S.V.Vedic University Series No :- 104 ISSN No (Web) :- doXX{e©Zr (AÝVmam{ï´>¶m ‘yë¶mpL²>H$Vm ‘m{gH$emoYn{ÌH$m) V®da Dar¿in¢

(An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal) Issue - I : October, 2016

Editor - in - Chief Prof. K.E. Devanathan Vice - Chancellor

Editor Dr T. Umesh Assistant Professor, Dept of Mimamsa

SRI VENKATESWARA VEDIC UNIVERSITY Established under A.P State Act - 29/2006 (Sponsored by T.T.D and Recognised by U.G.C) Alipiri-Chandragiri Bypass Road - 517502 Andhra Pradesh 2016 doXX{e©Zr, (AÝVmam{ï´>¶m ‘yë¶mpL²>H$Vm ‘m{gH$emoYn{ÌH$m)

V®da Dar¿in¢, (An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal) Issue - I : October, 2016 Chief - Patron : His Excellency Sri E.S.L. Narasimahan, Chancellor, Hon’ble Governor of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana States Editor - in - Chief : Prof. K.E. Devanathan, Vice - Chancellor Advisory Committee Members : Dr Alladi Mohan, Professor & Head, Department of Medicine, SVIMS, Tirupati Prof P. Murali , Professor, S.V. Ayurvedic College, Tirupati Prof V.V. Jaddipal, Dept of Research Publications, R.S.Vidyapeetha, Tiurpati Dr K.Tarakarama Kumara Sarma, Dean, Faculty of Veda - , SVVU, Tiruapti

Editor : Dr T. Umesh

First Impression : 2016 Copies : 200 Price : ISSN (Web) :

© Sri Venkateswara Vedic University, Tirupati, . All Rights Reserved Published By The Registrar, Sri Venkateswara Vedic University Alipiri-Chandragiri Bypass Road Tirupati - 517502, Andhra Pradesh, India

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Prepared by : JSVN Chandra Sekhara Sarma 20-10-2016

MESSAGE

It is a great pleasure for me to know that Sri Venkateswara Vedic University, Tirupati is going to publish a Monthly Journal called “V®da Dar¿in¢” for propagating scientific concepts hidden in and allied literature, which are the treasure house of Indian Heritage. The purport of Vedas shall reach everyone and understanding of Vedas shall be translated into practice. The hidden doctrines of Vedas shall be taken to masses so that the benefit of ancient wisdom and richness of Indian traditions can be availed by the Society. The chanting of Vedas itself is unique and it is established that hearing Vedas with traditional accent is having medicinal effects. TTD is protecting Vedic traditions by running many Veda Pathasalas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, besides giving grant to more than one hundred Veda Pathasalas, spread all over our country. TTD is also conducting Vedic rituals for the benefit of the society and is providing Veda parayanadars to more than one thousand mandirs and traditional institutions. The TTD is encouraging research in Vedic subjects through S.V. Vedic University which is its sponsored institution. Unearthing Vedic contents which are not familiar but very useful to the society is the purpose of this kind of publication. I wish all success to this endeavour of the S.V. Vedic University. SRI VENKATESWARA VEDIC UNIVERSITY Established under A.P. State Act. 29/2006 (Sponsored by T.T.D. and Recognised by U.G.C.) Alipiri-Chandragiri Bypass Road, Tirupati-517 502, Andhra Pradesh. Ph: Prof. K.E. Devanathan 0877-2222586 Email: Vice-Chancellor [email protected]

Date: 20-10-2016 FOREWORD

Vedas are considered as perceived by our . According to Indian tradition Vedas have no age. They are eternal. Vedas contain many things like hymns, stories, , science, history, astrology, astronomy and sacred rituals. The Vedic purport was understood by our forefathers, thus they were able to lead their life without any hindrance, though they had no sophisticated infrastructure. Unfortunately our people lost that capacity to understand, due to their mechanical style of life in the present century. Hence we heavily rely only on modern science to lead our life. Science in Vedas is not a novel thing. In our ancient texts, we find roots of modern science. For instance Bhaskara’s Chakravala method is very near to the modern problem of Solving Equations. Beeja Ganitam of Bhaskaracharya is surprising many western Mathematicians. In ancient days fixing the location, shape and dimensions of Yagasala and Vedi was done with extraordinary care by assessing the area with profound in geometry. Rekha Ganita, Guttaka, Angabhaga were branches of Mathematics in ancient India. In Tittiriyaka Aranyaka it is uttered that a single ray emits all seven colours. “Ók° A¿v° Vahati Sapta N¡m¡’’ is the utterance in Aranyaka. It is now called as VIBGYOR. Hence the Scientific concepts prevailing in Vedic Literature need to be taken to the masses, so that the benefits of the Vedas, the world’s most ancient literature can be availed by everyone. S.V.Vedic University has taken up many projects to unearth Vedic values, Vedic morals and scientific concepts hidden in Vedas and allied literature. Among these projects training the students in Vedic Science, encouraging science related research on Vedic texts and conducting seminars are some important initiatives. In this endeavour I, on behalf of our University and myself express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency Shri.E.S.L. Narasimhan garu, Hon’ble Governor of States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and Our Hon’ble Chancellor for directing us to start this V®da Dar¿in¢ monthly Journal. “dº$m lmoVm dMZ{df¶… àr¶Vm§ doL²>H$Q>oe…”

K.E.DEVANATHAN Vice-Chancellor CONTENTS

1. Classical Concepts and Recent Scientific Trends in 1 - 15 Understanding the Sthaulya (Obesity)

P. Murali Krishna

2. Greatest Ever Inventions of Vedas and Anciant Indian Science 16 - 22 with A Relavance to the Modern Physical Science

O.M. Hussain

3. Role - P£r¸a¡huti on Human Health 23 - 28

D.V.R. Sai Gopal

4. “Psychology of Ancient India and its Relevance in the Modern Times” 29 - 39

V. Muralidhara Sharma

5. The Study on Ganges’s Water 40 - 46

Y.V. Subba Rao

Addresses of Contributors 47 Classical Ayurveda Concepts and Recent Scientific Trends in Understanding the Sthaulya (Obesity) P. Murali Krishna*

The incidence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate during the past few years, it has reached epidemic proportions and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic diseases. Approximately 2,00,000 individuals throughout the world die every year. It is also affecting younger children and adolescent. It is already reported that approximately 61% adults are overweight and 28% obese, 14% adolescents and 13% children in the age 6 to 8 are overweight1. Obesity is a metabolic disorder in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may lead to major health problems. It is the result of taking in more calories in the diet than are expected by the body’s energy consuming activities. Body mass index (BMI), a measurement which compares weight and height, defines people as overweight (pre-obese) if their BMI is between 25 and 30 kg/m2, and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2. The body can convert excess fuel to fat and store it in adipose tissues, or it can burn excess fuel by extra exercise and in another way it can waste fuel by diverting it to producing heat in uncoupled mitochondria. In mammals a complex set of hormonal and neuronal signals act to keep fuel intake and energy expenditure in balance2. As the prevalence of overweight and obesity have steadily increasedover the past several decades, reversing the obesity epidemic has become of paramount importance in India and around the globe. How to do this has been the subject of much research and debate. What makes the problem so vexing is not only the enormity of the problem in terms of sheer numbers of affected individuals,but the complexity of multiple interacting forces that are working to drive the epidemic. Obesity is the starting point for heart ailments, joint pains, hypertension and other unwanted conditions detrimental from health point of view. Some people are genetically predisposed to accumulation of fat tissue leading to obesity. The regional distribution of fat maybe classified simply as whole body mass, android, and gynoid.Android obesity or accumulation of fat around the abdomen is risk for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases than other types of obesity.Gynoid obesity is when fat accumulates mainly in the hip and thigh regions.

* Professor, S.V. Ayurvedic Colleage, Tirupati 2 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 This is mostly seen in women. There are several methods of assessing body mass. An easy method is the waist to hip ratio where for women this ratio should not exceed 0.8 and for men 0.95. In Ayurveda atiSthaulya or Morbid Obesity is described under one of the eight despicable(Asthauninditapurusha) conditions. Due importance is given by all Ayurvedic classics to detail the etiology, manifestation and management procedures of Sthaulya. It is also said that Sthaulya (obesity) management is relatively very difficult than the management of Karsya(leanness).AtiSthaulya is described under the following contests in Ayurvedic Classics. 1. One of the Bahudoshalakshana and indicated for Sodhana3 2. One of the 20 sleshmananatmaja vikara4 3. Described undersantarpanotta vikara5 4.AtiSthaulya is the result of vitiated Meda6 5.As a Rasanimitaja Vyadhi7 A person in whom there is excessive accumulation of Meda (fat/adipose tissue) and Mamsa (flesh/muscle tissue) leading to flabbiness of hips, abdomen, and breast has been categorized as Atisthula8.Medas is body tissue predominant in Prithvi and ApMahabhutas similar to Kapha Dosha9. It is characterized by Snighdha (unctuous), (heavy), Sthula (space occupying), Picchila (slimy), Mridu (tender/soft) and Sandra (dense) Guna (qualities)10. Sneha (oleation), Sweda (production of sweat), Drudhatva (compactness), and Asthipushti (nourishment of bones) are the main function of Medodhatu11. The etiological factors for atiSthaulya is described in Ayurvedic classics. They can be categorised as 1. Dietetic 2. Lifestyle. 3. Psychological 4. Genetic (Beejadoshath). 1. Dietiticcauses:- atisampooranam (over intake) of Guru (heavy to digest), sleshmalaaharasevinah (which cause kaphavriddhi), Madhuraannarasah- praayah (food predominated by sweet taste), seeta (cooling), snigdha (unctuous). Consumption of thisdiet tend to accumulate calories in the body thus causing conversion into fat. 2. Lifestyle:- avyayama (not doing physical exercise), avyavaya (abstinence from Sexual intercourse), diva swapna (day sleep). All the lifestyle factors are calory conservators thus causing fat accumulation. Classical Ayurveda Concepts and Recent Scientific Trends in Understanding the Sthaulya (Obesity) 3 3. Psychological:- harshanitya (uninterrupted cheerfulness), achinta (lack of mental exercise). These psychological factors facilitate elated mood and lacks serious thinking thus conserve the energy. 4. Beejadosha:- beejaswabhavath (genetic).The advancements in the research of obesity give due importance to genetic factors for the development of obesity. Adoption ofabovetype food and lifestyle result in excessive nourishment of Medas while other bodily elements (Dhatus) are deprived of nourishment. Disproportionately increased Medas is accountable for several serious consequences as reported in Caraka Samhita like Ayushohrasa (decrease of life span), Javoparodha (decrease in enthusiasm and activity), Krichravyavayata (difficulty in sexual act), Dourbalya (decrease of strength), Dourgandhya (bad odor), Swedabadha (excess perspiration) and KshutPipasadhikya (excessive hunger and thirst)12. The etiopathogenesis of AtiSthaulya is described in Carakasamahita as” Due to the obstruction of the passage by the medas, the movement of vata is specially confined to kostha resulting in stimulation of the digestive power and absorption of the food. So the patient digests food quickly, becomes a voracious eater. If he doesn’t get food when he needs it, he can be subjected to many diseases of serious nature12. Susruta has narrated the aetiopathogenesis of Sthaulyarogaon the basis of an endogenous entity caused due to “Dhatvagnimandya”. The course and complications of the disease along with line of treatment are discussed at various places in Sushruta Samhita13. CarakaSamhita, in the context of Sthaulyaupadrava (Complications of Obesity) it is explained in terms of simile like the forest fire burns the forest i.e: in the event of disproportionate increase of fat, diseases of very serious types are caused by the vaishamyata of vata and which may lead to instantaneous death. Susrutha, mentioned that the Sthula person is likely to be afflicted with any of the following diseases Pramehapidaka, Jwara, Bhagandara, Vidradi, Vatavikara and these attacks are invariably found to terminate in death. In Bhavaprakasha, Yogaratnakara and Vangasena it is mentioned that in Atisthula if the diseases likeKustha, Visarpa, Bhagandara occur are said to be difficult to cure. In addition, enlisted that in Atisthula diseases like Jwara, Atisara, Meha, Arshas, Shleepada, Apachi, Kamala may also develop. 4 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 Management of Sthaulya:- Avoidance of cause is prime mode of treatment in Ayurveda.Thus aetiological factors as quoted above need to be avoided. Caraka Samhita mentions that drugs which are having Guru guna and Apatarpana in action should be administered to treat Sthaulya. Administration of Guru and Apatarpakasubstances which possess additional Vata, Shleshmaand Medonashakaproperties is considered as an ideal for Samshamanatherapy. Chakrapaniwhile commenting on the principlehas explained that Guru Gunais sufficient to alleviate vitiated Agni and excessive hunger. Apatarpanaproperty provides less nourishment and thus leads to depletion of Meda. For example Honey possess Guru and Ruksha properties, hence it is ideal for management of Sthaulya. Gangadharahas interpreted that Guru Property is suitable to alleviate Tikshnagni and vitiated Vataespecially KosthagataVatawhich ultimately reduces excessive hunger and Apatarpanproperty causes reduction of Meda. {ebmOVwJw½JwbwJmo‘yÌ {Ì’$bmbmohaOmoagmÄOZ ‘Yw`d‘wÒH$moaXyfH$í¶m‘m&

