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Ayurvedic Herbology

1. Using Yantra in Ayurvedic Herbalism
2. Bhasma Therapy: Panacea or Poison?
3. Ayurvedic View on Rasa Shastra Metallic Medicines or Bhasmas
4. Ethnopharmacology and Traditional Medicine - Exploring Challenges and Opportunities

Using Yantra in Ayurvedic Herbalism

by Prashanti De Jager

Yantra simply means ‘device’ in Sanskrit, and similar to devices like radios that tune into certain frequencies, yantras both tune into and amplify very specific vibrations that are salubrious to our herbal intentions. How does this spell healing to the Ayurvedic practitioner and their client? There are many reasons but here are some to ponder.

Yantra - Good for the Herbs
The Yantra is considered to be a geometrical equivalent of a mantra, and so it is about generating or modulating vibrational energy. Since the Yantra is more static, the vibration is steady, like a standing wave ‘trapped’ or ‘channeled’ by boundaries and filters. It also tends to be precise more often than a mantra. This particular vibration enhances the power of the herbs; it is like having a Gyoto monk or a Kashi pujari personally attending the herbs and continuously chanting empowering mantras. In fact, when using mantras to empower herbs, I have found that first directing the mantra through a yantra seems to focus the power of my sankalpa (intention). As Vamadeva points out, it creates a pattern in the herbs that will more effectively hold mantras.

Because a properly made Yantra invokes a pure, non-vitiated vibration, it activates the pure activities of an herb. For instance, Ashwagandha will create more Ojas than Kapha when used with a Yantra because Ojas can be seen to be the pure form of Kapha. The same goes for Prana and Tejas. The right yantra can also make herbs more Sattvic, while another yantra, say of a Goddess like Kranti, can make the herbs Rajasic. The choices of the herbalist are not “good or bad”, but rather about which energies are preferable: sometimes it is Rajas or Tamas.

Yantra - Enhances Practitioner Herb Wisdom
The Yantra is an archetypal symbol that can trigger the ability to innately know what an herb is good for and if it is good for you. It has this power because by looking at it, certain energetic structures in our subtle bodies are activated that allow a direct link to an intuitive knowledge of the herb. In other words, when you look at a jar of herbs on which a yantra is placed, your eyes read the text under the label or visually inspect the herbs, but your third eye reads the yantra, and gets to the codes to open up a part of you that can hear what the medicine is saying. Of course, only a great Vaidya Yogi can fully do this, but I am sure it happens subtley for some and subliminally for others. Tradition is that the same exact yantra actually exists inside of us, in the patterns of certain inter-chakra nadi networks within the within.

If we are lucky and skillful, a Yantra can be programmed, or requested, to gather and hold our accumulated collective efforts, thereby building the Prana of the remedy, the clinic, or the vaidya. Of course, any logo can do this, but to the extent that the yantra carries and promotes a special Shakti, it enhances above any other logos of our enterprises.

Utilizing Yantra
Respect is the key to correct use of a yantra as it is the mansion of a particular goddess embodying a cosmic principle. Since the moon significantly helps to govern the Soma in the herbs, I often will place a large Sri Yantra engraved on a Silver, Copper or Gold plate on top of the herbs and place this overnight out in the light of the full moon or during some other auspicious muhurta (moment). The Yantra can also be placed on the herb jar label. Yantras are more powerful when engraved in metal, so in India I once commissioned an artist to engrave the Sri Yantra in the metal tops of my herb jars. They were beautiful and I feel the Goddesses who empower herbs appreciate beauty and are more likely to take up residence in herbal practices and apothecaries that embrace and radiate beauty. Well made and skillfully used Yantras can promote this beauty.

It is best to practice Yantras within the whole of the tradition to fully utilize its synergy; it will not thrive when torn from its Vedic roots. Good results can be generated with the judicial use of these mystic diagrams, but like any Vedic science, the use of Yantras is best learned directly from the Yantra and from an experienced expert, and not from mere written words. In fact, to be assured that I have a great expert on my side who will rectify my mistakes and lack of skill, I almost always use Yantras that I have personally immersed into the Ganga to invoke her Divine blessings. As Ayur, the continuity aspect of consciousness, is a hologram, Yantra helps us reflect That.

Prashanti studied the Vedic Sciences in India for most of the past decade, is now on the staff of Rishekesh College of Ayurveda in India. He helps direct a large organic herb project in India. Contact information: prashanti@igc.org Tel: 888-550-VEDA

Bhasma Therapy: Panacea or Poison?

by Jay Glaser, M.D.

Rasa, the Sanskrit name for an organism’s primordial essence, its plasma or sap, is also the ancient name for mercury. Formerly called quicksilver for its shimmering elemental liquid form that breaks into dozens of globules when shaken, mercury is held by many Ayurvedic physicians to be sacred because of its life-giving properties.

