Ayurveda
: Ancient Heritage in the Age of Globalisation
103
anatomical structure. Then as I said the by products are
the sweat, urine and feces.
The most important factor which take care of
this life principle and which in fact takes care of all the
transformations in the body according to Ayurveda is
known as Agni or the fire. It starts its function with the
basic digestion of the food which gets converted into the
essencewhich isabsorbedand initiates the transformation
of the Dhatus. The gross impurities, like urine and feces,
are eliminated. The factor which is supporting all these to
take place is agni or the fire.
Health, according to Ayurveda is when the Doshas
are in a state of balance, when the agni or digestive fire is
working properly, when the Dhatus are actively engaged
in the nutritive process, when the malas or impurities
are eliminated naturally from the body and when the
atma (the spirit), indriya(the sense organ) andmanas (the
mind) are in a pleasant state. As W.H.O. says it’s not just
the absence of disease or infirmity. It is a physical, mental,
spiritual and social harmony as per this definition from
Susuruta Samhita. Swastha is word for healthy and that
is not a correct translation again. It means in one’s own
state. It may vary from one person to other person. So
in Ayurveda there are no parameters like the blood
pressure should be between 120/140 and 80/90. There is
no parameter because it changes from person to person.
