History of Ayurvedic Formulations
It is a traditional Kerala Ayurvedic textbook that has 1000 formulations used to treat diseases in Ayurveda. Originally written in Sanskrit, this book is priceless for any practicing Ayurvedic doctor, and it primarily talks of formulations made from medicinal plants available in Kerala!
( Sahasrayogam – Sahasra = 1000, Yoga = formulation )
Like any Ayurvedic text, the book is also written in the form of Shlokas (verses). The learning method used to study texts like these, or even all of the Ayurvedic texts is, by repetition.
This is how learning Ayurvedic texts look like: Reading aloud the verses, grasping the content, and repeating over and over again until it becomes by heart. The more you repeat, the more it gets cemented in the memory. The best part is, if you learn as a verse, chances are you will never forget it in your lifetime. Remember the poems you had learned by heart as a child versus the stories- you remember the poems more!
Personally, this book has helped me a lot in my practice. The moments I realise the importance of these verses “flowing” from memory is during some consultations. When a patient presents with weird combinations of Rakta-Pitta imbalance, deranged metabolism, and less of Kapha complaints and still struggling with memory loss, you know you have to give a “Chandanadi” formulation and not a Pinda Taila. This quick realisation comes only if the Shlokas are “flowing”.
It is said that it takes 30 years to learn even 1% of Ayurveda. It’s an ocean of knowledge. Learning it is a never-ending process. Just imagine this book has 1000 formulations and Ayurveda overall has around 30,000 formulations described in the Samhitas. It is not humanly possible to learn all of this in a lifetime. I know this, but still, I try to learn at least one new sloka per day. Some progress is better than no progress at all.
All of us – including you and me, if you are reading this post – we are all these little minuscule beings standing on the shore of the vast ocean of Ayurveda looking at the never-ending horizon with nothing but wonder!
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