Shri Krishna the Ambassador of Ayurveda

Shri Krishna and Shri Dhanvantari (the deity of Ayurveda) are both incarnations of Shri Vishnu. Ahead of the birth anniversay of Shri Krishna, I take the opportunity to highlight his contributions to Ayurveda. The visual description of Dhanvatari corresponds to the principles of Ayurveda. Thus, he is the DNA of Ayurveda. Shri Krishna, from the same source, is directly aligned with Ayurveda. Those who take the effort to study his model of living will find ways to make life healthy, prosperous, successful and enjoy all these in peace.

Delivered in the moment before the Mahabharata war began, these exhaustive guidelines have been poetically composed in the 700 verses of the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta. Consciousness or Praanic life force manifests as the universe and so begins the entire play of life. The challenges in the play of life are similar to the events of the war. This war is not limited to the time and place of Shri Krishna, but is inevitable through all time everywhere. It is an encoded story about the complications possible in the five elements that make up the universe. These complications are possible at physical, social, environmental and psychological levels for human society too. That is the real content of the Great Mahabharata epic.  

The five elements correspond to the five Pandavas. The human being has five senses and five organs of action corresponding to these elements. They behave according to their inherent qualities. The mind has the responsibility to coordinate and control these sense organs. But if the mind is possessed by one of the senses it deviates from its natural function. In this deviated state the mind has ego. This makes a separation from consciousness, causing a divide. The senses and mind actually need to act in accordance to dharma or natural law. The supreme consciousness has created the universe for all to enjoy according to natural law. Instead when the senses become self-serving the individual becomes egotistical. This constant war, due to this divide, is manifest as disease. It is basically a struggle between this individualized ego and the supreme consciousness. We are all actually a part of the supreme consciousness embodied as Shri Krishna, says the Shrimad Bhagawad Geeta.

These natural laws are beyond caste, creed, gender or human and non-human beings. They are a description of Dharma – principles that hold the universe together. Unless one begins to study and imbibe these principles described in the Geeta it is difficult to have ‘complete’ health in mind, body and soul. Without this study, we find ourselves in the vicious cycle of trying to make sense of the actions we perform. Sometimes, the body is treated, but the mind, affected by the same imbalances, brings the body back into illness again. At other times, the body causes hurdles for the mind. Without this study into the laws of nature, we will suffer in one way or another.

The Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta is the condensed form of the vast Vedic knowledge systems. The Vedas are also the source of Ayurveda. Like their deities, they too are one. The fundamental problem described in both is deviation from the supreme i.e. going against the law of nature. This would have a karmic result as well as a health result, isn’t it? When somebody deviates from his or her nature it is a ‘pradnyaparaadh’ – crime against consciousness. Pradnya refers to the supreme knowledge or consciousness required to maintain balance in the being as well as in the whole universe.

On the day of Shri Krishna Janmashthami, this column, dedicated to Ayurveda, would like to highlight the amazing foundational principles that are the basis of both Ayurveda and natural law.

Geeta Chapter 15, verse 12  

Yadaadityagatam tejo jagadbhaasayate~khilam  

Yachchandramasi yachchaagnau tattejo viddhi maamakam  

Shri Krishna says that energy, in the form of light and its waves, originate from Him as supreme consciousness. This light is manifest in the form of the Sun that illuminates our world and causes all necessary transformations from material to energy and vice versa. This is also the praanic force that causes the spark of life. It is the cause of the entire plant kingdom that converts light energy into food. The same light is reflected by the moon as a cooling and calming energy that helps us into rest and peaceful sleep.

Thus, the same light energy can be either hot or cold, can cause day and night and keep up the cycle of life. This light energy exists in a dormant form in every particle in all existence and is expressed as fire. Let us look at the cycle of fire. The light of consciousness is manifest as the heat and light of the sun. Through photosynthesis this light is captured and transformed into plants. The plant gives seeds. Seeds give us oil. When this oil is used in a lamp we see the flame, which is the supreme consciousness manifested as fire.

 … to be continued.

Also Read: Part II: Shri Krishna the Ambassador of Ayurveda

The author is an authority on Ayurveda and spiritual science and is founder of Atmasantulana Village, a world-renowned holistic healing centre. If you have any query then email it to us on ayurveda@dnaindia.net