There is an Ayurvedic principle stating that the greatest of all remedies, taken improperly, can be a poison; and the worst poison, taken properly, can be the greatest of remedies. In no field of Ayurveda does this apply so aptly as the discipline of rasashastra. These texts are the description of how to prepare mercury bhasmas (The Sanskrit word bhasama literally means ashes, thus mercury bhasma means ashes of mercury.)

It is in this light that we have to consider an original research article presented in the December 15, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showing that fifteen of 70 different Ayurvedic products of Indian origin found in Asian grocery stores in the Boston area had levels of lead, mercury and arsenic that were above the amount considered safe.

To obtain the full article, click here and specify: "Glaser, Vol III, issue 3".

Jay Glaser, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and is medical director of the Lancaster Ayurveda Medical Center in Sterling, MA. Many of his articles and research on Ayurveda are available on his web site: www.AyurvedaMed.com. Request his free newsletter via email: subscribe@AyurvedaMed.com. Tel: 978-422-5044

Ayurvedic View on Rasa Shastra Metallic Medicines  or Bhasmas

by Dr.Patap Chauhan

History
Historically, Rasa Shastra or “Vedic Chemistry”, is an offshoot of Ayurveda that developed around the period when Buddha existed, more than 2500 years ago. This special branch of medicine is called Rasa shastra.Rasa shastra describes the use of metals, gems, minerals and poisons to produce special formulations that combat acute conditions or serious diseases. This science is often referred to as “alchemy” and the resultant medications are called rasas which mainly comprise of metallic ashes called bhasmas. According Rasendra Mangal of Nagarjuna (chapter 1, verse7-9) these bhasmas, or lighter forms of metals, are contained in organo-metallic compounds that work as carriers (yogavahi). This means they are able to carry the herbs mixed with them faster to the desired site and start the action immediately. They act as catalysts and increase the bioavailability of the herbs to the cell. After performing the desired action, the bhasmsas are eliminated through our excretory systems, specifically via mutra and mala (urine and stool).

Usage
Bhasmas can help patients who have tried all other medical solutions and have lost hope to recover. (Rasendra Mangal of Nagarjuna chapter 1, verse 10). They are often called ‘life saving’ or ‘miracle’ medicines and are preferred in acute situations or in grave illness due to their rapid action. They are considered to be the life saving drugs of Ayurveda and work wonders like the ‘steroids’ of modern medicine.


To obtain the full article, click here and specify: "Chauhan, Vol III, issue 3".

Dr. Partap Chauhan (Ayurvedacharya) is an author, educator and master Ayurvedic physician. He is the founder of Jiva Ayurveda, India and has traveled to more than 25 countries to teach Ayurveda and help patients suffering mainly from the so-called “incurable diseases”. Dr. Chauhan has been a pioneer in telemedicine, developing TeleDoc, and receiving the best ehealth project award from the United Nations in December, 2003. Website: www.ayurvedic.org.

Ethnopharmacology and Traditional Medicine - Exploring Challenges and Opportunities

