Pandanus Odoratissimus
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INTRODUCTION Ayurveda is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word which means “The Science of Life”. Ayurvedic knowledge originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and Is often called the “Mother of All Healing”. It stems from the ancient Vedic Culture and was taught for many thousands of years in an oral tradition from accomplished masters to their disciples. Some of this knowledge was set to print a few thousand years ago, but much of it is inaccessible. The principles of many, if not all, natural healing systems now familiar in the West, such as Homeopathy and Polarity Therapy, have their roots in Ayurveda. Ayurveda places great emphasis on prevention and encourages maintaining health by paying close attention to balance in one‟s life through right thinking, diet, lifestyle and herbs. Knowledge of Ayurveda enables one to understand how to create balance of body, mind and consciousness according to one‟s own individual constitution and how to make lifestyle changes to bring about and maintain this balance. Ayurveda identifies three basic types of energy or functional principles that are present in everybody and everything. There are no single words in English to describe these principles, so we use the original Sanskrit words vata, pitta and kapha. Energy is required to create movement so that fluids and nutrients get to the cells, enabling the body to function. Energy is also required to metabolize the nutrients in the cells, and is called for to Lubricate And maintain cellular structure. Vata is the energy of movement, pitta the energy of digestion or metabolism and kapha the energy of lubrication and structure. All people have vata, pitta and kapha, but one is usually primary, one secondary ant the third least prominent. The cause of disease in Ayurveda is viewed as the lack of proper cellular function because of an excess or deficiency of vata, pitta or kapha and/or the presence of toxins. In Ayurveda, body, mind and consciousness work together in maintaining balance. They are simply viewed as different facts of one‟s being. To learn how to balance the body, mind and consciousness then requires an understanding how vata, pitta and kapha work together. 1 According to Ayurvedic philosophy the entire cosmos is interplay of the energies of the five great elements-Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Vata, pitta and kapha are combinations and permutations of these five elements that manifest as patterns present in all creation. Dravyaguna is one of the essential constituents of Ayurveda. In fact, it can be said as the backbone of the Ayurveda. According to the Ayurvedic literature, Dravyaguna is defined as the book in which Gunas (properties), Karma (Actions) and Prayogas (uses) of all dravyas used as medicine and diet are described. The word Dravya is derived from plant, which indicates that there was prevalence of the plant drugs use in the classical age. The importance of dravya is indispensable part of our life as medicinal use (Dosha and Dhatu balancing) and nutritional purposes. The use of plants and animals as source of medicinal and food is as old as humanity. One finds abundant references of use of plants as healing agents, both in works of Indian medicine and other works of antiquity like Papyrus Ebers (1500 B.C. ), works of Hippo crates (460-370 B.C.) in Historian Pant arum, Discords (1st century) in De materia medica (78 A.D.) Galen (131-200 A.D.)etc. Herbs occupy a very important place in all ages, in all civilizations unconcerned with the development of synthetic and chemotherapeutic agents. From the time immemorial, man has been using various plants to fight diseases. The plants were important sources of medicine in older days is evident from the very origin of the terms like Aushadh in Sanskrit and Drug in English. Aushadh is a Sanskrit word, which means the entire Kingdom, and Drug is derived from a French word Drogue that means a dry herb. Brief history of Dravya Guna Vigyan Ayurveda is life related ancient medical subject which deals with preventive and curative prospects. Even since the Lord Brahma had created the world and introduced 1000lessons with less stanzas. “Ayurveda”, this life related subject has been traditionally carried out and is called immortal. In the veidic and ancient treaties Vedas and Penaras different and owe some medical practices were described. Then 2 many Maharishies had written books and taught to many disciples/students. Out of them Choral Samhita, Suosut Samhita and Vagbhat (Astanga sangraha) are called brihattrahyi,and Shangadhar Samhita, Madhav nidhan and Bhavaprakash are called laghutrahhyi. Now a days drugs-properties-action-definition including its type, structure and uses etc are studied scientifically in details and developed a different subject called Dravya. Dravyaguna saastra historical development can be categorized in 3 divisions. 