In this paper we will see the two cleansing technique from the ancient Indian philosophy's, yoga and Ayurveda. We will see the connection, similarity and difference between the two. And we will try to understand what the use of these both purification processes is.
Ayurveda and yoga are two sisters for the same science, both are coming from the roots of the Indian literature, and both are supporting each other to complete the knowledge of getting happiness and peace in life.
Ayurveda is the ancient Indian knowledge of living and it is also being used as a medicine.
Yoga is the ancient Indian knowledge of how to control our mind, body, emotion, to unite them for getting peace and for higher realization in life.
Ayurveda is a science that comes from the rigveda (one of the four vedas- the 4 book of all Indian philosophy and knowledge).
Ayu= life, veda= knowledge. In Ayurveda there are different branch of medicine, internal medicine, women and children, surgery…
Under the branch of internal medicine (kayachikitsa) comes the pancha karma. The pancha karma is 5 different treatments that mentioned by Charaka samhita.
The pancha karma can be done in 2 ways: shaman- alleviation and shodan- elimination.
According to the ayurvedic sciences in the body we have 3 doshas= constitute (vata, pitta and kapha).
Kapha dosha is made out of water and earth element and the main seat in the body is in the chest and stomach.
Pitta dosha is made out of fire and water element and the main seat in the body is in the small intestine.
Vata dosha is made out of space and air element and the main seat in the body is in the colon and pelvic cavity.
These doshas are not always staying in their normal properties and then they go out of balance. When this imbalance is happening sometime we need to eliminate some part from the body and some time we need to alleviate some part in the body.
Both of this procedure can be done by the pancha karama.
Pancha= five, karma= action.
Ayurvedic cleansing process- pancha karma-
The pancha karma is: vaman (emesis), virechan (purgation), basti (medicated enemas), nasya (errhine therapy) and rakta mokshan (bloodletting).
When we want to eliminate or treat one dosha we will use the nearest part in the body to the imbalanced dosha.
Vaman:
This eliminates the kapha dosha from the upper part of the body throughout the action of vomiting. The mouth is the nearest route to the stomach. It can be done when kapha increase in the body or if kapha and another dosha increase together. It should be done when a person is suffering from recently fever, diarrhea, bleeding disease of downward trend, pulmonary tuberculosis, leprosy and other skin disease, diabetes, goiter, tumors, filariasis, insanity, cough, dyspnea, oppression in the chest (nausea), herpes, disease born from bad breast milk and disease of the head. (ashtanga haridayam).
The process of vama in ayurveda is done by drinking medicinal decoction that aggravate the stomach membrane and create reflex of vomiting.
Virechan:
This eliminates the pitta dosha from the alimentary canal throw the anus. The anus is the nearest route to the small intestine. Virechan can be done when a person is suffering from tumors of the abdomen, piles, small pox, discolored patch on the face, jaundice, chronic fever, enlargement of the abdomen, homicidal poisoning, vomiting, splenic disorders, advanced jaundice, abscesses, blindness, cataract, ophthalamia, pain in the large intestine, disease of the vagina and semen, intestinal parasites, wounds, ulcers, gout, bleeding, disease of upward bout, disease of the blood, suppression of urine, obstruction of feces, those persons who are suitable for emesis therapy. (ashtanga haridayam).
The process of virechan in ayurveda is done by drinking medicinal decoction that aggravate the movement in the intestine and create diarrhea.
Basti:
This pacifies the vata in the body. The anus is the nearest route to the colon and pelvic cavity. Basti is a medicated enema. It is of 3 kinds:
Nirodha basti- decoction of herbs.
Anuvasan basti- unctuous material like ghee, oil and milk.
Uttar basti- given in the bladder through the urethra and in the vaginal orifice.
Basti can be done when a person is suffering from, abdominal tumor, distention of the abdomen, gout, disease of the spleen, diarrhea, chronic fever, running in the nose, obstruction of semen, flatus and feces, enlargement of the scrotum, urinary stone, amenorrhea and grievous disease of vata origin. (ashtanga haridyam). It is done by inserting small tube to the anus/ bladder/ vagina cavity and inputting the oil or medication decoction by the therapist. Sometime the decoction will come out with some fecal material and sometime the oil will get absorbed in the intestine.