H$moÔmbH$mXrZm§{dê$jUÀN>oXZr¶mZm§M Ðì¶mUm§{d{YdXwn¶moJmoì¶m¶m‘moboIZ~ñ˶wn¶moJíMo{V&& (Susruta.Su.14:32) Susrutha elaborated that, the things or conditions which faster the growth of abnormal fat should be avoided and accordingly medicated compositions, consisting of such drugs shilajatu, guggulu, gomutra, triphala, loharaja, rasanjana, madhu, yava, mudhga, koradushaka, shyamaka and uddhalaka which are virukshaniya and chedaniya in are to be used as well as Vyayama, Lekhana Basti should be prescribed in the management of Sthaulya. According to Vagbhata, Shodhana should be administered for those who are very obese, strong and having predominance of pitta and kapha. Those who are moderately obese should administer first with Deepana-Pachana drugs, later with Shodhana therapies. Those who are slightly obese should be managed by kshut, trishnanigrahana(Controlling the thirst and hunger) It is said in the contest of atisthaulya chikitsa byadopting srama(physical exertion), (mental activity), vyavaya (sexualact), adhva (brisk walk), kshaudra(honey), jagarana (waking in the night) and consumption of food containing yava (barley) & shyamaka are going to surely reverse the atisthaulya. Classical Ayurveda Concepts and Recent Scientific Trends in Understanding the Sthaulya (Obesity) 5 Susruta’s quote of “Vyayama (optimum exercise regulary) is the best and unparallel treatment in the management of sthaulya” is still scietifically validated by contemporary medicine. earam¶mgOZZ§ H$‘©ì¶m¶m‘gpÄkV‘²& ZMmpñVgÑe§VoZ {H${#mËñWm¡ë¶mnH$f©U‘²&& (Su.Ci.24:38-41) Intake of prasatika, priyangu, syamaka, yavaka,yava, jurnahva, kodrava, mudga, kulattha, mudgaka, adhaki along with patola and amalaka as food, followed by honey water indicated in overweight / obesity (Ca.Su.21:25-26) Individuals desirous of reducing over corpulence (santarpanjanyaroga) should take recourse to habitual exercise, intake of food like yava and wheat only after the digestion of the previous meal. (Ca.Su.23:25) Bhavaprakashnighantu has described yava in shukadhanyavarga along with morphological characters and therapeutic uses. It is considered to be having lekhana property, so can be useful in obesity. It is also traditionally used as a dietary solution in obesity. Since yava is easily available and cost effective14. To prevent the obesity people can use this cereal as daily food and not gain weight. Modern literature reveals that beta glucan present in barly is responsible for antihypercholesterolenic activity and also helpful in reducing total lipid profile.The physiologic effects are probably related to the gel forming properties of beta glucan which increase viscosity of intestinal chyme and increased viscosity disturbs micelle formation, which may inhibit cholesterol absorption, slow cholesterol transfer across the unstirred layer and increase bile acid excretion by inhibiting bile acid reabsorption15 Lekhana in context of Basti:- Among the various types of Basti (medicated enemas), Lekhana Basti is one type. As it contains tikshnadravyas mainly indicated for Apatarpana. As have advised to use Basti having drugs opposite to the gunas of vitiated doshas, drugs having kharaguna can be used for preparation of the Lekhana Basti. Common drugs used in LekhanaBasti are Triphala, gomutra, kshaudra, yavakshara, ushakadigana, lekhaniyamahakashaya etc.Lekhanavasti is indicated in Sthaulya and Kapha-MedaAvaranaJanyaVyadhi. Anuvasana Basti in Sthaulyaroga:- As Anuvasana Basti is one among the brimhana therapies, where assantarpannothanidana is prime factor for Sthaulya, thus 6 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 AnuvasanBasti is contraindicated. But the snehadravyaspossesing the qualities of ushna, tikshna, medohara and kaphaharagunas can be used for Anuvasana Basti. Based on this, classics have mentioned Triphaladitaila under Sthaulyadhikara for Basti. Udvartana as external therapy:- Massaging the body with pressure by using medicated powders.It is very ideal external therapy to liquidate the medodhatu and kapha. CÛV©Z§dmVha§ H$’$‘oXmo{dbmnZ‘²& pñWarH$aU‘“mZm§ ËdŠàgmXH$a§na‘²&& (Su.Ci.24:52) Research on herbs having anti-obesity or anti-lipidemiceffects:- Recently, Yun et al.16 reported a systematic literature survey describing the anti-obesity activity of natural products derived from various plants and microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and mushrooms. He showed antiobesity activity of individual compounds divided the detailed mechanisms of action into 5 categories: i. Lipase inhibition effect, ii. Suppressive effect on food intake, iiii. Nhibitory effect on adipocyte differentiation, iv. Lipid metabolism, and v. Combined effects using in vivo and in vitro results 16 Musta:- Cyperusrotundus has been attractive for multiple health benefits. Bernard et al17 reported the anti-obesity activity of C. rotundus tuber extracts for the control of body weight in a rat model. The administration of the hexane extracts during 2 months can produce significant reduction of body weight without any food consumption or expected toxic effects. Thus, it can contribute to stimulate the hydrolysis of lipids in fat cells, and therefore appears to be a promising herbal supplement for controlling body weight in obesity. However, further scientific evidence is still needed before it can be considered as an alternative drug for obesity therapy20. Asthisamhari:- Reportedly, it was demonstrated that Cissusquadrangularis formulations also produce significant reductions in body weight, body fat, and the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, while serum lipids and glucose concentrations were decreased18. For instance, the combined treatments using C. quadrangularis and Irvingiagabonensis in a human model were also studied by the Classical Ayurveda Concepts and Recent Scientific Trends in Understanding the Sthaulya (Obesity) 7 same group19. It was found that these combined extracts resulted in significant results, such as decreases in body weight, body fat, total cholesterol concentration (plasma and LDL cholesterol), and glucose levels in blood during 10 weeks. Because these extracts could have included not only one of the bioactive compounds (a lead substance), but also not-active compounds (non-lead substances or synergistic players), their distinct molecular mechanisms might involve multi-functional interactions with synergistic effects on the target molecules. Although much effort has been expended to isolate numerous active compounds and identify their chemical. Reportedly, it was demonstrated that Cissusquadrangularis formulations also produce significant reductions in body weight, body fat, and the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, while serum lipids and glucose concentrations were decreased 18. Vrikshamla:- Garcinia cambogia(GC), a fruit native to south-eastern Asia and Western Africa, has beneficial effects on body weight and fat loss in both experimental animals and human. Its main component is hydroxycitric acid (HCA) which not only inhibits ATP-citrate lyase, the enzyme response for de novo fatty acid synthesis, but also increases hepatic glycogen synthesis, reduces food intake by suppressing appetite and decreases body weight gain.The genus Garcinia includes more than 300 species and belong to the family clusiacea .the plant of genus have various applications in pharmaceutical industries.It is also present in some ayurvedic preparations in combination and alone for curing various pathophysiological disorders. It is marketed as Super citrimaxR as a weight loss supplement. It is a calcium, potassium salt of (-)hydroxycitric acid which is isolated from the fruit rind of Garcinia cambogia. It also enervated the increase in oxidative stress inflammation, insulin resistance and effect on body weight in developing obese zucker rats. HCA is a highly unstable salt of and therefore extracted as a salt of preferably as calcium or potassium. The plant contains various chemical constituents such as xanthones, benzophenones, garcinol and plants acids like hydroxyl citric acid, malelic acid, citric acid. The fruit of Garcinia cambogiahas been used traditionally used in food preparation and cooking as a flavouring agent.It had gathered a lot of attention as natural weight loss aid. The fruit rind of Garcinia cambogiacombined with salts and other organic acid can help to lower the pH thus it also provides a bacteriostatic effect in curing fish. Active constituent of Garcinia cambogia: The main constituent hydroxyl citric acid of Garcinia cambogiahas gathered reputation for using as a weight loss aid through two mechanisms appetite suppression and by reducing the body’s ability 8 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 to form adipose tissue. It inhibits an enzyme that helps to synthesize body fat body for storage in adipose tissue. It promotes energy which inhibits lipogenesis and lowers the production of cholesterol and fatty acids. It increases the glycogen level in the liver and increases the body’s production of heat by activating the process thermogenesis. In appetite suppression process HCA inhibits the enzyme ATP citrate lyase. It is an extra mitochondrial enzyme which is involved in catalyzing the cleavage of citrate to oxaloacetate and acetyl COA. Finally the availability of two carbon units was limited which is needed during the beginning of fatty acid synthesis and cholesterol synthesis as a result consumed carbon source was diverted to glycogen synthesis in liver . Then a signal was sent to the brain due to its change in metabolic system which results in the serotonin concomitant level. Previously a study was conducted in obese rats which have reported that HCA caused a significant reduction in appetite weight loss, plasma Leptin level, concomitant with an increase in serum serotonin level. Its mechanism also involvement of serotonin for appetite suppression. Serotonin plays an important role in regulation of appetite and feeding behaviour. It was first established in the 1970s that the brain serotonin (5-HT) system was involved in the control of eating. Nowadays molecular pharmacology has become more advanced in the development of selective 5HT receptor ligands. It has clarified the role of 5HT in the regulation of appetite. Hydroxy citric acid is also acts on 5HT ligands as, it interfere with the pathways of 5HT which send signals to brain.21-25 Camellia sinensis:- Green teais widely used worldwide for prevention of various chronic disorders including obesity. It is the most popular beverage across the world it also has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory action. Caffeine and catechins are active ingredients which are responsible for its activity. The leaves of Camellia sinensisdid not affect promptly on weight reduction. It acts by mechanism of thermogenesis and also stimulates fat oxidation, thus enhancing the metabolic rate by 4% without affecting the heart rate. A study on human concluded that, the active component of green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate burned more calories as compared to placebo group in men’s. Thermogenic effects also play a wide role in controlling obesity.26-39 Guggulu (Commiphoramukul):- Vagbhata quotes about the importance of guggulu as the best herb for mitigating medas and pacifying vata.To date, there have been 9 published human clinical trials evaluating the hypolipidemic effect of guggul extracts. However, only 5 studies used a standardized guggul extract (guggulipid), only 2 of these were randomized, and only 1 was placebo-controlled. In the randomized studies, guggulipid reduced levels of total cholesterol by 11%, of Classical Ayurveda Concepts and Recent Scientific Trends in Understanding the Sthaulya (Obesity) 9 low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 12%, and of triglycerides by 15%. Guggulipid received regulatory approval in India in 1987 for use as a lipid-lowering drug, and it is available in the United States as a dietary supplement. Guggulipid is marketed in the United States to maintain normal levels of serum cholesterol, and as part of multiherbal supplements for “heart health,” weight loss, and arthritis. Annual retail sales of guggulipid in the United States increased by 72% in 2002 and accounted for approximately $1.3 million in sales that year (C. Gardner, SPINS/AC Nielsen, written communication, May 2003). Researches supporting Ayurvedic principles:- Infertility and obesity:- Ayurveda says that Obesity causes infertility. The contemporary studies quotes that one of the major contributing factors to the rising trend of male infertility is obesity, said Prof. Sandro Esteves, a reproductive specialist, and director of Androfert, a referral centre for male reproduction in Brazil.The higher the body mass index, the lower the sperm count. The two are inversely proportional and directly linked. In India, 18 per cent of men in the reproductive age are obese, which makes for a huge problem. Prof.Estevesstates that even if they are not obese, if they are overweight, their chances of infertility are higher. The biological clock too, is important for men. “The quality of the sperm decreases once a man hits 45. Also, the older the man is, the greater are the chances of birth defects”.Prof.Esteves also explained the importance of analysing the sperm’s DNA to find out what lay behind infertility.At most infertility clinics, only a semen analysis is done. This checks the sperm count, the motility (ability to move spontaneously) of the sperm and its morphology (form and structure). But even if all these factors are normal, there could be abnormalities in the sperm’s DNA, leading to difficulties in conceiving. Emotions and obesity:- Emotional eating refers to when people use food as a response to an emotional trigger like boredom, stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety, or loneliness. This makes it impossible for them to remember what true hunger feels like. Instead they eat to comfort and soothe themselves. Obesity and early puberty:- Girls of all races are entering puberty earlier than ever before, and U.S. research out Monday suggests that obesity may a contributing factor, particularly for Caucasians.Early puberty has been linked to a number of medical conditions, including increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as high blood pressure and depression.A higher body mass index, or ratio of height and weight, was “the strongest predictor” of early breast development across 10 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 all races in the study.African-American girls continued to develop at earlier ages than whites and Asians, as previous studies have also found, though no earlier than was observed in prior studies from the late 1980s and 1990s. Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea:- There is a definite correlation between very severe obstructive sleep apnea and obese people.” He says that nearly 70 per cent people with OSA were either overweight or obese. In obese people, the extra fat in the neck presses the tube carrying air from the nose to lungs, eventually leading to the obstruction. Women are more prone in post-menopausal period, especially if they have low thyroid hormone. Early life nutrition and obesity in adult life:- Obesity must be prevented right from the young age. Breastfeeding is the first step and children should have good intake of vegetables. Parents should never offer unhealthy food as rewards to their children,Epidemiological studies in humans and controlled intervention studies in animals have shown that nutrition in early periods of life programs a number of metabolic and physiological functions throughout life.43 In this sense, gestation and lactation are disclosed as critical periods. Continuous food restriction during these stages, for instance, may lead to permanent adaptations with lasting effects on offspring metabolic mechanisms; they may alter the propensity to different chronic diseases, such as obesity and other features of the metabolic syndrome. However, the different outcomes of these adaptations on later health appear to depend on factors such as the type, duration, period and severity of the exposure to energy restriction conditions, and they are, at least in part, gender specific. A better understanding of the factors and mechanisms involved in metabolic programming, and their effects, may contribute significantly to the prevention of obesity.43 Intestinal flora and Obesity:- There are many for obesity, such as lack of physical activity, increased calorie intake, genes, environment and intestinal bacteria.The endotoxin released by the bacterium can activate a gene that helps generate fat and it also deactivates a gene that consumes fat.”Intestinal bacteria play an indispensable role in the genesis and development of chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and coronary heart disease”. Influence of the microbioma:- Interest has surged in the last years regarding the possible role of the intestinal microbiota as potential novel contributors to the increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Mechanisms by which the gut microbiome may influence metabolism and energy homeostasis include regulation of energy uptake from diet, interaction with signalling molecules involved in host metabolism, modification of gut permeability, release of Classical Ayurveda Concepts and Recent Scientific Trends in Understanding the Sthaulya (Obesity) 11 gut hormones, and low-grade, chronic inflammation, the latter being a hallmark of obesity related diseases. For instance, changes in the composition and metabolic function of the gut microbiota in obese individuals have been described which appear to enable the “obese microbiota” to extract more energy from the diet. Additionally, various host pathways, mainly emanating from epithelial cells, have been characterized in the last years that might mediate the effects of microbiota on metabolism, including Fiaf, Ampk, Gpr41, Gpr43, Glp2, and the endo-cannabinoid system, among others.40-42 Recent advances in microbial DNA sequencing technologies have enabled the application of whole-genome sequencing technologies for metagenomic DNA analysis of complex ecosystems such as the human gut. Dietary factors and caloric intake appear to affect the composition of the gut microbiome, which also appears to be shaped by genetics and other environmental factors. However, this research is still in its infancy. Additionally, most findings in the field of microbiome and obesity are based on rodent studies, and the relevance to human biology requires further investigation. Challenges are to gain a proper understanding of genetic and environmental influences on the microbiota and of the consequences of structural and functional changes within the microbiota on metabo-inflammatory diseases. It will also be important to reveal potential long term consequences of antibiotic therapies at various ages of life, which could contribute to some forms of iatrogenic obesity. The connections between obesities and associated clinical alterations and pathologies:- Many alterations and pathologies related to diet and lifestyle associate with obesity, including insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemias, cardiovascular disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which together are hallmarks of the metabolic syndrome, but also osteoarthritis of weight and non- weight bearing joints, several types of cancer, neurodegenerative and autoimmnune diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and others. Biological mechanisms underlying the relationship between obesity and these alterations/pathologies begin to be understood, with inflammatory, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in critical tissues including the adipose and key humoral mediators playing in general a prominent role. The main challenge is to get further insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms linking obesity to these different forms of stress, and the later to pathologies, with the aim of understanding the system and developing therapeutics. Obesity is well-defined and classified by the WHO as one of the leading causes of major human chronic diseases. 12 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 Main challenges in relation to obesity relate to key aspects including its causes and mechanisms, the physiological processes affected, and possible treatments and preventive measures, and the definition of the main objectives to face for progress in these areas in upcoming years.These objectives can be grouped in 6 main blocks, which are very much interrelated and include many collateral aspects: 1) Basic aspects of obesity and the strategies for its control. 2) Food and lifestyle as determinants of body weight and its alterations. 3) The connections between obesities and associated clinical alterations and pathologies. 4) Social challenges in relation to environment, lifestyle and the prevention of obesity. 5) Economical and business challenges in relation to healthy food production and the improvement of diet. 6) Technological challenges in obesity research and management. Despite advancement in understanding aetio-pathogenesis of obesity its management is still not at reach. Multiplicity of factors needs individualistic approach in dealing with obese patients. No medical system in the world has so far come up with safe, effective remedies to completely revoke the phenomena of obesity.Global demand for safe and effective remedies from traditional medicines has paramount importance to project the potential of Ayurveda in tackling the world menace. Ayurveda offers safe remedies which comprises of special diet, lifestyle modifications and medical management with drugs and sodhan procedures. It has potential resources of preventing as well as curing the hypernutritive disorder of contemporyperiod.The life style and dietetic tenets of Ayurveda need to be redefined and brought to the use of present society to prevent the lifestyle disorders which are rampant in the present era.

