaparamban’s newest novel, The Ayurvedic Healer.
In Joy’s own words, “The novel is the story of an Ayurvedic Physician. Hope you have heard of Ayurveda, an ancient medical science generated in India. When I thought of writing about an Ayurvedic Physician, I remembered my ancestor, who had converted into Christianity from Brahminhood (An upper division in Hindu religion). Except this fact, remaining narrations are fictitious. I have created a mythological atmosphere throughout the novel. Freedom struggle of India, Communist revolt in Kerala, a Southern State in India, social developments, emergence of new societies etc., are dominating in this novel. The novel reveals the developments of incident that happening from 1920 to 1960. Although this is not a historical novel, nevertheless I am trying to unveil the personal life of an Ayurvedic Physician who had lived for the downtrodden people.”
Ayurveda, is the oldest and most holistic medical system on this planet today. It is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian Subcontinent and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine. It is an age old scientific method of healing with natural products. Knowledge of Ayurveda has been recorded in two of the Vedic texts: the Atharva Veda and the Rig Veda, which are more than 5,000 years old.
The Sanskrit term ‘Ayurveda’ is composed of two words- Ayus + Veda. Ayus means life and Veda means knowledge. So the literal meaning of Ayurveda is the “Science of Life”
Lord Dhanwanthari - the God who introduced Ayurvedia to the human race
Dhanvantari is said to be an avatar of Vishnu from the Hindu tradition and God of Ayurvedic medicine. Dhanvantari was an early Indian medical practitioner and one of the world’s first surgeons. Based on Vedic traditions, he is regarded as the source of Ayurveda. He perfected many herbal based cures and natural remedies and was credited with the discovery of the antiseptic properties of turmeric and the preservative properties of salt which he incorporated in his cures.
Evolving throughout its history, Ayurveda remains an influential system of medicine in South Asia. The earliest literature of Ayurveda appeared during the Vedic period in India.The Sushruta Samhita and the Charaka Samhita were influential works on traditional medicine during this era. Ayurvedic practitioners also identified a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for curing various ailments and diseases.
Essentially, Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of Kerala. Largely due to geographical and climatic conditions, Kerala, better known as the “God’s Own Country” has rich and diverse reserves medicinal and aromatic plants. Along the Western Ghats, sub-tropical and tropical region, as many as 1463 medicinal plants have been identified. Maruthva Mala, Agasthya Vanam are said to be the natural treasures of these holistic medicinal reserves.
Ayurveda is considered to be a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the western world, where several of its methods, such as the use of herbs, massage, and Yoga as exercise or alternative medicine, are applied on their own as a form of CAM treatment.
Agasthya Muni - A monk who developed a new brach named 'Siddha.'
For diagnosis the patient is to be questioned and all five senses are to be employed. The Charaka Samhita recommends a tenfold examination of the patient. The qualities to be judged are: constitution, abnormality, essence, stability, body measurements, diet suitability, psychic strength, digestive capacity, physical fitness and age. Hearing is used to observe the condition of breathing and speech. The study of the vital pressure points or marma is of special importance. It is the trauma science described in Ayurveda. There are 107 different spots described and located on the body surface, which produce different signs and symptoms. With respect to the underlying anatomical structures, the symptoms vary according to blunt or penetrating trauma. The severity of the symptoms and signs also depend on whether the injury is exactly on the marma point or slightly around it. These signs and symptoms are described by Sushruta and Vagbhata.
Hygiene — also a component of religious virtue to many Indians — is a strong belief. Hygienic living involves regular bathing, cleansing of teeth, skin care, and eye washing. Occasional anointing of the body with oil is also prescribed.
Vagbhata - One of the three classic writers of Ayurveda
Hundreds of vegetable drugs are used in Ayurvedic medicine—including cardamom and cinnamon. Ayurveda stresses the use of vegetable drugs. Fats are used both for consumption and for external use. Hundreds of vegetable drugs are employed, including cardamom and cinnamon. Some animal products may also be used, for example milk, bones, and gallstones. Minerals, including sulfur, arsenic, lead, copper sulfate and gold are also consumed as prescribed. This practice of adding minerals to herbal medicine is known as Rasa Shastra. Different oils may be used in a number of ways including regular consumption as a part of food, anointing, smearing, head massage, and prescribed application to infected areas.
