The history of the Indian sacred book (Atharva-Veda) and its Contribution to the Integrative Medicine Model

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1 Paulo Nuno Martins The history of the Indian sacred book (Atharva-Veda) and its Contribution to the Integrative Medicine Model 54 The history of the Indian sacred book (Atharva-Veda) and its Contribution to the Integrative Medicine Model Paulo Nuno Martins, Interuniversity Center for History of Science and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Portugal, Received 14 August 2017; Revised 21 September 2017; Accepted 7 October 2017 Copyright c 2017 Paulo Nuno Martins. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License ( which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Available online 28 October 2017 at doi: /2017/00086 here are four Vedas (the Sacred books of Hinduism). The fourth, the Atharvaveda, cover several topics related with health sciences (diseases, their causes and cures, longevity, and so on), and so this Veda is considered to be a precursor of Ayurveda. This paper seeks to be a study of the contribution of the Ayurveda to the appearance of the Integrative medicine model (synthesis of Ayurveda medicine with Western medicine). T Keywords: Indian Sacred books (AtharvaVeda), Ayurveda medicine, conventional medicine, integrative medicine model. 1 Introduction The Arian race brought to India the Vedas (the sacred books of Hinduism). The fourth Veda, the Atharva Veda, deals with some topics such as Bhaisajya (diseases, their causes and cures) and Ayusya (supplications for longevity). This con- ISSN: online, c 2017 TheATLAS tributed to the appearance of the Ayurveda the Indian tradicional medicine. The Ayurveda medicine, sometimes called mindbody medicine, argues that the root of the diseases is due to an imbalance of the mind (our personal thoughts and/or feelings) which means that the cure could be performed by the mind itself, instead of using an external agent as recommended by conventional medicine (Western medicine). In fact, conventional medicine is based on the premise that the cause of most diseases is due to external toxic agents (such as bacteria and viruses) or to physical body mechanical malfunctioning of an internal organ. So, the cure is effected mainly by treating the symptoms of the disease until they disappear, via chemical drugs, surgery or energy radiation (in case of cancer). A fundamental component of the Ayurveda medicine (Eastern medicine) is regeneration and recovery of wholeness (etymologically, healing and whole come from the same root). The basis of this thinking is written in the Indian Sacred books which