References:-

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Challenges in obesity research. Nutr Hosp 2013; 28 (Supl. 5):144-153

***** Greatest Ever Inventions of Vedas and Anciant Indian Science with A Relavance to the Modern Physical Science O.M. Hussain*

Vedic Science is the earliest science which has significant implications in our understanding early civilizations and history of ideas. Veda means knowledge, since we call our earliest period as vedic, that is suggestive of the importance of the knowledge. Vedic knowledge embraced Physics (Vaisheshika), (Sankya), (), Psychology (), (Vedantha), language (Mimamsa), Mathematics, Astronomy and other disciplines. The reconstruction of our earlier science is based not only on Vedas but also on their appendices called . The six vedangas are

Kalpa : Performance of ritual with its basis of geometry, mathematics and calendrics

Shiksha : Phonetics

Chhandas : Metrical structures

Nirukta : Etymology

Vyakarana : Grammar and

Yyotisha : Astronomy and other cylindrical phenomena The Vedic texts present a tripartite and recursive world view. The viewed as three regions of earth, space and sky with corresponding entities of Agni, and Vishve Devah counting separately, the joining regions leads to a total five categories, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. The Vedic ritual was a symbolic retelling of this world view. Physics is the subject of study of this mater which exists in several forms, solid state, liquid state, gaseous state and plasmas state. Several scientists have explored the possibility of a connection between Physics and transcendence. Ancient Indian Literature is full of Scientific Innovations and some of them related to physical sciences are presented below with relevance to Vedic period.