Basic Principles of Ayurveda:
The human body is composed of derivatives of five basic elements such as Pancha Bhootha which are Prithvi (earth) Jala (water), Tejas (fire), Vayu (wind) and Akash (space), More specifically these appear in the form of doshas (physiological factors), Dhatus (tissues) and Mala (waste products and excretions).
Charaka - One of the principal contributors to Ayurveda
Tridoshas: The human body is composed of derivatives of five basic elements such as Pancha Bhootha which are Prithvi (earth) Jala (water), Tejas (fire), Vayu (wind) and Akash (space), More specifically these appear in the form of doshas (physiological factors), Dhatus (tissues) and Mala (waste products and excretions). Doshas are the physiological factors of the body. They are to be seen as all pervasive, subtle entities and are categorized into Vatha, Pitta and Kapha. In the usual terminology Kapha is translated as Phlegm, Pitta as Bile, and Vatha as Air or Wind. In actual fact, the true interpretation of these words goes far beyond the usual translation.
Vatha: Vatha regulates movement and is represented by the nervous system. Too little Vatha causes nerve loss, congestion, constipation, thoughtlessness etc and too much Vatha leads nerve irritation, high blood pressure, confusion etc. Vatha problems are predominant in old ages and dry climates or cold autumn winds increases Vatha.
Pitta: Pitta is the principle of biotransformation and is the cause of all metabolic processes in the body. Too little Pitta causes indigestion, inability to understand, sluggish metabolism etc and too much Pitta causes ulcers, hormonal imbalance, irritated skin (acne), consuming emotions (anger). Pitta related problems are predominant in teens and adulthood. Hot summers or hot climates will increase Pitta.
Sushruta - Known as the "Father of Surgery"
Kapha: Kapha is the principle of cohesion and functions through the body fluids. Together, these three doshas determine the physiologic constitution of an individual. Too little Kapha experiences a dry respiratory tract , burning stomach (due to lack of mucous, which protects from excess stomach acids), inability to concentrate and too much Kapha causes Mucous build-up in the sinus and nasal passages, the lungs and colon. In the mind it creates rigidity, a fixation of thought, inflexibility etc. Kapha related problems are predominant in childhood years. Wet winters and a damp climate increases Kapha.
Treatment and Drugs: The principle of treatment in Ayurveda focuses on bringing back the normalcy of functions of systems (tridoshas) by various methods. The drugs can increase or decrease these doshas and the treatment ends by establishing an equilibrium of doshas (humours). Read more about Ayurvedic drugs
Sirovashti - A method to cure diseases affecting the head
According to Ayurveda a normal body will be have an equilibrium between three doshas. (between doshas and the body, mind and soul). If there is any disequilibrium, the Ayurveda system considers it to be a state of disease, even though the disease may not have manifested outwardly. So the aim of Ayurvedic system of medicines is to restore the equilibrium if there is disequilibrium. This is accomplished by three main types of therapies. They are:
- Aushada (Medicines)
- Anna (Nutrition)
- Vihara (Environment)
Each of these three types of therapies of Ayurveda can be administrated in six different ways namely,
- Hetu Viparita
- Vyadhi Viparita
- Hetu-Vyadhi Viparita
- Hetu Viparitarthakari
- Vyadhi Viparitakari
- Hetu Vyadhi Viparitakari
In Hetu Viparitarthakari, a medicine is administrated in small but potent dose, which in healthy persons, would produce the symptoms of the very diseases for the cure of which it is prescribed. Alternatively, that type of drug can be administrated which induces the opposite tendency. You may think that it is quoted from Hahneman or Hippocrates. But it is mentioned in Ayurveda before the days of Hippocrates. Ayurveda does not confine itself to administrating medicines only. It also recommends various other therapies. The main sections of Ayurveda are:
- Kayachikitsa (Internal Medicine)
- Kaumarabhrtya or Balachikitsa (Paediatrics)
- Bhutavidya or Grahachikitsa (Psychiatry)
- Salakyatantra (Otto-Rhino-Laryngology & Opthalmology)
- Salyatantra (Surgery)
- Visatantra (Toxicology)
- Rasayanatantra (Geriatrics)
- Vajikaranatantra (The therapy for male sterility, impotency and the promotion of virility)
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