Nasya/ shiro virechana:
This is nasal medication that helps in removing the problems from the head region above the sternal notch. There are 3 different nasya:
Virachana= purgatory- can be done when a person is suffering from headache, loss of movement of the head, ophthalmic, disease of the throat, swelling, enlargement of glands, worms, tumors, leprosy, skin disease, epilepsy and rhinitis. This has been done with decoction of oils and drugs.
Brmhana= nourishing- can be done when a person suffering from headache of vata origin, migraine, loss of voice, dryness of the nose and mouth, difficulty in speaking, opening of the eyes and movement of the arms. This has been done with juice of meat or blood of animal with different medicine.
Samana= palliative- can be done when a person is suffering from blue patches on the skin, discolored patches on the face, disease of the hair and of the eyes. It has been done with juice of meet, blood animals, milk and water. (ashtanga hridayam).
After putting the drops in the nose some impurities will come out from the head region through the mouth and the nose.
Raktamokshan:
This is the process of bloodletting that creates stimulation in the spleen and liver and produce better quality of blood in the body. This has been done through vein section and without vein section. Rakta= blood is an important organ in the body and some says that this is the fourth dosh. It is used for maintain of health, to treat different disease related to the blood and pitta, and before treatment of rasayana and vajikarana.
This all five action of cleansing the body is done in Ayurveda because of different disease that are accumulating in our body due to wrong way of living, to tackle imbalance in the body and mind, according to seasons and in daily routine.
For example when we eat food and we are very angry, our digestive juices are not in the best quality, then it will lead to a poor digestion. And this material that will not digest well will stay in the body and will flow in the blood stream. If we have this kind of habit of wrong living and we do the same mistake again and again we create toxin in our body. These toxins are calling Ama in Ayurveda. This Ama will accumulate in some region in the body, for example in the joint and latter own a person will have joint infection and pain.
So by this five cleansing we try also to balance the 3 different energy- doshas in the body and also to take out the toxins that have been accumulating in different parts of the body.
Let's remember that most of the time ayurvedic treatment like pancha karma is getting done to a sick person by an ayurvedic doctor. So to be able to take out these toxins from the body we need to bring these toxins from the place that they have been accumulated to some place that it will be easy to take it out from the body.
For this we need a preparation for this cleansing process.
So for each treatment we have 3 stages:
Purva karma= preparatory process.
Pradhan karma= main process.
Paschat karma= after process.
The purva karma- preparation is of two parts:
First thing is oleation/ lubrication (snehana) therapy- this is done by giving different type of oils like ghee, sesame oil, muscle fat and marrow, internally and externally in different ways of applying for few days or weeks, depend on the disease and the condition of the patient. This process creates strength in the body and the digestion, and collects the different toxins in the body to the oils.
After lubricating the body, sudation (svedana) therapy has been done to soften the body and to collect the entire toxin that has been sticking to the oil, to the alimentary tract to be eliminate from the body with the process of the pancha karma.
After this two preparation, with some light diet that will stop the accumulation of the toxins in the body, the patient is ready to be treated by the ayurvedic doctor with one or more of the pancha karma.
The procedure of pancha karma is not so easy and not everyone can do this. One should be strong in the body and in the mind for doing this treatment.
After the pancha karma treatment the patient should follow special light diet that is very easy to digest for some time and take some rest.
Yogic cleansing process- shat karmas-
Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy that comes from the vedas, Upanishad, puranas and other traditional Indian texts. Yoga exists in all the literature of India, so it means that yoga is universal phenomenon of spiritual system that comes to bring peace and harmony.
Yoga= union, union between the body, mind and spirit.
This union can be achieved only by a healthy body and mind.
There are many different practice of yoga, like asana, pranayama, meditation, bhakti, karma, gyan…
Patanjali was the first sage that was systematizes the yoga to a book named "patanjali yoga sutra" around 200 B.C. And in this book he gave eight limbs of yoga that should be practice in this order:
Yama- self restraint
Niyama- self observance
Asana- posture
Pranayama- breath regulation
Pratyahar- sense withdrawal
Dharna- concentration
Dhyana- meditation
Samadhi- realization
But some of the ancient yogis thought that before someone can be able to practice this yogic practice for the purpose of higher knowledge one should be healthy, and for being healthy first we need to remove the toxins we have in our body.
It is very hard to practice yama and niyama when you have some pain and blockade in the body because you cannot concentrate on controlling the mind when you are suffering.