* Professor, Dept of Physics, S.V. University, Tirupati Greatest Ever Inventions of Vedas and Anciant Indian Science with A Relavance to the Modern Physical Science 17 Vedas and ancient Indian science theories are often considered as the most advanced works in the world from their era. There are scientists, who are fascinated by the knowledge of the ancient Indian scholars and dedicated their life researching on the ancient Indian Science. The list here presents some of the greatest ever inventions of ancient Indian science.

I. The of solar system long before. Rig Veda 1.35.9-”The sun moves in its own orbit but holding earth and other heavenly bodies in a manner that they do not collide with each other through force of attraction”. II. The Theory gravity way before the western world. The verse 10.22.14 of Rig Veda says “This earth is devoid of hands and legs, yet it moves ahead. All the objects over the earth also move with it. It moves around the sun”. III. The speed of light way before the rest of the world knew it. A Vedic scholar by the name of discovered the speed of light back in the 14th century AD. His quote which translates to “With deep respect, I bow to the sun, who travels 2,202 yojanas in half a nimesha.” A yojana is approximately 9 miles~ a nimesha is 16/75 of a second. So, 2,202 yojanas x 9 miles x 75/8 nimeshas = 185,794 miles per second which is remarkably equal to the actual value of 186 282.397 miles per second. IV. The scien.ce behind eclipses when the rest of the world was scared thinking eclipses are caused by some sort of black magic. Rig Veda 5.40.5 has a phrase which translates to- “O Sun! When you are blocked by the one whom you gifted your own light (moon), then earth will be surprised by the sudden darkness.” This is a remarkably accurate description of a solar eclipse. The Vedas’ detailed descriptions of the universe, planets, and other phenomena demonstrates the vast knowledge of the people of those times far before modern civilization even started to exist. 18 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 V. The accurately prediction of the distance between Sun and Earth. “Yug sahasra yojana par bhanu, leelyo taahi madhura phal jaanu”- Chalisa The above verse written by Tulasidas in Hanuman chalisa translates to how “The Surya, situated thousands of Yojanas(a unit of distance) away was swallowed by Hanuman thinking it to be a fruit” Here 1 Yuga = 12000 years 1 Sahsra Yuga = 12000000 years. Also, 1 Yojan = 8 miles So, Yug Sahsra Yojan(the first three words) would mean 12000*12000000*8 = 96000000 miles. Converting it to kilometers, 96000000 X 1.6 = 153,600,000 kms Actual distance from earth to sun = 152,000,000 kms (error of around 1%) How cool is that?? VI. The circumference of the Earth. Brahmagupta in the 7th century CE proposed that the circumference of the Earth to be 36,000 km, which is close to the actual figure of 40,075 km, with an error margin of 1%. VII. The estimation of the Length of an Year. Surya Sidhhanta speaks of 4 ways to measure the length of an year namely “Nakshatra”, “Savana”, “Lunar” and “”, of these The Saura method accurately estimates the length of year to be 365 days, 6 hours 12 mins and 30 seconds. If you are still wondering how they could do it go and visit temples at Konark or Humpi where you will find the incredibly complex and technically correct architecture systems of the temples that use the sunlight to measure the length of the day and year. VIII. The Pi value. Aryabhata worked on the approximation of value of pi and came to the conclusion that pi is irrational and is approximately 3.1416 in 499 CE when he was 23 years old. Greatest Ever Inventions of Vedas and Anciant Indian Science with A Relavance to the Modern Physical Science 19 He can be considered as one of the smartest brains of ancient India because the irrationality of pi was proved in Europe only in 1761 by Lambert. Not to mention, he even derived the values of sine & cos and gave birth to the concept of trigonometry. IX. The spherical shape of the earth. The discovery of Earth being round is credited to Greek astronomers. Interestingly, Indian astronomers had already claimed that Sun is a star and that earth is spherical long before the Greeks. It is documented that various attempts had been made to measure the circumference of earth during the Vedic periods. Aryabhatta deduced a formulation which proves that the Earth is rotating on an axis. By estimating the value of pi to be 3.1416 he deduced the circumference of earth to be 39736 Kilometers which is only 100 kilometers below its true value. In fact, in his book Aryabhatiya, he also asserts that the movement of heavenly bodies like the sun, the stars, is all relative and only earth is moving. “Just as a passenger in a boat moving downstream sees the stationary (trees on the river banks) as traversing upstream, so does an observer on earth see the fixed stars as moving towards the west at exactly the same speed (at which the earth moves from west to east.” Translated from Aryabhatiya Gola 9 X. Nikola tesla took inspiration from Swamy vivenakanda and Indian vedas for his world acclaimed work. Nikola Tesla studied the concept of Prana and to work on FORCE and . He developed a new perspective on the world and started viewing world in terms of frequencies and energy which resulted in him establishing his concepts on energy. We intended to write this article not to take sides or argue against anyone’s beliefs but only to give a small idea on the intensity of the knowledge and imagination of our ancestors. They even had the concept of sustainable energy, projectile science, and many others like Thrust, momentum, Thermodynamics, Astrophysics etc to name a few. In the field of particle physics, it has been established by many scientific experiments that the universe had a beginning in the remote past and it will have an eventual collapse in some remote future. In this context, the Second Law of Thermodynamics asserts that the processes occur in a certain direction but not in the 20 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 reverse direction. A cup of hot coffee left on a table in an office, for example, eventually cools, but a cup of cold coffee on the same table never gets hot by itself, that is, the heat can only flow from hot to cold bodies. The science of thermodynamics deals with “equilibrium states” and it declares that a system, which is in equilibrium, no changes when it is isolated from its surroundings. For example, a system is in thermal equilibrium if the temperature is same throughout the entire system. And in this state there are no unbalanced driving forces within the system. A reservoir that supplies energy in the form of heat is called a source and one that absorbs energy in the form of heat is called a sink. When source and the sink are both at the same temperature, there is no flow of energy and, therefore, there is no movement. In the same way we find that life is an effort to climb the slope that ‘matter’ descends. Matter moves increasingly toward a state of disorganization or of increasing randomness, and Consciousness or Life moves towards increasingly complex forms of purposeful organization or decreasing randomness. These are known as what the calls as the two cosmic tides of pravritti and nivritti, symbolically known as the ‘path of night’ and the ‘path of light’ or the ‘path of action’ and the ‘path of reflection’ respectively. And, according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the universe is slowly moving towards a state known as “heat death”, that is, a state of existence when all the stars and galaxies will have dissipated their energy in the form of heat and radiation and the whole universe will attain one uniform temperature. This concept of Heat Death is very similar to the Hindu concept of pralaya or dissolution of the universe, and Lincoln Barnett describes it with rare clarity. In this state, the existence of the universe can be described as follows: “All space will be at the same temperature. No energy can be used because all of it will be uniformly distributed through the cosmos. There will be no light, no life, no warmth nothing but perpetual and irrevocable stagnation. Time itself will come to an end. For entropy is a measure of randomness. When all system and order in the universe have vanished, when randomness is at its maximum, and entropy cannot be increased, where there no longer is any sequence of cause and effecting short, when the universe has run down, there will be no direction to time, there will be no time. And there is no way of avoiding this destiny.” XI. Gravitational force, Apana Vayu in Prasnopanishad Issac Newton discovered universal gravitation in 16th century when he observed an apple fall from a tree. But Prasnopanishad(6000 BC) described the Greatest Ever Inventions of Vedas and Anciant Indian Science with A Relavance to the Modern Physical Science 21 force that pulls objects down and keeps us grounded on earth without floating. In Prashnopanishad chapter 3 while describing the panchapranas, the apana vayu is said to be residing in the anus and genitals – paayoopasthepaanam. It is responsible for throwing out from the body fasces, urine, semen, menstrual blood and foetus. Further, the upanishad says : Prithivyaam yaa devataa saisha purushasya apaanamavashata- bhyaantaraa The devata that is in earth she supports this apana. She helps apana for throwing out from the body. Space travelers face difficulty in excretion due to absence of gravitational force there. The link between apana and the earth aiding it is quite clear in this upanishad. Further in his commentary to this upanishad, ( 8th century AD ) says ‘tathaa prithivyaam abhimaaninee yaa devataa prasiddhaa saishaa purushasya apaanavrithimavashtabhyaakrishya vasheekrityaadha evapakar- shanenanugraham kurvati vartata ityarthaha. anyathaa hi shareeram gurutvat patetsavakashe vaa udagacheta’. This devata blesses by supporting apana by pulling in the downward direction. Or else, the body would have floated up. XII. Quantam Physics is re explained Vedic scriptures Bohr, Heisenberg and Schrödinger regularly read Vedic texts. Heisenberg stated, “Quantum theory will not look ridiculous to people who have read .” Vedanta is the conclusion of Vedic thought. Schrodinger wrote in his book Meine Weltansicht”. This life of yours which you are living is not merely a piece of this entire existence, but in a certain sense the whole~ only this whole is not so constituted that it can be surveyed in one single glance. This, as we know, is what the [wise men or priests in the Vedic tradition] express in that sacred, mystic formula which is yet really so simple and so clear~ tat tvam asi, this is you. Or, again, in such words as “I am in the east and the west, I am above and below, I am this entire world.” XIII. Hymn of Creation This very phenomenon is explained in the Rig Veda (verse X.129) in a famous hymn known as “Naasdeeya Sooktam” or the Hymn of Creation. This verse in Sanskrit describes the vision of the universe, as it existed before its creation. 22 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 The modern day astronomers call this “darkness” as the dark matter and dark energy of the universe, and of which they have very little knowledge. As recently as February 2003, scientists using NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), during a sweeping 12 month observation of the entire sky, have captured the new cosmic portrait, capturing the afterglow of the big bang, called cosmic microwave background. The WMAP team found that the universe is 13.7 billion years old and the contents of the universe include 4 percent atoms or the ordinary visible matter, 23 percent of an unknown dark matter and 73 percent of the mysterious dark energy. The measurements even shed light on the nature of the dark energy, which acts as a sort of an antigravity. This is what the Rig Veda means when it says: “The darkness is hidden in Darkness.” Vedanta and Gnosticism are beliefs likely to appeal to a mathematical physicist, a brilliant only child, tempted on occasion by intellectual pride. Such factors may help to explain why Schrödinger became a believer in Vedanta, but they do not detract from the importance of his as a foundation for his life and work. It would be simplistic to suggest that there is a direct causal link between his religious beliefs and his discoveries in theoretical physics, yet the unity and continuity of Vedanta are reflected in the unity and continuity of wave mechanics In 1925, the world view of physics was a model of the universe as a great machine composed of separable interacting material particles. Schrödinger and Heisenberg and their followers created a universe based on superimposed inseparable waves of probability amplitudes. This new view would be entirely consistent with the vedantic concept of the All in One.” In Schrödinger’s famous essay on and , he expressed very clearly the sense that consciousness is a unity, arguing that this “insight is not new…From the early great the recognition Atman = (the personal self equals the omnipresent, all comprehending eternal self) was in Indian thought considered, far from being blasphemous. Conclusions:- Vedic knowledge is like an uncut diamond and the modern scientist is the polisher to bring out the luster of science hidden in it. The Vedas and science should work as inter disciplinary subjects and should strive to reduce the gap between the modern scientific purpots and that of Vedas. The interventions claimed by the Vedic Scholar should be explored in depth and needs ratification by a modern scientist for their effective utilization in developing and understanding the novel concepts of present day technology. ***** Role P£r¸a¡huti on Human Health D.V.R. Sai Gopal* Introduction:-