by Amritpal Singh and Sanjiv Duggal

Introduction
With the isolation of quinine from Cinchona in 1820, an ancient herbal cure was transformed into a chemical drug. This was the inspiration for a new scientific discipline - ethnopharmacology - as Western scientists began to reinvent traditional herbal cures by extracting their active principles to make new and profitable drugs. The Chinese government may claim many such success stories as their own, but such triumphant narratives only reveal part of the story. The drawn-out hunt for the active principle of another anti-malarial herb, changshan, or Dichroa febrifuga, offers a more nuanced narrative that captures the complex interplay between traditional Chinese and Western medicine.1
Ethnopharmacology and Traditional Medicine:
Numerous drugs have entered the international pharmacopoeia via the study of ethnopharmacology and traditional medicine. For traditional medicines, newer guidelines of standardization, manufacture and quality control and scientifically rigorous research on the scientific basis for traditional treatments will be required. Traditional medical traditions can offer a more holistic approach to drug design and myriad possible targets for scientific analysis. Powerful new technologies such as automated separation techniques, high-throughput screening and combinatorial chemistry are revolutionizing drug discovery.2 Traditional knowledge can serve as a powerful search engine, which will greatly facilitate and rediscover intentional, focused and safe natural product drug discovery. By looking at the historical trends in drug and medical developments, it is possible to understand how current drug development will benefit from this partnership.3
Ayurvedic Indian and traditional Chinese systems are living great traditions. These traditions have relatively organized databases, and more exhaustive descriptions of botanical material that are available and can be tested using modern scientific methods. Both systems of medicine thus have an important role in bioprospecting of new medicines. Good botanical practices which can improve the quality control procedures of monitoring impurities, heavy metals and other toxins in the raw material can make the ethnopharmacology research more meaningful.
Drug discovery in the current scenario has become unproductive to the point where the economic future of the industry is questionable. To push into the future, the research and development thrust in the pharmaceutical sector needs to be focused on development of new drugs, innovative processes for known drugs and development of plant-based drugs through investigation of leads from the traditional systems of medicine. Traditional medicine can provide novel inputs into the drug development process. Yet, bioprospecting - the search for economically valuable natural resources - by pharmaceutical companies, or on their behalf, has not been conspicuously successful in recent years.4
Role for physicians in ethno pharmacology and drug discovery
Ethnopharmacology investigations classically involved traditional healers, botanists, anthropologists, chemists and pharmacologists. The role of some groups of researchers but not of physicians has been highlighted and well defined in ethnopharmacological investigations. Historical data shows that discovery of several important modern drugs of herbal origin owe to the medical knowledge and clinical expertise of physicians. Current trends indicate a negligible role of physicians in ethnopharmacological studies. The rising cost of modern drug development is attributed to the lack of using a classical ethnopharmacological approach. Physicians can play multiple roles in the ethnopharmacological studies to facilitate drug discovery as well as to rescue the authentic traditional knowledge of use of medicinal plants. These include:
(1) Ethnopharmacological field work which involves: interviewing healers; interpreting traditional terminologies into their modern counterparts; examining patients who are consuming herbal remedies; and identifying the disease for which an herbal remedy is used.
(2) Interpretation of signs and symptoms mentioned in ancient texts and suggesting proper use of old traditional remedies in the light of modern medicine.
(3) Clinical studies on herbs and their interaction with modern medicines.
(4) Advising pharmacologists to carry out laboratory studies on herbs that have been observed during field studies.
(5) Work in collaboration with local healers to strengthen the traditional system of medicine in a community.
A physician's involvement in ethnopharmacological studies will lead to more reliable information on traditional use of medicinal plants both from field and ancient texts, more focused and cheaper natural product based drug discovery, and will bridge the gap between traditional and modern medicine. 5
Ethnopharmacolgy and cultural relativism
It is commonly accepted that people differ culturally. In the Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model, cultural differences are evident in communication, spatial relationships and needs, social organizations, time orientation, the ability or desire to control the environment, and biological variations. While many individuals appreciate that there are differences between cultures, what is less well recognized is that people also vary according to biological variations depending on their racial and ethnic group. In the last 15 years, information about biological variations has rapidly expanded and that knowledge is essential in order to understand and provide care to individuals from another culture or another racial and ethnic group.
Attention to biological variations related to race and ethnicity, the last component of the Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Nursing Assessment Model, is a critical phenomenon that needs to be assessed in order to develop and implement a culturally sensitive plan of care in an effort to understand ethnopharmacolgy.6 The Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model was developed in 1988 in response to the need for nursing students in an undergraduate program to assess and provide care for culturally diverse patients . The model included six cultural phenomena: communication, time, space, social organization, environmental control, and biological variations. These provide a framework for patient assessment and from which culturally sensitive care can be designed.7
Ethnobotany/ethnopharmacology and mass bioprospecting
Ethnobotany/ethnopharmacology has contributed to the discovery of many important plant-derived drugs. Field explorations to seek and document indigenous and traditional medical knowledge (IMK/TMK), and/or the biodiversity with which the IMK/TMK is attached, and its conversion into a commercialized product is known as bioprospecting or biodiversity prospecting. When performed in a large-scale operation, the effort is referred to as mass bioprospecting. Experiences from the mass bioprospecting efforts undertaken by the United States National Cancer Institute, the National Cooperative Drug Discovery Groups (NCDDG) and the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) programs demonstrate that mass bioprospecting is a complex process, involving expertise from diverse areas of human endeavors, but central to it is the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that recognizes issues on genetic access, prior informed consent, intellectual property and the sharing of benefits that may arise as a result of the effort. Future mass bioprospecting endeavors must take heed of the lessons learned from past and present experiences in the planning for a successful mass bioprospecting venture.8