The same is with practicing asana and pranayama, when we have pain in the joint or in different part of the body we cannot perform asana easily, and when we have blocked nose due to phlegm we cannot practice different breathing exercises.
In the hatha yogic literature we can find the ayurvedic terms of the 3 doshas, names of disease, Ama as toxin and many other ayurvedic terms. So we can understand that those yogis that was practicing yoga was using the knowledge of the Ayurveda and were speaking the same language of the Ayurveda. Probably some of them was an ayurvedic doctor by them self.
Some of the hatha yogic texts came later to patanjali, and they were adding the practice of shat karma in the yogic curriculum.
The first reference to the shat karma is in the hatha pradipika by svatmarama in between 1360-1650 A.D. Before that no yoga text was talking about it, so some people say that it came from the panchakarma in the Ayurveda. But they are very different practice. the panchakarma is a therapeutic treatment, and the yogic shat kriya are yogic practice and it is for improving the yogic goal- the controlling over the mind, and this aspect is absent in pancha karma.
The term shat kriya refers to the six cleansing process that is mentioned in hatha pradipika.
These are also a purification process but the main aim of the practice is to prepare the sadhaka- practitioner of yoga for the final goal- liberation from all misery.
When we practice shat karma we are in the process of learning and progressing, but in panchakarma it will always be the same process, even if we do this 20 time, because this process is with medicine and only with the natural reflex of the body. But in the shat karma we work with the higher brain and we are overcoming the natural reflexes.
Pancha karma is for removal of disease or for maintaining of health.
Shat karma is for the controlling on the mind, but it is also has the same effect of the ayurvedic pancha karma.
In hatha pradipika we can find 6 cleansing process but he is given more important to nadi shodhana pranayama as a cleansing of the two nadis (ida and pingala- left and right nose trail). In hatha pradipika the practice of nadi shodhana is enough for a person who does not suffer from special disease or blocks in the body. But if someone is having any problem in the body he should do this 6 purification process before and during the practice of yoga. Also it has been said that through pranayama all type of impurities will remove.
This shat karma in hatha pradipika is:
Vastra dhuti, basti, sutra neti, trataka, nauli and kapalbhati
Gherand samhita is a hatha yogic text written by gheranda that came probably after hatha pradipika of svatmarama around 17th-18th centuries, and we can find broad verities of cleansing process in this text.
In gherand samhita he says that every person that start to practice yoga must first clean his body with the shat karmas and then only he can proceed further to different practice like asana, pranayama…
In gherand samhita there is 21 cleansing process, they are divided into 4, and especially 13 kinds of dhuti:
antar dhuti:
vatasara: (air moving= swallowing the air and take it out through the anus) this purifier the body, destroy all diseases and increases the body gastric heat (G.S).
Varisara: (water moving= shankaprakshalan) drinking warm and salty water, and after every 2 glass with a set of asanas that activate the intestine. We are moving this water down to the anus and by this washing all the alimentary canal. This purifies the body, and makes the body radiant. (G.S).
Vanisar: (agnisar, 100 stroke), movement of the abdomen inside and outside, pushing the naval against the spine. This practice improves the power of the digestion juice- agni= fire, and remove abdominal diseases. (G.S).
bahiskarita: the person who is having the ability of holding the air for 1 and a half hours out of the body can practice this cleansing. First one should practice purak rechak (inhalation and exhalation) and then bahar kumbhak (retention of the air outside) for 1 and a half hour then to take the rectum out and clean it with the hand and water and then put it in again. This kriya bring success in yoga. (G.S).
Danta dhuti: cleaning the gum- root of the teeth with salt, clean earth or with pure ash, also cleaning the root of the tongue with inserting 3 fingers inside the mouth to the route of the tongue.
Kapalrandra dhuti: forehead should be clean by putting the thumb on the soft palate.
These 3 kriyas is very good for cough and as preparation for the practice of kechari mudra and will make one free from disease arising from phlegm and clear vision. (G.S).
Karna dhuti: insert your index finger to the ear hole and this will increase the capacity to listen to the internal sound.(G.S).
Hrid (hart) dhuti: danda, vaman and vastra (all this cleansing the area of the hart).
Danda dhuti: danda= stick, can be of banana, sugar can or rubber. We insert it in the stomach after drinking a glass of water and the danda takes out everything that stays in the lower part of the stomach (phlegm, bile and mucus) by the negative pressure that create in the stomach cavity. While doing this one should control completely the vomiting sensation. This kriya removes the disease of the gullet. (G.S).