“Purnahuti” is the term which gives the meaning of “Complete offering away of oneself” which includes the offering of nine types of grains, ghee etc into the fire while chanting specified . In Vedas these mantras have the power of creating special vibrations, which creates a divine atmosphere around us in the environment. This gives good health and also it improves the immunity in the human system, it has proved by the modern physicians/clinicians. The ‘ahuti’ to be used in “Purnahuti” is brought by the surrounding members in and around the ritual. This gives mixed and offered to the fire by everyone present in the purnahuthi function. The Rituvik of the ceremony now recites the particular and says “Swaaha”, which means, “we offer”. Everybody present there chants “Swaaha” in unison and offers the oblation. The giving of ‘ahuti’ in the ‘Agni Kunda’ symbolises the putting of our abilities into a field of activity in a spirit of dedication. Then the result is left to the higher power. If the ‘ahuti’ is given in the right spirit, then the higher power will definitely bless by providing success in the attempted work. The “Purnahuti” is symbolised by the final ‘ahuti’, which comprises dry coconut, nine grains, five metals such as Silver, Gold, Copper, Zinc and Brass, betel leaves, betel nuts, dry fruits, medicinal herbs, sandal wood sticks, saffron and other offerings up in a silk cloth. The colour of the cloth depends on the type of ‘Havan’. For example, in ‘Gayatri’, ‘Sudarshana’ and ‘ Havans’ red colour is used and for ‘ Havan’, white colour, whereas in ‘Kubera ’, the white colour is used. All the above-mentioned offerings are drenched in ghee while Vedic mantras are chanted and then offered to the ‘Havan Kunda’. This marks the end of the “Purnahuti” ceremony. What is Purnahuthi:- P£r¸a¡huti means the Offering of Completeness, of Perfection Which Is Made with the Mantra- nyU©‘X… nyU©{‘X§ nyUm©ËnyU©‘wXÀ¶Vo& nyU©ñ¶ nyU©‘mXm¶ nyU©‘odmd{eî¶Vo&

* Professor, Dept of Virology, S.V. University, Tirupati 24 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 p£r¸am adaÅ p£r¸am p£r¸¡t p£r¸am udacyat® p£r¸asya p£r¸am ¡d¡ya p£r¸am ®v¡va¿iÀyat® That is p£r¸a this is p£r¸a. p£r¸a is taken from the p£r¸a. Upon taking p£r¸a from the p£r¸a.what remains, too, is p£r¸a. The word p£r¸a means filled, fulfilled, complete, perfected, asperfectas God. “That” always refers to the transcendent and “this” to the tangible material, eminent universe Functions of Homa :- The term “Purnahuti” means, “Complete offering away of oneself”. Several people can use different type of homa drayas depending on the type of the homa and the purpose which can be used. Some of the dried grains which are being used for several year which includes nine types of grains, ghee etc into the fire while chanting specified mantras. According to Vedas the chanting of the mantras have the power to create the vibrations, a divine atmosphere around to fulfill one’s wish. The ‘ahuti’ to be used in “Purnahuti” which also offers to the fire by everyone present. The priest of the ceremony now recites the particular mantra and says “Swaaha”, which means, “we offer” and everybody present there chants as “Swaaha” in unison and offers the oblation. The giving of ‘ahuti’ in the ‘Agni Kunda’ symbolises the putting of our abilities into a field of activity in a spirit of dedication which results is left to the higher power. If the ‘ahuti’ is given in the right spirit, then the higher power will definitely bless by providing success in the attempted work. The “Purnahuti” is symbolised by the final ‘ahuti’, which comprises dry coconut, nine grains, five metals such as Silver, Gold, Copper, Zinc and Brass, betel leaves, betel nuts, dry fruits, medicinal herbs, sandal wood sticks, saffron and other offerings up in a pure silk vastra. The colour of the cloth depends on the type of ‘Havan’ eg. in ‘Gayatri’, ‘Sudarshana’ and ‘Durga Havans’ red colour is used and for ‘Vidya Havan’, white colour, whereas in ‘Kubera homa’, the white colour is used. All the above-mentioned offerings are drenched in ghee while Vedic mantras are chanted and then offered to the ‘Havan Kunda’. and this marks the end of the “Purnahuti” ceremony. It is said that, even attending a “Purnahuti” ceremony gives the worth of entire celebration. The people present in the ceremony should surrender themselves to the divine will. The “Purnahuti shlok” is sung at the end of any satsang sabha, ghar sabha and satsang meeting.The “Purnahuti shlok” is, lrh[a¨ gmja§ gd©Xodoída§ ^{º$X‘² AmË‘O§ {Xì¶ê$n§ na‘²&

empÝVX§ ‘w{º$X§ H$m‘X§ H$maU§ ñdm{‘ Zmam¶U§ ZrbH$ÊR>§ ^Oo&& Role P£r¸a¡huti on human health 25 The meaning of this “Purnahuti shloka” is, “I offer worship to Bhagwan , also known as Nilkanth Varni. As Shrihari, together with Aksharbrahma, He is resplendent and he is the God of all gods, the son of and and has the supreme divine form. He is the bestower of peace, mukti (liberation), fulfiller of all desires and the cause of all causes.” Not only nine involve five metals and nine gains, there are seven fuel sticks involved as chief homa drayas in the Purnahuthi according Sri Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra, those are 1. Bilva wood: “Thous art fuel; may we prosper” (Aegle marmelos)- Maaredu. 2. Palasa: “Thou art fuel –stick thou are brilliant; grant me brilliance” (Butea monosperma)- Moduga. 3. Nyagrodha: “We fix our thoughts (?) on ; protect from death” (Ficus bengalensis)- Marri. 4. Asvattha: “We fix out thoughts on Surya; protect mine eye” (Ficus religiosa)- Raavi. 5. Udumbara: “We fix our thoughts on ; protect my thought’ (Ficus racemosa)- Medi/Athi. 6. Sami: ‘We fix our thoughts on Vayu; protect my breath” (Prosopis cineraria)- Jammi. 7. Khadira: “We fix our thoughts on Brahman; protect my mind” (Acacia catechu)- Chandra/Sandra. Certain Samidha or wood to put in the purnahuthi gives mental health and heal some of the disorders. The biochemical designing of the patient’s body which type of Samidha is best suited to heal him should be standardized. The metabolic activities of the human body taking place in to the organs and those diseased organs can be activated by the stimulations of gaseous exchange from the lungs of the patients. The profile of the Blood chemical analysis certain as blood sugar, urea, cholesterol, creatin and other metabolic enzymes which are involving directly and indirectly in to the body can be measured before and after purnahuthi, these differences will be give the fruit results in the contemporary research. 26 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016

Models of Homa gunda:- Various models of Homagundas can be arranged and study their effectiveness on the exertion of the aerosols or smoke, those models are as mentioned below: Role P£r¸a¡huti on human health 27 Methodology:- The main methodology are to be used as follows- Selection of indoor and out door places for homam, construction of various models of Homagundas by using the bricks and mud, analysis of microbial load by using various media plates through areal collection, analysis of gaseous forms through Gas Chromatography/ LIDAR system analysis, statistical analysis of the microbial load versus aerial purification of gases and results of the pilot study will be implemented for animal model study. Different herbal products can be used in orderly fashion and combination to study their effect on pre and post homa environment regarding the microbial load in the open environment and also in closed environment. In the end of the pilot study we will consider to implement to the human patients who are suffering with pulmonary diseases such as tuberculosis, bronchial and other respiratory infections with the approval of the human ethical comity and under the supervision of clinicians. Expecting Out Research activity:- Health related issues:- Purnahuthi helps to maintain health, is a remedy for all kinds of ill health, Agnihotra renews brain cells, it revitalizes the skin, it purifies the blood, purnahuthi neutralizes stress, Detoxes , balances the Homeostasis of the body, it brings balance and clarity to the mental and emotional state, it can be utilized as a method of psychotherapy and it is also a great aid for de-addiction for human health. Environmental related issues:- Purnahuthi builds a protective Biosphere, purifies atmosphere, water and soil, provides a buffer to pollution, vitalizes, nourishes and brings ecosystems back into balance, Agnihotra reduces the effects of pathogenic bacteria in the area, reduces crime in an area, can improve the quality of underground water resources, protects from and neutralizes radioactivity, it Purifies the atmosphere of negativity, it can provide protection from natural disasters and also it intense application of Homa Therapy can weather engineer. Conclusions:- It will be practically proved with the auspicious interaction of Vedic scholars, Physicians, Clinicians and Scientists under controlled conditions. This become a model study and its first time in the Vedic and Science Technology programme of Sri Venkateswara Vedic University and Sri Venkateswara University, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences and Sri Venkateswara Ayurvedic College. The above research work is a consortium based work for the betterment of Human health and welfare. 28 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 References:- 1. Pandit Vedantam Jagannadacharyulu, 2005, Sri Vaikhanasa - Sri Vikhanasa Maharshi, published by Sri Vaikhanasa trust, pp 2 2. Yuga Shrirama Sarma, 2013.Yajnapathy is an all round therapy and healing method- 2,Health articles, http://www.shriramsharma.com/ and http://www.awgp.org/. 3. Dr.W.Caland, 1941, Vaikhanasa-Srautasutram, Published by The Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal. pp237. 4. Swami Vedabharathi, 2010, Purnahuthi- the offering of completeness of perfection which is made with mantra, published by The Himalayan tradition of Yoga and meditation.