Traditional medicines play an important role in the provision of health care in many developing countries. Their use is also significant in developed countries, increasing their commercial value. Several 'high-profile' cases of patenting of traditional medicines, without consent from or compensation to their holders, have further focused attention on their importance. Traditional medicine usually involves biological resources and the knowledge of local and indigenous peoples and/or healers regarding their medicinal use; thus, it is interlinked with biodiversity conservation and indigenous peoples' rights over their knowledge and resources. At this multi-faceted interface, complex ethical questions arise.
Let us look at the key issues, dilemmas and challenges involved in utilizing and protecting traditional medicines. Are there ways to modifiy and devise new forms of intellectual property ownership that may better suit the needs of those who seek to protect traditional medicine? There also is the question whether such protection, which may restrict access, is the preferred option. While intellectual property protection for traditional medicines has multiple and diverse objectives, the priorities are often not clear and the strategies which could be deployed may interfere with each other, as well as with the prioritization of objectives. This is further aggravated by differences in stakeholders' concepts on ownership of knowledge and by uncertain or paradoxical effects of some potentially useful strategies. Thus, policymakers should address the multiple, multi-layered issues and questions, and try to develop a range of solutions in order to address and balance the various objectives and interests.9
When new plant-derived therapeutics based on indigenous knowledge is being explored, it is important that the pharmaceutical companies return benefits to the native populations and the local governments from which the research material was obtained. When a potentially marketable plant product is being developed, it is essential that equitable agreements have already been established between the pharmaceutical companies and the people and/or countries from which this indigenous knowledge was acquired. Equally important is the commitment to provide immediate reciprocity that will enhance the welfare, the biocultural diversity and the well-being of the forest peoples. These measures should commence when a research project begins and continue during its duration. The development of these measures must be based upon the expressed needs of the indigenous communities. According to SR King, et al,10 there is a relationship between the stability of the rain forest biocultural diversity, the creation and development of agro-forest resources and long-term benefits to the forest people.
Ethno pharmacology: Novel Applications
Vaccines
The combined use of vaccines and immunostimulants is emerging as one of the innovative approaches in adjuvant development. The role of herbal drugs as immunomodulator agents are well-documented and their importance in bioprospecting is obvious.11 Recently researchers have suggested using ethno pharmacology in contrast to the random screening approach since it is more cost and time effective.12
Antiviral
Herbal medicinal products have been used as source of putative candidate drugs in many diseases. However, in case of viral diseases, the development of antivirals from natural sources is less explored, probably because within the virus there are few specific targets where the small molecules can interact to inhibit or kill the virus. The currently available antiherpes drugs are nucleoside analogs that did not cure the lifelong or recurrent infections and the use of these drugs often leads to the development of viral resistance coupled with the problem of side effects, recurrence and viral latency. However a wide array of herbal products, used by diverse medicinal systems throughout the world, showed a high level of antiherpes virus activities and many of them have complementary and overlapping mechanisms of action, either by inhibiting viral replication, or by viral genome synthesis.13
References:

  1. Burns WR, East meets West: how China almost cured malaria. Endeavour 2008; 32(3):101-6.

  2. Singh AP. Herbal Medicine–Dream Unresolved. Ethno botanical Leaflets 2007; 11:195-198.

  1. Cordell GA, Colvard MD. Some thoughts on the future of ethnopharmacology. J Ethnopharmacol2005; 100(1-2):5-14.

  2. Patwardhan B. Drug Discovery and Development: Traditional Medicine and Ethnopharmacology, New India Publishing Agency, Pitam Pura, New Delhi, India; 2007.

  3. Raza M. A role for physicians in ethnopharmacology and drug discovery. J Ethnopharmacol   2006; 104(3): 297-301

  4. Davidhizar R, Giger JN. Understanding ethnopharmacolgy: implications for cultural relativism. J Natl Black Nurses Assoc 2008; 19(1):63-8.

  5. Davidhizar R, Giger JN. The Giger and Davidhizar transcultural assessment model. J Transcult Nurs 2002; 13(3):185-8.

  6. Soejarto DD, Fong HHS, Tan GT, Zhang HJ et al Ethnobotany/ethnopharmacology and mass bioprospecting: issues on intellectual property and benefit-sharing. J Ethnopharmacol   2005; 100(1-2):15-22.

  7. Timmermans K. Intellectual property rights and traditional medicine: policy dilemmas at the interface. Soc Sci Med 2003; 57(4):745-56.

  8. King SR, Carlson TJ, Moran K. Biological diversity, indigenous knowledge, drug discovery and intellectual property rights: creating reciprocity and maintaining relationships. J Ethnopharmacol 1996; 51(1-3):45-57.

  9. Gautam M, Gairola S, Jadhav S, Patwardhan. Ethnopharmacology in vaccine adjuvant discovery. Vaccine 2008; 26(41):5239-40.

  10. Patwardhan B., ibid.

  11. Chattopadhyay D, Khan MT. Ethnomedicines and ethnomedicinal phytophores against herpesviruses. Biotechnol Annu Rev 2008; 14:297-348.

Amritpal Singh, Senior Lecturer, Lovely School of Applied Medical Sciences, Dept of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara (India) and Sanjiv Duggal, Senior Lecturer, Lovely School of Applied Medical Sciences, Dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara (India)

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Amritpal Singh
2101, Ph-7, Mohali-160062
Email:amritpal2101@yahoo.com