Vastra dhuti: 22-37 fit and 4 fingers wide of cotton cloth that is eating inside the stomach and cleans the esophagus and the stomach, while doing this one should control completely the vomiting sensation. This kriya cures tumors, fever, enlarged spleen, skin disease and disorders of phlegm and bile, it brings strength and growth. (G.S).
Vaman dhuti: Vaman dhuti is available in 3 form- vaman, gajikarani and bhagi (vomiting food).
Vaman: drinking of warm salty water until we fill up the stomach and then putting the fingers in the throat for creating vomiting sensation and by this taking out all the water from the stomach through the mouth.
Gajakarni: practice by having control of apana vayu, drinking warm and salty water and taking the water out without the fingers, using the abdominal muscles, the water comes out in standing position and with allot of force.
Bhagi kriya: after eating the food drink water, look up and take the water out from the stomach, the text doesn't say how long after taking food we should do it. When we take out the food without getting full digested the hormones in the intestine stay in the body and getting recycle to the blood and producing health. This kriya removes disease due to phlegm and bile. (G.S).
Mulashodhana (ganesh kriya): this practice is done with the help of middle finger insert in the anus and cleaning the anus with water, it remove the mal function of apana vayu and problem with abdomen, this kriya cures constipation and indigestion, gives radiant complexion, nourishment to the body and stimulates the digestive organs. (G.S).
Basti: jala= water, jala basi: one should sit in siting position -uttkatasana (like in the Indian toilet) inside a water (lake, river) up to the naval with tube insert into the rectum, and then suck the water through the lower colon by performing nauli kriya and uddiyan bandha that will create the negative pressure and will clean up to the naval.
Gerhand samhita add that we should do ashvini mudra during basti. Contracting relaxing of the anus and performing mulla bandha, when you are in water the water will comes up to the naval when we sit in uttkatasanan and performing mulla bandha, asvini mudra and nauli.
This kriya removes urinary disease, disease of the bowels and flatulence, and keeps the body look very handsome. (G.S).
Suska/vata basti (dry): cleaning the colon by air, should be done by ashvini mudra, inserting the air to the colon by contracting and relaxing the anus, and then taking it out. This kriya removes constipation, stimulates gastric heat and cures indigestion. (G.S).
Neti: insert a thread or a rubber tube into the nostril and taking it out through the mouth. This kriya removes the disorders of phlegm and gives a sharp vision. (G.S).
Lauliki/ nauli: movement of the abdomen from side to side. This kriya destroys all disease and increases the heat of the body. (G.S).
Trataka: gazing in one point without blinking until tears falls from the eyes. Can be done with a flame of a candle, sunrise, yanta, or anything that someone wants to focus on. This kriya cures disease of the eyes and acute vision is acquired. (G.S).
Kapalbhati/ bhalabhati: In gherand samhita there are 3 types of kapalbhati:
Vatakrama bhalabhati: like analom vilom (alternate nostril breathing) just fast, both inhalation and exhalation are forceful without kumbhak (holding of the breath). this kriya removes disorders of phlegm. (G.S).
Vyutkrama bhalabhati: drinking the water through the nose and taking the water out through the mouth, this will remove the kapha dosha. (G.S).
Sitkrama bhalati: taking water from the mouth and taking the water out from the nose, this will remove kapha dosha, will make someone becoming handsome, old age will not come and one will not suffer from fever. (G.S).
Comparison and similarity between the yogic shat karma to the ayurvedic pancha karma:
- Both are process of purification of the gross body.
- They are cleansing the same part of the body:
Yogic Neti, kapalbhati and ayurvedic nasya are working on the head, nose and air passage (kapha area in the body).
Ayurvedic vaman and all different yogic dhuti are working on the esophagus and stomach (kapha area in the body).
Ayurvedic virechana and nauli are working on the intestine (pitta area in the body).
Yogic and ayurvedic basti are working on the colon (vata area in the body).
Trataka and raktamokshana cannot be compared, because there is no similar kriya in the other text.
Difference between the yogic shat karma to the ayurvedic pancha karma:
- ayurvedic pancha karma usually used for patient who suffer from disease, and they are very weak, that why they cannot perform the action by them self, and they are depended on the ayurvedic doctor. However for performing the yogic shat karma one is usually quite healthy and strong to be able to practice this kriya by himself without help from other people.