***** “Psychology of Ancient India and its Relevance in the Modern Times” V. Muralidhara Sarma* Western Psychology:- A tale is told of several blind men in our country who came upon an elephant. They had no knowledge of what an elephant was and eager to understand the beast. They reached out to explore it. One man grabbed its trunk and concluded “An elephant is like a snake” Another touched its ear and proclaimed, “An elephant is like leaf.” A third examining its leg, disagreed “An elephant” he asserted, is like the trunk of a tree.” Western psychologists are in some ways like those blind men, struggling with important instruments to try to understand the beast we call human nature and typically touching only part of the animal while trying to grasp the whole. If we take a brief bird’s view into history of western psychology we can clearly perceive the changing of the psychologists about the subject of the psychology. When the Western psychology was growing as infant in the lap of , the knowledge about the mental activities such as perception, thinking and observation etc. gained by the then was called as study of the soul or psychology and called themselves psychologists. But later they realized that we can get a direct knowledge of ourselves when something is happening to us. But the soul to which we attribute the perceiving, remembering and imagining etc. always beyond our grasps. Then the psychologists related the mental activitists to the ‘Mind’ and defined the psychology as the “study of the human mind”. It did not take longtime to realize that the mind is substance was as unknown and unknowable as the soul. So psychologists introduced the term ‘’ as a general term for mental activities and defined psychology as the “study of experience.” The later day psychologists, who sought to use the natural sciences as the model for developing the new science of psychology, objected the term ‘experience’ They felt that experience was something very personal and private, to be used as the proper subject matter of the science of psychology. Something public, i.e. which can be directly observed and dealt with. None can observe the mental activities of

