For centuries, Ayurvedic medicine has been used as a traditional and holistic approach to improve the health and well-being of a person while also considering their mental, physical and spiritual aspects. The practitioners use various diagnostic methods to check the imbalances of mind, body and spirit leading to diseases. One of those diagnostic methods is Nadi Pariksha or pulse diagnosis.
It is widely believed that Nadi Pariksha is one of the mandatory parts of Ayurvedic treatment. But, it is not true. For ages, we have been tricked into believing that Nadi Pariksha or Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis is compulsory for Ayurvedic treatment.
The absolute truth behind Nadi Pariksha as a diagnosis tool
None of the ancient Ayurvedic texts – Caraka Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya or Susruta Samhita has any major reference about pulse diagnosis. Then how can Nadi Pariksha be the mandatory part of diagnosis?
There is no doubt that the most comprehensive, authentic and recognised course to study Ayurvedic Medicine is BAMS. However, in those 6 years I spent studying to become an Ayurvedic doctor, there was not even a single subject on Nadi Pariksha except for a few words here and there. Why is it given little or no importance if it is the most a major diagnostic tool?
I studied Nadi Pariksha from my father while assisting his patients. He had told me that it was just one of the diagnostic tools and not the only tool.
Is Nadi Pariksha’s diagnosis so crucial in the treatment process?
Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis is a recent advancement in Ayurveda and is not based on the 3 original scriptures. It is just ONE of the diagnostic tools, not the only one of the most important.
I don’t do Nadi Pariksha even in my face-to-face consultations. I don’t find it necessary to identify a person’s Prakriti by Nadi Pariksha. With all humility- thanks to the universe and my gurus – within the first few minutes of seeing and talking to a patient, his Prakriti becomes obvious. It is not a magical power, but it just comes from practice.
For years, it has been believed that Nadi Pariksha is a mandatory diagnosis method to understand the disease, but the truth is it is just ONE of the diagnostic tools, not the only one of the most important methods of diagnosis techniques. Unfortunately, today, Nadi Pariksha is used more as a marketing tool to attract people to Ayurveda than anything else!