1) Ancient period (up to 7th century A.D.) 2) Medical period (8th - 15th century A.D.) 3) Modern period (16th century A.D. onwards) Ancient Period: It is also divided in to two periods a) Veidic period b) Samhita period a) Veidic Period: In this period mantras, uses of pearls and were in practice. Only mantras may not cure but mantra with medicine would bring pschycological affect and treatment would be easier. Atharvani, Angarishi, Davai and Manush four different medicines were mentioned Plants introduced in Ptrigaveda-67 Plants mentioned in yajurveda-81 Plants mentioned in Atherveda-289 In Brahma grantha- 129 Upanishad-31 b) Samhita Period: Samhita period is the most important in the point if both mental and physical introduction of the plants. The historic studies and research were outstanding. Name introduction ontions-properties were known efficiently and brought them in the therapeutic uses. The drugs/plants were divided as aahar (used as food), ausadhi (used for treatment purpose). According to the Glossary of vegetables Drugs in Brihattrayi 3 Charak Samhita-1100 plants --- only mentioned in Charak Samhita- 240 Shrut Samhita-1270 plants---only mentioned in Shusrut Samhita-370 Astangahridaya-1150 plants---only mentioned in Adtangahridaya- 240 And 670 plants are mentioned in all three. Medieval Period: Round around the Shamita period the plants essential for food and therapeutic purpose were classified and their name were collected in a separate book known as „Nighanta‟. The Sharangadhar Shamita and Chakradaitta are the major medieval treaties which are even important from the scientific view. Three different post, middle and last parts consist of 7, 12 and 13 lessons with 3600stangas and the Sharangadhar Shamita is commended by Aodbmalla Kashiram, Rudrabhatta, Vopadeva and others. In the preface or content of Raja Nighanta, Shanwantari Madhan, Bishowprakash, Amarkosh Rajkosh etc books were refered and Dhanwantari Nighatu was made the main referral book. Hence plants are divided into 5 categories and how the name of the plant came is also described tactfully. Modern Period: The most important and famous book of the modern period is „Bhavaprakash‟. It was written by Bhaba Mishra. In the post part of this book the plants are categorized in scientific basis, 22 divisions are made. After Bhavaprakash the modern period Ayurveda books related to Drabyaguna Vigyan are written by Vidya Bhagaban Das and Vaidya Lalitesh Kashyap etc and Materia Medica of Ayurveda written in 1980 is also the famous one. Various modified and scientific versions of the books related to plants are brought out in this period. Similarly Kabiraj Mr.Koshnath Devkota wrote Nepali Nighanta in 2025 B.S. where 970 plants are illustrated in 28 divisions. As recently as the end of the last century, plants were the main sources of drugs for the local herbs, baidhyas and Kaviraj in the villages, 4 as well as t the basic raw materials for Ayurvedic, Homeopathic and even Allopathic medicines. Even today about 25% of the prescribed drugs contain active principles obtained from higher plants. It is believed that nearly two thirds of the population in developing countries depends upon plant as a source of medicine. In addition to their medicinal value, plants products are also useful as emulsifying agents, flavouring agents, colouring agents, preservative perfumes etc. But nowadays the quality of medicinal plants is decreased due to lack of much knowledge, research and new generation of Ayurvedic physicians who prescribed the already prepared drugs present in the market and manufactured by the various pharmaceutical companies, people also adulterate the drug with other plants to meet the increasing demand, thereby undetermining the quality of the drug and credibility of the system. The lack of human expertise in recognizing the medicinal herbs that identify the genuine herbs is lost. About 2,50,000 species of higher plants are estimated to present on earth, but less than 5% of them have been scientifically investigated for their medicinal efficacy (Fransworth and Bingel, 1976). About 20,000 species of plants are reported to be medicinal around the world. Pandey in 1968 enumerated 287 species. Medicinal plants of Nepal (1968) enumerated 393 species along with therapeutic purposes. Manandhar in 1980 illustrated 370 species. Malla and Shakya (1968) in medicinal plants showed 202 tropical, 252 sub-tropical, 187 temperate, 101 sub-alpine, 39 alpine and 72 cultivated plants. Tiwari and Joshi (1990) mentioned 300 species, which are commonly used in Ayurvedic preparation with their indication. The recorded list of medicinal plants found in Nepal is 700 species constituting 10% of the aromatic plants of Nepal is about 1500 (Shrestha and Tiwari, 1997). Many types of medicinal plants are used in (600-19000) feet above the sea level. 5 Pandanus odororatissmus lg?lQm s]tsL s]tolGt lgj;lGt s6's:jfb'k|e[tef] u'0ffM cl:dg\ Olt lst lgjf;] s]ttL ag] Olt .