* Professor, Dept of Education, R.S. Vidyapeetha, Tirupati 30 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 another person. Therefore, the subject matter of psychology should consist of those things which are observable and measurable. Hence they have accepted the term ‘behavior’ which consists of explicit bodily activities such as movement of limbs, and fingers etc. and implicit bodily activities such as functioning of heart and lungs etc. All these activities are started by different types of forces and energies which act upon the bodily organs. They called these physical forces, ‘stimuli’ and explicit or implicit bodily activities as ‘responses’. They have to explain all activities of man in terms of stimulus and response connections and the learning of all new activities as the formation of new stimulus response associations. They used ‘behaviour’ as the general term for all bodily activities and ‘experience’ for all mental activities. Hence they defined psychology as the “science of mental activities and Behaviour.” The modern psychologists are not satisfied with this definition and contemplated upon the source of mental activities. Considering the mind as the source of all mental activities they now defined the psychology as the “scientific study of Mind and Behaviour”. Ancient Indian Psychology:- Western thinkers may be inclined to question the validity of psychological study in India, as they may find that Ancient Indian psychology is not experimental in the sense of the Western schools of experimental psychology. Nevertheless, it can never be said that psychology of Ancient India is not empirical, for it is based on the experience of the mind. Historians and others may find it difficult to appreciate the contribution of Indian psychology, and they may dismiss the whole system as a philosophical treatise or as mystical literature. It would be unfair to come to such a conclusion, as Indian psychology gives definite methods not only for knowing the nature of the mind but also for developing its powers. Other psychological methods are not the only way of knowing the mind. We, in the Ancient Indian psychology use Subjective and Intuitive methods in order to understand and train the mind. We should clearly understand what is meant by the subjective and intuitive methods of Ancient Indian psychology. It does not mean philosophizing about the nature of the mind or having a conceptual knowledge thereof, but rather training the total mind of individual, including thought, emotion, and will. It does not depend of the interpretive method, as interpretation of the outer expressions of the mind may not always be reliable. Indian psychologists firmly believe that psychological facts and development can be verified and developed through personal mental growth. A sincere follower of the methods of psychological development can achieve unique growth and can verify the principles discovered Psychology of Ancient India and its Relevance in the Modern Times 31 through the experiences of many persons. As they believe in the verifiability of different mental experiences. Indian psychologists, although subjective and intuitive, are scientific as well as practical and dynamic. Psychology in the West is now regarded as dynamic by many outstanding psychologists. It is our opinion that Ancient Indian psychology is more dynamic, as it trains the individual mind to manifest all its latent powers. Ancient Indian psychologists are primarily interested in the study and development of the total mind rather than in the different functions considered separately. The experimental psychologists of the West are interested in the particular phases of mental activity. Some of them go to an extreme in their specialization when they study only nerve reactions and think that they will be able to comprehend the mind itself while they study merely the instruments of the mind. It is interesting to note what professor Hocking rightly says in his evaluation of Western psychology: “But the extant science of sciences of mind have presented us not the mind itself, but substitutes for mind -Near-minds, we may call them”(W.E. Hocking, “Mind and Near Mind,” Proceedings of the Sixth International Congress of Philosophy, Edgar Sheffield Brightman (London: Longmand,1927), p.203. And again he says: “the several Near-minds of the scientific psychology have their worth and their actuality; but they have life only as organs of mind.”(Ibid. p.215). It will not be out of place to remember there that Ancient Indian Psychologists accept the existence of mind apart from and independent of the nerves. The nature of the Mind Though the western psychologists are do not clearly know the nature of mind, now accepted the mind and defined the psychology as the “scientific study of Mind and Behaviour.” But what Indian psychology says about the mind.? Now we shall briefly discuss the nature of the mind in the light of Ancient Indian psychology, which has long had an adequate system of disciplines for controlling the mind. Ancient Indian Psychology is considered to be a science because it has through proper investigation and verification devised methods for the absolute control of the mind, leading to the attainment of perfection or illumination. What we say here is mostly derived from psychology of Ancient India as it is depicted in the Upanishads and other treatises. Mind is a finer body within this gross body. The physical body is, as it were, only the outer crust of the mind. The mind being the finer part of the body, the one 32 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 affects the other. It is for this that physical illness often affects the mind and mental illness or tension often affects the body. Behind the mind is the Atman, the real self of man. Body and mind are material; Atman is pure Spirit. Mind is not the Atman but distinct from the Atman. To use an analogy from science, the between matter and mind is only in the rate of vibration. Mind at a low rate of vibration is called matter: matter at a high rate of vibration is known as mind. Both matter and mind are governed by the same laws of time, space and causation. Matter is convertible into mind, though we may not have realized that this is so. Take for instance a person who does not eat for two weeks. What happens to him? Not only does his body become emaciated, his mind also becomes blank. If he fasts for a few days more he cannot even think. He does not even remember his name. When he begins to take food, again strength slowly returns to his body and his memory revives. Therefore it must be that food, which is matter, becomes mind. We read in the Upanishad of Uddalaka teaching his son Svetaketu by experiment how food is converted into mind. The two chapters with other relevant teachings run thus: ‘That, my dear, which is the subtlest part of curds rises, when they are churned, and becomes butter. In the same manner, my dear, that which is the subtlest part of the food that is eaten rises and becomes mind. The subtlest part of water that is drunk rises and becomes prana. Thus my dear, the mind consists of food, prana consists of water, and speech consists of fire,’ The son Svetaketu said: ‘Please, venerable sir, instruct me further’. ‘So be it, my dear. A person consists of sixteen parts. Do not eat(any food) for fifteen days, but drink as much water as you like, Since the prana consists of water, it will not be cut off if you drink water. Svetaketu did not eat any food for fifteen days. Then he came to his father and said: What sir, shall I recite? His father replied: The Rik, Yajus and Saman verses.’ He replied: ‘They do not occur to me, sir.’(He could not remember the Vedas.) His father said to him; ‘ Just as, my dear, of a great blazing fire a single coal, the size of a firefly, may be left, which would not burn much more than that, even Psychology of Ancient India and its Relevance in the Modern Times 33 so, my dear. Of your sixteen parts only one part is left; and therefore with that one part you do not remember the Vedas. Now go and eat and you will understand me.’ Svetaketu ate and approached his father. Then whatever his father asked him, he showed that he knew it. Then his father said to him: ‘Just as, my dear, of a great lighted fire a single coal of the size of a firefly, it left, may be made to blaze up again by adding grass to it, and will thus burn much more, even so, my dear of your sixteen parts only one part was left, and that, when strengthened by food, blazed up. With it you now remember the Vedas. Therefore, my dear, the mind consists of food, the prana consists of water, and speech consists of fire. After that he understood what his father said; yes, he understood it. (Ibid.,VI.5.5.6.) Those who doubt this teaching are invited to fast for fifteen days living only on water and see what happens to their mind! Essentially man is not the mind but the self or Atman. The Atman is ever free, infinite and eternal. It is pure consciousness. In man the free agent is not the mind but the self. Mind is, as it were, and instrument in the Self’s hands, through which the Self apprehends and responds to the external world. This instrument with which the self comes in contact with the external world is itself constantly changing and vacillating. When the vacillating instrument is made motionless, it can reflect the Atman. Powers of the Mind:- Though the mind is not a free agent, its powers are simply incalculable. If man has smashed the invisible atom and released its power, if man has realized the unseen Atman become illumined, it is through the powers of the mind that he had done these things; and so with all his other achievements in the diverse fields which fall between these two poles of attainment. In fact the mind is omnipresent. Each mind is a part of the universal mind, each mind is connected with every other mind. Therefore each mind, wherever it may be, can be in communication with the whole world. The Upanishad teaches: ‘He shining all these shine. Through his radiance all these become manifest in various ways.(Katha11.2.15)’ This profound teaching is to be remembered in order to understand the Ancient ’s view of the mind. The source of all light is Brahman, the supreme spirit, pure consciousness. What is known 34 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 as Atman, the knowing Self of the living being, is identical with Brahman, pure consciousness. It is the radiance of this pure consciousness which manifests all things at all times. The mind, composed of subtle matter, transparent and closest to the Self, is the inner instrument (antahkarana) of this knowing Self. It is not the source of light. There is no consciousness inherent in the mind. The mind receives the radiance of consciousness from the knowing Self, whose inner instrument it is, and illuminates all things including physical light. Though having no light of its own the mind appears to be luminous. Though it seems to cognizer, but only an instrument of cognition. Shining as it does with the borrowed light of consciousness, the mind as an effective instrument of knowledge. From our own experience we can know in a number of ways that there is a mind distinct from the organs and the body. We can think, feel, will, imagine, remember, and rejoice, without using any of our ten organs, which proves that there is a distinct inner instrument making all these functions possible. In order to convince those who doubt whether the mind is a distinct inner instrument the Upanishad gives the following argument: They say, I was absent minded, I did not see it. ‘I was absent-minded. I did not hear it.’ It is through the mind that one sees and hears. Desire, resolve, doubt, faith, want of faith, steadiness, unsteadiness, shame, intelligence and fear- all these are but the mind. Even if one is touched from behind, one knows it through the mind; therefore (the mind exists) (Bruhadranyaka Upanishad, 1.5.3) The mind has the power of looking back into itself. With the help of the mind we can analyze the mind, and see what is going on in the mind. According to the analysis available in the Ancient Indian psychology the mind has three constituents, three levels, four functions, and five conditions, which we shall be explained very briefly. Why is it that the mind is not always found in a uniform state? The reason is that the mind is of three substantive forces called gunas, viz. , and . These gunas are also the basic constituents of the entire universe, physical and mental, Sattva is the principle of poise conducive to purity, knowledge and joy. Rajas is the principle of motovity, leading to activity, desire, and restlessness. Tamas is the principal of inertia resulting in inaction, dullness and delusion. Tamas causes the mind to move on a low level: rajas scatters the mind and makes it restless and Sattva gives it a higher direction. Psychology of Ancient India and its Relevance in the Modern Times 35 It is not easy to define the gunas. Hence Vidayaranya defines them according to their effects: Non - attachment, forgiveness, generosity, etc. are products of sattva. Desire, anger, avarice, etc., are products of rajas, lethargy, confusion, drowsiness, etc. are products of tamas. When sattva functions in the mind merit is acquired; when rajas functions, demerit is produced. When tamas functions, neither merit nor demerit is produced, but life is wasted for nothing. The constitution of individual minds is determined by the various combinations and permutations of these gunas. This explains the varieties in human nature and also the vacillating nature of the mind. We often say I have changed my mind. This would be impossible if the mind were composed of one substantive force only. In that case men could neither fall nor rise. All would remain as they were born. We are familiar with the words, conscious and subconscious. These indicate different planes on which the mind operates. On the conscious plane all work is normally accompanied by the feeling of . On the subconscious plane the feeling of egoism is absent. There is a still higher plane on which the mind can work. It can go beyond relative consciousness. Just as the subconscious is beneath consciousness. So there is another plane which above relative consciousness. This is called the superconscious plane. Here also the feeling of egoism is absent, but there is a vast difference between this and the subconscious plane. When the mind passes beyond the plane of relative consciousness it enters into or super consciousness. The superconscious plane of the mind is the mind in its pure state. In a sense it is then identical with Atman. These three planes of conscious, subconscious and superconscious all belong to the same mind. There are not three minds in the man but three levels on which the mind operates. The question of controlling the mind relates only to the conscious plane, where the mind is normally accompanied by the feeling of egoism. We cannot directly control the subconscious mind unless we are established in Yoga. The question of controlling the mind on the superconscious plane does not arise. But the superconscious plane can be reached only by those who have controlled their minds on the conscious and subconscious planes. 36 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 Faculties of Mind:- The mind in its functional aspect has four faculties, viz. manas, buddhi, ahmkara and chitta. Manas is that modification of the internal instrument (antahkarana) which considers the pros and cons of a subject. Buddhi is that modification of the internal instrument which determines. Chitta is that modification of the inner instrument which remembers. is that modification of the inner instrument which is characterized by self- consciousness. In every external perception these four functions of the mind are involved. These four functions follow one another so rapidly that they seem instantaneous. The mind manifests itself in the following five conditions: ‘scattering, darkening, gathering, one pointed and concentrated.’ as explains: The scattering form is activity. Its tendency is to manifest in the form of pleasure or of pain. The darkening form is dullness which tends to injury………… The commentator says, the third form is natural to devas and angels, and the first and second to the demons. The gathering form is when it struggles to center itself. The one-pointed form is when it tries to concentrate, and the concentrated form is what brings us to Samadhi. ‘(The complete works of Swami Vivekananda (Calcutta: Advaita , 1965), Vol I,p.243). The ordinary conditions of the mind are ‘darkened’ and ‘scattered’. In the darkened state a man feels dull and passive. In the scattered state he feels restless. Through practicing the displiness of Yoga the same mind can be ‘gathered’ and made ‘one-pointed’. When such a mind is applied to any sphere of activity, in that it shines. A businessman with a one-pointed mind will prosper in business. A musician with one pointed mind will become a celebrated musician; a scientist with one pointed mind will become a celebrated scientist. Through the practice and development of one pointedness, the mind reaches the fifth or highest condition, called ‘concentrated’. In this condition super consciousness is attained. Meditation:- The dynamic power of human personality cannot be developed without total integration of the mind. The three aspects of the human mind-cognition, emotion, and volition - must be unified in order to bring out all the latent possibilities in man. We know that all glorious cultural activities throughout the history of the world have been directed and achieved by men and women of concentrated will power. Ancient Indian psychologists recognize that the will must be integrated completely and the mind must be made totally active in order to use all of its mental Psychology of Ancient India and its Relevance in the Modern Times 37 forces. They have even starled authorities of the positive sciences with their subjective training of the mind. Indian psychologists have developed a science of the concentration. , the father of Raja Yoga (applied psychology), gives us an elaborate treatment of the science of concentration. He gives eight steps to the perfect state of concentration(super consciousness): Yama(mental control), (Physical) regulation and special mental training), Asana (posture), Prananyama (breathing exercises), Pratyahara (withdrawal of mind from sense objects), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (super consciousness). These are the gradual steps to be followed in order to reach the goal. It was recognized by Professor William James that the most venerable ascetic system, and the one whose results have the most voluminous experimental corroboration, is undoubtedly the Yoga system in Hindustan”.(James memoires and studies ,p.2). According to Patanjali, a man must practice concentration systematically by focusing the mind on one object in order to unify his mental forces. In the beginning of course, it may take a little time to achieve the desired power of concentration, as the mind has already been scattered. It is said in the Bhagavad-Gita that the mind is restless, no doubt, and hard to subdue. But it can be brought under control by constant practice, and by the exercise of dispassion. The nervous system is also extremely agitated because of restless states of the mind. Until it attains higher states of consciousness, the mind functions almost entirely through the nervous system. When the nervous system is affected, the mind is also affected, and vice versa. So the Ancient Indian psychologists prescribe two steps preliminary to mental concentration- Yama(ethical observation and mental control) and Niyama(physical cleansing and dietetic restriction etc. and certain mental training)(Ibid.,137). Non-killing, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, internal and external purification, contentment, and self – control constitute yama and niyama. (Ibid.,260-61) In the beginning, one should try to cleanse the mind and body through proper purificatory processes. The nervous system can be made stronger by certain simple dietetic regulations. We all know that when we take a stimulant or drug, our systems are either over stimulated or made dull. On the other hand, when we take soothing, nutritious, and wholesome food or liquids, the nervous system and the whole body remain quiet. A certain amount of simple regulation about food and drink is helpful in the beginning of the practice of concentration, so that the mind and nervous system may not be overstimulated and excited or deadened and made dull. The mental cleansing is even more important than the physical cleansing. 38 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 Pranayama:- Rhythmical breathing (Pranayama) is also found to be efficacious. When a person practices it, the nervous system becomes quiet and the mind becomes calm. Some of the psychologists of India, particularly the Raja and Hatha Yogis, advocate a certain type of breathing exercise of the practice of concentration, although one should be careful in taking up certain vigorous practices in breathing. Some of the vigorous pranayama practices should be followed only under the direction of a good and expert teacher and should also be accompanied with certain dietetic regulations and vigorous mental discipline. Stimulating and deadening food and drink should be strictly avoided. Mantra:- The repetition of the name of God is helpful in the practice of meditation. The Ancient Sages of India have developed science of the name of God (mantra vidya), as well as a science of worship. A volume could be said on the technique of mantra alone. However, it may be said here that different aspects of God are represented by special names. The aspects, names, and forms are inseparable. “His manifesting word is .” “The repetition of this (Om) and meditating on its meaning is the way.” (Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali I.27-28, and works, I, 217-20). When a devotee repeats a particular name of God, that aspect becomes a dominant factor in his life. The more he repeats the name of God which is suitable to him, the more he realizes the presence of God. This repetition definitely establishes a loving relationship between God and the devotee. It is observed historically that many devotees have reached higher stated of mental development and integration and also spiritual evaluation through repetition of name of God. There are innumerable variations in the mental constitution and inherent tendencies of people; so, as we have seen, details in the methods of the practice of concentration and meditation will be different. It is observed that higher ethical and spiritual qualities gradually become manifest in the person who practices concentration and meditation. Swami Vivekananda’s advice to aspirants is: ‘Therefore perform a little meditation every day, and never fail to do it. The nature of the mind is to run away like a restless boy. Drag it back whenever it seeks to go out, and set it to meditating on God. If you can continue this struggle for two or three years, you will find in you a joy unspeakable.’(The complete works of Swami Vivekananda. P.100). Psychology of Ancient India and its Relevance in the Modern Times 39 According to psychologists of Ancient India, when the mind is subjected to the discipline of yoga practices the fine nerve tissues of the body undergo a consequent transformation. The physical and mental forces of man are refined and unified, resulting in emotional balance, development of adamantine will, and physical poise. A man who has experienced Samadhi or superconscious realization understand the whole mind-- conscious, subconscious, and superconscious. He also reaches a stage where the mind functions independently of the nervous system. In fact, to him the whole the mind functions appears like a mirror in which he can see the revealed. Again, this unified mind that has been subjects to discipline through the practices of concentration, meditation, and other processes, becomes a center of power. When a man is master of his own mental forces, he will be able to understand and influence the minds of others. He is well be able to understand and influence the minds of others. He is well established in poise and creates an atmosphere of peace. When anyone enters the presence of such a person, he consciously or consciously absorbs the peaceful atmosphere and devises poise and benefit from the contact. A man of superconscious realization can be compared to a luminous substances which radiates light. It not only illumines itself but also objects within its radius. Similarly, a man with a unified mind emanates wisdom and strength to others.