- ayurvedic pancha karma is not an active process, the action is done by taking medicine that aggravate the reaction in the body, one do not need to do anything for making the action. However for performing the yogic shat karma one should be full active and create the control and activation of different part and reflex of the body and mind.
- ayurvedic pancha karma is working mostly on the physical level using the lower brain centers and there is no involvement of the intellect, however yogic shat karma are working with the intellect using the higher brain centers, it is a process of learning and improving, and it also has the effect on the mental body. And because of this one can perform this cleansing by himself when ever needed. Not like in pancha karma someone will have to go again to the ayurvedic doctor and go through the same process again without improvement.
- ayurvedic pancha karma has the preparation before and the process after the action, however in yogic shat karma one can do this practices without preparation and flowing process. But usually a person who practice yoga follows the yogic life style like mittahar (yogic diet), yama, niyama, asana, pranayama… so his body and mind will be ready for practicing the shat karma in any time without complications.
Comparison between specific shat karmas to panch karmas:
Basti:
The ayurvedic basti can be made from different decoctions, oils and medicine, and the therapist is inserting the tube to the anus and by the force of gravity and pressure from outside the liquid is coming in. it is usually used for constipation and for helping to remove the fecal matter.
In yogic basti, one is performing the kriya on empty stomach and by the negative pressure that he creates inside his body with uddiyan and nauli he suck the water in. there is no use of other material apart from water.
Vaman- dhuti:
The ayurvedic vaman is made from different medicinal decoctions that irritate the mucus cells in the stomach and activating the vomiting center in the brain. The aim of this vaman is to take out the kapha dosha from the body.
in yogic vaman dhuti one use normal water, and initially with his own fingers and later own with abdominal muscles one try to activate the vomiting center in the brain. There is no irritation to the mucus cells in the stomach. In danda dhuti and vastra dhuti there is also work on the esophagus, and there is the opposite action from vaman, one need to control his mind and to stop the reflex of vomiting in the brain that gets activate by this kriyas. The main aim of these kriyas is to canalize the pranic energy for the higher practices of yoga.
Virechana- nauli:
Ayurvedic virechana is made by medicinal decoctions that irritate the intestinal track and create the movement down to the rectum. The aim of this practice is to take out the pitta dosha.
Yogic nauli is a stimulation of the intestine by movement of abdominal muscles and creating negative pressure inside the abdomen cavity.
We can compare the yogic vrisara kriya (shankaprakshalana) to the ayurvedic virechana, but also here there is different. In the yogic practice, the person is very active and he creates the movement down in the intestine by performing different asanas and exercises.
Nasya- neti and kapalbhati:
The ayurvedic nasya is done by using medicated oils and decoctions that inserted to the nose cavity and irritates the olfactory area and the naso pharyngeal mucous membrane, this create stimulation and the aim is to take out the toxins and impurities from the upper part of the body.
In the yogic kriya the naso pharyngeal mucous membrane is gently stimulate without irritation of the olfactory area. And the main aim is to clean the passage for the free flow of the pranic energy and the stimulation of the awareness in the eye brow center= agnia chackra.
Conclusion:
There is a very similar process between the two karmas in the Ayurveda and the yoga, but the aim of the two is very different. Also maybe from outside it look almost the same, when one performing both he can feel a major different. The aim of the Ayurvedic pancha karma is to cure patient from there disease and to bring them to a place of balance in their life.
The aim of the yogic shat karmas is to open the nadis= chanals of pranic energy and to improve the yogic practice like pranayama, asana, concentration, meditation and to bring one to the final goal of yoga- Samadhi= realization. The yogic kriyas are also for opening the gross body, the mental body and spiritual body.
Reference:
Ayurveda panchchakarma (five purification procedures)/ prof. dr. p.h. Kulkarni.
Ashtanga haridayam vol 1/ k.r.s. murthy.
Yogic shatkriyas and ayurvedic panchakarmas: some thoughts and reflections. / dr.m.v.bhole, m.d/ yoga mimamsa vol.27 no. 3&4, October 1988, January 1989.
Gheranda samhita/ swami digambaraji and dr. m.l. gharote kaivalyadhama publication.
Hathapradipika of svatmarama/ swami a, kaivalyadhama publication.
Traditional, scientific, therapeutic methods. Kriya cleansing in yoga/ selvan yoga bharati.
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