Rasayana in Ayurveda - 2

Prevention of diseases, preservation and promotion of positive health are emphasized in Ayurveda.

|| Swasthasya urjaskanyastu tad vrishyam tad rasayanam ||

Whatever that serves for augmenting the excellence of health, is the mode of rejuvenation. Rasayana is the word for rejuvenation in Ayurveda.

Rasayana is a branch of Ayurveda. It literally means "the path of juice", which aims to nourish, restore and balance the body functions. According to Ayurvedic scripts, Rasayana is generally used to rejuvenate the general health of the body or aims at achieving the body's maximum potential. This potential is encoded in the basic constitutional type of each person. Therefore, if an imbalance or a disease process occurs within the body, it is possible to recover from this imbalance and regain equilibrium following deterioration or premature aging and reinstate order in the human body. This restoration of balance or potential within the human body by maintaining or replenishing the "juiciness" is called Rasayana.

Most of these Rasayanas can be used regularly as a food for maintaining balanced mental and physical health. They may be used either alone or along with other modalities of treatment as an adjuvant.
The concept of Rasayana may also extend to the next generation of human life through the birth of a healthy offspring immune to diseases as well as with the best genetic constitution or with less genetic aberration, as it nourishs the semen.

Benefits of Rasayana Therapy


According to classical Ayurvedic texts, Rasayana therapy -
  • Arrests aging,
  • Enhances intelligence, memory, strength, youth, luster, sweetness of voice and vigor.
  • It is supposed to nourish blood, lymph, flesh, adipose tissue and semen, and thus prevent degenerative changes and illness,thus gives freedom from chronic degenerative disorders like arthritis and senile diseases.
  • Rasayana is thought to improve metabolic processes, which results in the best possible biotransformation and produce the best-quality bodily tissues and eradicates senility and other diseases of old age .
  • From this primitive treatment, one attains optimal strength of physique and sense organs.
  • Rasayana which has a marked action on sexual organs are called vrishya substances as shukra dhatu is best nourished by it.
  • Rasayana builds natural resistance against infection.
  • Rasayana invigorates the body in general by sustaining the required balance between anabolism and catabolism

One of the ways by which rejuvenation may be attained is through medicines. Rasayana medicines use a group of individual herbs or medicinal drug preparations that are complex mixtures based mostly on herbal products

Important Rasayana Herbs :

Rasayana brings about a striking improvement in the mental and physical health.
Here is list of herbs used for rasayana therapy and their actions -

  • Bala (Sida-condifolia), Kashmari (Gmelina arborea), and Varahi (Withania somnifera) - act as dietary adjuvents and are good for increasing the strength of tissues and organs (Balya).
  • Pippali (Piper longum) acts as 'Respiratory Rasayana'
  • Lahsun (Garlic -Alhum sativum) - increase the tissue enzymes.
  • Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) - acts acts as 'Digestive Rasayana' by eliminating the waste products from the tissues/organs,perticularly G.I.tract.
  • Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Vacha (Acorus calamus), Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis), Mandukaparni (Centella asiatica) - helps to increase intellect and memory thereby acting as 'Medhya Rasayana' (Brain Tonic).
  • Guggul (Commiphora mukul) - helps further digestion of waste products(Aam).
  • Amlaki (Embelica officinalis) and Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) - decrease the catabolic process and thus postpones ageing.Therefore they are known as 'Vayasthapak Rasayana' (Adaptogenic tonic).
  • Bhallataka (Semicarpus anacardium) - have a powerful immune promoting substance which overcomes many conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and some stages and types of malignancies (cancer).
  • Punarnava (Boerrhevia diffusa) - promotes the functions of the kidney and improves the regenerating capacity of the nephrons (a functional unit of the kidneys).
  • Shatavari (Asparagus recemosus) - is perhaps best known as a female rejuvanitive. It is useful for infertility, decreased libido, threatened miscarriage, menopause, leucorrhea. Shatavari promotes lactation in lacting mothers.
  • Praval (coral-corralium rubrum), asthi bhasam (calcination of bones), kukkutandtwak bhasam (calcination of external covering of hen's egg) - provide calcium essential for bone growth and development.
  • Kapikachhu (Mucuna pruriens) and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) - promote generative activities in the tissues, restore senile sexual dysftmctions and cure impotency.
  • Suvarna (Gold) and Hirak (diamond) - increase the 'ojas' (the essence of the body)
  • 'Vardhaman pippali rasayana.'(Piper longum) - is the Rasayan -chikitsa is advocated for'Pranvaha shrotasa'(Respiratory system).
  • CHYAVAN-PRASH: is an ancient and most popular rejuvenator tonic of Ayurveda.
    Maharshi Chyavan first prepared this medicine and that is why it is known as "Chyavan-Prash". It is made by mixing the elixire of eighteen roots and herbs in the fresh Aamlaki Paste and sugarcane syrup.
    Chyavan-Prash enhances body metabolism and immunity and considered to be one of the most health promoting product of Ayurveda.
    Have a big spoonful of this Chyavan-Prash with milk everyday morning. This is a powerful tonic. It is said that Sage Chyavan made it to bring back youth in an old and fragile body.

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