AmritaMonthlyvabodhini Newsletter of Amrita School of Ayurveda November 2019 Volume 1 Issue 1 AMMA’S MESSAGE Satguru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi Religion is the secret of life. It teaches us to love, to serve, to forgive, and to be compassionate. Advaita (non-duality) is a purely subjective experience. But in daily life it may be expressed as love and compassion. —Amma Br. Dr. Sankara Chaitanya Director’s Medical Director & Principal Message Amrita School of Ayurveda, Amritapuri Aum Namah Shivaya! According to Indian culture the four Varnas and Ashramas are very important. The four Ashramas are 1. Brahmacharya 2. Grahasthasrama. 3. Vanaprastha 4. Sanyasa. Accoring to the persons age one has to perform the duties prescribed for that Ashrama. Eg. In childhood you are allowed to play. In old age you are expected to perform Tapas and isolate yourself to realise the self or god. Koumara Bhritya is one of the eight branches of Ayurveda which deals with the care and management of the diseases of the children. It also describes about the ways of bringing up the children and infants in accordance with the Vedas. Kashyapa Samhita or Vriddha Jeevaka Tantra is one of the earliest texts on this branch. The text also describes all the rituals and rites to be followed from the birth. Several contexts in Koumarabhritya has Vedic references like the Rakshoghna Karma etc. It also includes many Samskaras or initiations which empower and initiate the child to spirituality. Kashyapa Samhita is regarded as the main text on Koumarabhritya, but it is not completly available. We have to depend upon the spiritual and cultural texts to have a complete knowledge on how to grow a child correctly. The concept of toys and playgrounds are mentioned in Kashyapa Samhita which makes the text unique from the other paediatric text books. This month, the topic for the newsletter is on Koumarabhritya and Kashyapa Samhita. As the name signifies, the Koumarabhritya conveys the complete knowledge about growing children. Legacy of sushruta to paediatrics Introduction EDITOR’s Sushruta Samhita is a voluminous text containing 186 EDITORIAL chapters divided into six sections and 8500 verses approximately. This compendium is an ancient Sanskrit LETTER text on medicine and surgery, and one of the most BOARD important foundational texts of Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine). It is a comprehensive medical text Today’s children are tomorrow’s youth dealing with all branches of Ayurveda. Even though its greater portion devoted to shalya Tantra (Surgery), the Ayurveda is an indigenous science which contributions and knowledge of Kaumarbhritya available has eight branches dealing with specialities. in Sushruta Samhita is never ending. Kaumarabhritya, Bala chikista is one such branch dealing with one of the branch among Astanga Ayurveda, comparable Dr.Rabinarayan Tripathy raising and treatment of age group below 18. to Paediatrics is also described in Sushruta Samhita as Vice Principal Editor-in-chief It gives the very details from conceptional the 5th preferential sequence. Paediatrics is the branch Professor & Head of Department Br. Sankara Chaitanya care to immediate care after delivery, from of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, Shalya Tantra, School of Ayurveda, Amritapuri Managing Editor the qualities of the food fed to the baby till children, and adolescents. Sushruta defines it as a branch Dr.K.Sivabalaji the medicines/management adopted in their which describes the methods of bringing up the children, these become well differentiated and heartbeat can be Editorial Advisors treatment. purification of breast milk of mother, diseases arising heard by fourth month. Manas (brain) is developed in the Dr. Rabinarayan Tripathy from taking the vitiated breast milk and their treatment . fifth month, hence the baby started quickening. Budhi Kashyapa samhita is one among those texts Prof. Ramadas P.V Acharya Sushruta has given description of Kaumarbhritya (intellect) in sixth month, so the baby often responds which deals exclusively in kaumarabhrityam. Faculty Editors in Sharirasthana, 11 chapters of Uttartantra (from to sound by jerky movement. During seventh month Utmost importance is given for all stages of a Dr. Anandaraman P.V chapter 27 to 37) and some related topics are also seen all parts of body become well differentiated and Ojas child’s growth and development. Samskaras Dr. Haritha Chandran scattered in other areas of the compendium. becomes active during eight month. The delivery of the are undisputable contribution from bala child occurs at the end of ninth or tenth month. Dr. Kadambari P.B Kashyap Samhita though considered as the main text chikista which emphasises the role of Regarding the foetal nourishment and foetal circulation Student editors of Kaumarbhritya, it is not available completely. So, the different rituals performed at particular age Sushruta explains, the umbilical cord(Garbha nabhinadi) Dr. Rakesh students and physicians have to rely upon other texts