***** The Study on Ganges’s Water Y. V. Subba Rao*

Abstract:- The river (Ganges) is considered to be a sacred river with mystical healing powers and it plays a very prominent role in . This paper elaborates the recent scientific studies corroborating with the inscriptions of the ageless Vedas on Ganges’s water having “mysterious” healing properties that gives Ganges water its mythical reputation. Keywords: River Ganga, holy river, healing powers of Ganga, testing the waters of Ganga, CSIR study on Ganga Introduction:- The Ganga, our National river is the largest river of Indian subcontinent, flowing east through the Gangetic plains of northern India into Bangladesh (Fig.No.1). The 2510 Kms river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttrakhand . The average depth of the river is 52 feet & the Maximum is 100 feet. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Ganga – the daughter of heaven, took the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagirath’s predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Lord received Ganga into his matted locks to minimize the impact of her fall. The actual source of Holy river Ganga is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glaciers and is a 19 Kms. trek from Gangotri. Figure 1 - Ganga River:-

* Former Visiting Professor, Dept. of Jyotisha, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati The study on Ganges’s water 41 The river Ganga occupies a unique position in the cultural ethos of India. Legend says that the river has descended from Heaven on earth as a result of the long and arduous prayers of King Bhagirathi for the salvation of his deceased ancestors. From times immemorial, the Ganga has been India’s river of faith, devotion and worship. Millions of accept its water as sacred. Even today, people carry treasured Ganga water all over India and abroad because it is “holy” water and known for its “curative” properties. However, the river is not just a legend, it is also a life-support system for the people of India. The river Ganga is considered to be a sacred river with mystical healing powers and it plays a very prominent role in Hindu mythology. For instance, it is believed that bathing in the river Ganga can wash away sins so that a person can attain salvation. Traditionally, a little water from this river is given to people in their final moments of life to ensure that their soul goes to heaven. According to , every follower should bathe in the Ganga at least once in their lifetime. While this is so, there exists many educated disbelievers who claim it as a mere myth. Hindus have always believed that water from India’s Ganges River has extraordinary powers. The Indian emperor Akbar called it the “water of immortality” and always travelled with a supply. The British East India Co. used only Ganges water on its ships during the three-month journey back to England, because it stayed “sweet and fresh.” Vedic Inscriptions:- Ganges is also known as Jâhnavi since she became the daughter of sage Jâhnu. When Bhagiratha was escorting the Ganges, she inundated the sacrificial field of the sage Jâhnu, who became annoyed at her intrusion and swallowed her. But at the supplication of Bhagiratha the sage permitted the river to come out of his ear. That way she became Jâhnavi. Krishna Uvacha:- nmdZ… ndVm‘² Apñ‘ am‘… eó^¥Vm‘² Ah‘²& PfmUm§ ‘H$aíM Apñ‘ òmoVgm‘² Apñ‘ Om•dr&&

Bhagavadgita - Chapter 10 - Vibhuti Yoga - Sloka 31 p¡vanaÅ pav¡t¡masmi r¡maÅ ¿¡strabh¤t¡maham. jhaÀ¡¸¡Æ makara¿ca asmi sr°tas¡masmi j¡hnav¢. 42 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 Translatiom:- Of purifiers I am the wind; of the wielders of weapon I am ; Of fishes I am the shark, and of the rivers I am Ganges. All over the world, one will hardly find a river more sacred and more worshiped than Ganges. Described in the Mahâbhârata as the ‘best of rivers, born of all the sacred waters’, the Ganges is personified as the goddess Ganga. Ganga’s mother is Mena and her father is Himavat, the personification of the Himalaya mountains. Says Sage :- earao OP©ar^yVo ì¶m{YJ«ñVo H$io~ao& ¿ar¢r® jarjhar¢bh£t® vy¡dhigrast® ka½®bar® auÀadhaÆ j¡hnavit°yaÆ vaidy°n¡r¡ya¸° hariÅ ¿r¢dv¡da¿an¡mapaµjarast°tram - (2) Translation:- “When the sharira (body) is suffering and the body is, or beset with innumerable diseases, the only medicine is like the sacred water of the Ganga and the doctor is Nârâyana Himself” says Sri Krishna Dvaipâyana. This has deeper meanings. The interesting word here is also “harih” - means some one who destroys. In this case it would mean that Nârâyana is destroying disease. Also, the word “shareera” comes from “sheeryate iti shareeram” - which means it is bound to be destroyed. This is implicitly conveyed in the shloka that even when one takes enough medicine, the body is eventually something that will decay and get destroyed [2]:- AmbmoS>ç gd©emñÌm{U {dMm¶© M nwZ… nwZ…& BX‘oH§$ gw{ZînÞ§ ܶo¶mo Zmam¶Umo h[a…&& ¡l°·ya srava¿¡str¡¸i vic¡rya ca punaÅ punaÅ idam®kaÆ suniÀpannaÆ dhy®y° n¡r¡ya¸° hariÅ ¿r¢dv¡da¿an¡mapaµjarast°tram - (3) The study on Ganges’s water 43 Translation:- This is his considered opinion, after analysing the import of all Vedas and other , not once but repeatedly. The name “Hari” appended to the word “Nârâyana” in the sloka is significant- it means “destroyer” “Harim harantam” says the Taittiriya Aranyaka too. Hari destroys disease (Fig. No.2)[4]. Figure 2 - Lord :-

Findings in science on Ganges’s water:- The waters of Ganga (referred to as Ganga jal) is believed to be self cleansing in nature and it is said that a single dip in the waters of this holy river will wash away all the sins of a person! The last rites of the thousands of Hindus are performed at the numerous ghats along the shores of Ganga at the holy sites like Kashi, Varanasi etc. Thousands of human bodies are consigned to this holy river. Millions of Hindus take bath in the waters of this river day in and out and millions more in a single day during festival seasons throughout the year. And yet there is no sign of contagious diseases spreading from person to person due to contact through this river water! Nor is there any sign of things like skin disorders etc. after bathing in this river! While its purifying properties have been considered by many to be nothing more than a myth, scientists at IMTECH (Institute of Microbial Technology) in 44 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 Chandigarh have now proved that there is a scientific reason for the “powers” of the river Ganga. In 1896, E. Hanbury Hankin (a British physician) after testing the water of Ganga wrote in a paper Ganga Jal – The Holy water of Ganga Antibacterial Nature of Ganges Water published in the French journal Annales de Institut Pasteur, The bacterium Vibrio Cholerae which causes the deadly Cholera disease, when put into the waters of Ganga died within three hours! The same bacteria continued to thrive in distilled water even after 48 hours! [5].

How river ganga cleans the dead bodies:-

In 1927, Flix d Herelle , a French microbiologist, was amazed when he saw that only a few feet below the bodies of persons floating in the Ganga who had died of dysentery and cholera, where one would expect millions of germs, there were no germs at all! In other words, Hindus had for thousands of years rightly believed that Ganga purifies the dead bodies, which is why probably the bodies of even those who died of infectious diseases were offered to this river for purification! [6] Feb 17, 2014 Indians have always claimed it prevents diseases, but are the claims wives’ tales or do they have scientific substance? In the fourth instalment of a six-part series, independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick searched for the “mysterious X factor” that gives Ganges water its mythical reputation that Indians refer to as a “disinfectant,” acts on organic materials and bacteria and kills them. Bh¡rgava says that the Ganges’ self-purifying quality leads to oxygen levels 25 times higher than any other river in the world [7]. Nov 16, 2015

Does water from the River Ganga or “Ga´g¡jal” have special self-cleansing properties that kill its high bacterial content? Past studies from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur and Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur have indicated that water in the Ganga carries a special load of killer viruses that attack bacteria and knock them out. The study on Ganges’s water 45 Soumya swaminathan, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi said, “There is a high concentration of bacterio-phages, these are viruses that infect bacteria and this may account for the purifying properties of Ganga water. It is the self-purification property.” ICMR is proposing a large study, she added [8]. The scientific fraternity now hopes that their study will eventually benefit humans as the world runs out of new antibiotics. Jun 12, 2016 Bacteriophages may explain Ganga’s healing abilities:- A multi-lab effort by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow and the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTech, Chandigarh) is studying the possible medicinal properties of the waters of the Ganga. Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research the apex body for all the labs Dr. Girish Sahni said: “What is observed is that water samples closer to the source (Gangotri) do not putrefy.” He added that a part of the study is to understand why, and investigate the ecosystem of microbes and bacterial life in the river [9]. One hypothesis is that the waters of the river contain bacteriophages viruses that replicate within bacteria and are toxic to them. The IMTech would study these phages for their antimicrobial properties and look at whether these could be translated into effective drugs in future. Conclusions:- i. Mysterious Power of Ganga Water [10] There are two major factors which give Ganges its unique ability. i) The presence of Bacteriophages which gives it the anti-bacterial nature ii) An unknown factor called the ‘Mystery Factor’ which gives this river an unusual ability to retain dissolved oxygen from the atmosphere! ii. Bacteriophage in Ganga Water Bacteriophage are those viruses which kill bacteria. What a cat is to a mouse, the bacteriophage is to a bacterium. In other words, the water of river Ganga can be an alternative for using antibiotics to treat bacterial diseases! Ancient Indians who used the water of rivers like Ganga never required any antibiotics, for the very water they used was anti-bacterial in nature! 46 V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 iii. Ganga - Cauvery link Dr. K. L. Rao proposed Ganga - Cauvery link in 1972. The Indian Rivers Inter-link proposed by him is a large-scale civil engineering project that aims to link Indian rivers by a network of reservoirs and canals and so reduce persistent floods in some parts and water shortages in other parts of India. The environmental, political and the economical aspects of the topic have provided us with the importance of water conservation [11]. Therefore, today we are water stressed, but tomorrow we will be water scarce. It is high time, since Dr. Rao proposed the Ganga – Cauvery Link some five decades ago, that the Central and State Governments initiate and implement the scheme in right earnest. It helps the country i) improve agriculture and self sufficient on the food front, ii)provide inland waterways and merchandise iii) overcome water scarcity, and above all helps one and all in the country to reap the spiritual benefits of the waters of this sacred river Ganges interlinked with other rivers of the country. References:- 1. Bhagavat-Gita Chapter 10 - Vibhuti Yoga - Sloka 31 Bhagavat-Gita Large Print Edition - Sanskrit Web www.sanskritweb.net/sansdocs/gita-big.pdf page The Devanâgari text was typeset in 24 point “Sanskrit 2003” 2. Prapatti Online - www.prapatti.com œridvâdasanâmapanjara stotram 3. Prapatti Online - www.prapatti.com œridvâdasanâmapanjara stotram 4. Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00076 Dec 2006 5. www.witpress.com/Secure/elibrary/papers/WRM11/WRM11046FU1.pdf 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9lix_d%27Herellehttps://explore curiocity.org/.../bacteriophages-and-the-mystery-of-the-ganges-2530.as. 7. www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/article-ganga-ground-report-india-dr- amarnath-giri 8. www.ndtv.com › All India 9. www.thehindu.com/news/national/labs-study-healing-powers.../ article8718634.ece 10. www.polyeyes.com/.../Bacteriophage-The-Reason-Behind-Medicinal- Property-Of-Riv 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rivers_Inter-link

***** V®da Dar¿in¢ - An International Refereed Monthly Research Journal, Issue - I : October, 2016 47

Contributors

1. Prof P. Murali Krishna, M.D(Ay).,PhD(Ay) Sri Venkateswara Ayurvedic College &Hospital, T.T.Devasthanams,Tirupati(AP) E-Mail:[email protected]

2. Prof O.M. Hussain Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati-517 502, India E-Mail : [email protected]

3. Prof D.V.R. Sai Gopal Department of Virology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tiruapati-517 502, E-Mail : [email protected]

4. Prof V. Muralidhara Sarma, Department of Education, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati, 517 507, Andhra Pradesh, E-Mail : [email protected]

5. Prof Y.V. Subba Rao, Ph.D, FIE, C.Eng Former Visiting Professor, Dept. of Jyotisha, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati E-Mail : [email protected]

*****