for the physical and mental development of the foetus is attached to the rasa carrying channel of Dr. Aswathy Krishna to find out their queries and to get knowledge. Here, an of a child. Another such contribution is the mother which carries the power of food essence of Bharadhwaj attempt has been made to highlight the contributions of graha rogas which serves as umbrella terms mother to foetus, and supplies nutrition by Upasneha Arundhathi Prasad Sushruta towards Kaumarabhritya in turn to paediatrics. including conditions from nappy rashes to (indirect circulation - foetal circulation) and Upasweda Contact us mental disorders. Developmental Anatomy (Diffusion). [email protected] The embryological consideration related to conception, The genetic characteristics also explained by matruja and [email protected] Apart from diseases and its management, month wise development of foetus and organogenesis pitruja bhava. Subsequently in the 4th chapter (Garbha Published By various references are available about the is mentioned in Sushruta Sharira sthana. He explains vyakarana Sharira) the organogenesis is explained University Press Amritapuri nutritional value of the child’s food, the rather than the fusion of sperm and ovum, the activated vividly by considering the Dosha, Dhatu, mahabhutas, its nature or shape of the toys and the material Agni and soma instantly get manifested by the reflecting essential and waste part as germinal layers. The genotype from which the toys are need should be consciousness under the influence of previous deeds. and phenotype characteristics also described on the basis conducive to the child’s safety. Thus forming the fertilized ovum, further foetal of Dosha predominance. development has been described according to gradual Hence, here the theme is selected as increase in size and shape. It is like a Budbuda (the rapid Neonatal care “Koumaram” to explore it. division of fertilised egg, morula, blastocysts) at the end Acharya Sushruta has mentioned that after the child of one month, becomes round like Pinda (facial features, is born, its Ulva (vernix caseosa) and mouth should be tiny buds that eventually grow into arms and legs, & the cleared with a mixture of Saindhava lavana (rock salt) and neural tube) and solidify at the end of second month. The Ghrita (ghee), cotton swab smeared with Ghrita should differentiation of embryo takes place during third month, be kept on his head. Thereafter, umbilical cord is cut by when it gives rise to the formation of 5 buds (baby’s keeping the length of 8 Angula (finger breadth) after tying arms, hands, fingers, feet, and toes are fully formed)- two it with thread. Its one end is tied loosely around the neck upper limbs, two lower extremities, head and neck. All of neonate to prevent contamination. AMRITAVABODHINI MONTHLY NEWSLETTER 1 Sushruta advocated Jaatkarma (birth ceremony) – Here, Classification of age avoid exertion, do’s and don’ts during pregnancy for the many hidden facts and principles in the text which need the neonate is bathed in cold water and made to lick Three kinds of age classification is seen in Sushruta perfect development of the foetus. further exploration. Madhu (honey), ghee and powder of Ananta (gold) using samhita. Balya (childhood), Madhya (middle age) and Assessment of Paediatrics Disease References ring finger. And at the end, the neonate is anointed with Vriddha (old age). Those less than 16 years of age are The site of the disease can be recognized when the Srikanth Murthy K. R. Sushruta Samhita. Vol.1. Bala tail and given bath with warm decoction of medicinal called Baala (children), and are further divided into 3 child touches the particular part frequently and cries Sutrasthana. Chapter 1/6. Varanasi. Chaukhamba plants appropriate to season, Dosha and power. subgroups – (i) Kshirapa – Child upto 1 year age and who on palpation. In case of diseases of head the child closes Orientalia. Edition., 2012; 4. takes only milk (ii) Kshirannada – Child upto 2 years age, Feeding of newborn the eyelids and is unable to hold his head. Obstruction of Srikantha Murthy K. R. Sushruta Samhita. Vol.1. who consumes both milk and food (iii) Annada – Child The breast milk appears after three or fourth day of urine, pain, thirst and fainting are the sign of diseases of Sharirasthana. Chapter 3/3. Varanasi. Chaukhamba delivery, hence a mixture of Madhu (honey), ghee and above 2 years age, who takes solid food. bladder. In the disorder of abdomen there is obstruction Orientalia. Edition., 2012; 35. Ananta (gold) on first day, ghee boiled with Lakshamana Child care and Nourishing of faeces and urine, discoloration, vomiting, flatulence, Srikanth Murthy K .R. Sushruta Samhita. Vol.1. (Cynoglossum lanceolatum)on second and third day may Milk fed children should be given ghee boiled with some gurgling of intestine and in case of whole body disease Sharirasthana. Chapter 10/12-13. Varanasi. Chaukhamba be advocated to the new born. After that, breast milk is drugs in every stage of Balyavastha for improving the the child cries.