2 The history of the Indian sacred book (Atharva-Veda) and its Contribution to the Integrative Medicine Model 55 referred to the theory of Reincarnation or the cycle of birth and rebirth until the Law of Cause and Effect of Consciousness is satisfied [1] so that the spiritual evolution of consciousness might occur. This is the fundamental premise of the Integrative medicine model (a synthesis of Eastern medicine with Western medicine) which defends a deep relationship between human body health and the spiritual evolution of consciousness mind. 2 The History of Indian Medical Book (Atharva-Veda) and its Relationship with Ayurveda Hindu texts are manuscripts and historic literature related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as Hindu scriptures. These include the Vedas and the Upanishads. The Vedas [2] were composed in Sanskrit and are considered to be apaureseya, which means not of a man, but a superhuman and impersonal, authorless. Vedas are also called sruti ( what is heard ) literature, distinguishing them from other religious texts, which are called smrti ( what is remembered ). The Vedas are considered revelations, some way or other the work of the Deity [3]. In the Hindu Epic the Mahabharata, the creation of Vedas is credited to Brahma. There are four Vedas: The Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Sameveda and the Atharvaveda. Each Veda has been subclassified into four major text types [4]: the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices) and the Upanishads (text discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge). The Atharvaveda (the knowledge storehouse of atharvanas and the procedure for everyday life or in mythological terms a son of Brahma who brought down fire from heaven ) [5] is composed in Vedic Sanskrit and it is a collection of 730 hymns with about 6000 mantras, divided into 20 books. The Atharvaveda had nine shakhas or schools, such as, paippalada, stauda, mauda, saunakiya, jajala, jalada, brahmavada, devadarsa and caranavaidya. Only two different recensions of the text the Paippalada and the Saunakiya have survived into modern times [6]. The Atharvaveda is sometimes called the Veda of magical formulas. In fact, the Atharvaveda Samhita is a text of magico-religious rites to remove maladies believed to be caused by demons, as well as, the name of some herbs derived potions as medicine. This text is one of oldest surviving record of the evolutionary practices in religious medicine and reveals the earliest forms of folk healing of Indo-European antiquity [7]. The Atharvaveda Samhita originally was organized into 18 books (Kandas) and the last two were added later. These books are arranged neither by subject nor by authors (as in case with the other Vedas), but by the length of the hymns. Each book generally has hymns of about a similar number of verses, and the surviving manuscripts label the book with the shortest hymns as Book 1. The hymns of Atharvaveda cover eight topics, across its twenty books. The topics are: Bhaisajya (diseases, their causes and cures), Ayusya (supplications for longevity), Paustika (worldly progress and welfare), Abhicarika (destroy or harm enemies who obstruct progress), Prayascitta (expiatory rites), Rajakarma (political system), Brahmanya (nature of Brahman, the Absolute). In this paper, which is a study of the relationship between Atharvaveda and the Ayurveda medicine, we are going to concentrate on the description of the Bhaisajya Suktas and Ayusya Suktas. The Bhaisajya Suktas show a remarkable insight into the subject of health sciences. That is why this Veda is considered to be the precursor of Ayurveda or the Science of health and longevity. These suktas contain many prayers for health and longevity. Moreover, the various names of the parts of the body given here, it is an evidence of an intimate knowledge of human anatomy. Several diseases like fever, leukoderma, leprosy, jaundice, diabetes, dropsy, skin disorders, troubles of the ear, nose and throat, diseases of the heart and tuberculosis, are mentioned with their respective cures. These diseases are caused by germs, violation of the laws of nature, anger of deities, malevolent spirits and sins commited previously. Apart from medicines and physical remedies, use of chants and charms was also in plenty. A deep knowledge of the herbs and their various medicinal properties can be inferred from many of the mantras. The Ayusya Suktas contain supplications for longevity. They are to be uttered on auspicious occasions like caula (tonsure), upanayama (investiture with the sacred thread), godana (gifting of cows) and so on. One of the suktas indicates to wear the

3 The history of the Indian sacred book (Atharva-Veda) and its Contribution to the Integrative Medicine Model 56 raksasutra ( tread of protection ) on the body to attain longevity. The first seven books of the hymns of Atharvaveda [8] focus primarily on magical poems for all sorts of healing, while books 8 to 12 are speculations of a variety of topics. The books 13 to 18 tend to be about life cycle rites of passage rituals [9]. For example, the verses in hymn 4.15 of the recently discovered Paippalada version of the Atharvaveda, discuss how to deal with an open fracture [10], and how to wrap the wound with Rohini plant. The verses in hymn 5.21 of Paippalada version of the Atharvaveda, claims that some diseases, such as fever [11], are caused by evil spirits, external beings or demonic forces who enter the body of a victim to cause sickness. Several hymns in the Atharvaveda such as hymn 8.7, just like the Rigveda s hymn 10.97, is a praise of medical herbs and plants, suggesting that speculations about the medical and health value of plants and herbs was an emerging field of knowledge in ancient India. The Atharvaveda Samhita, as with the other Vedas, includes also some hymns such as 4.1, 5.6, 10.7, 13.4, 17.1, , with metaphysical questions on the nature of existence, man, heaven and hell, good and evil. Hymn 10.7 of Atharvaveda, for example, ask questions such as what is the source of cosmic order?, Is Skambha (synonym for Brahman) the basis of Law, Devotion and Belief?. The Atharvaveda goes beyond the duality of heaven and hell, and speculates on the idea of Brahman as the all pervasive monism. Order and health is established out of chaos by a process and universal principles that transcend good and evil. There are also some hymns, such as 7.52, with a desire for harmony and peace. The Atharvaveda has no surviving Aranyaka, though the Gopatha Brahmana is regarded as its Aranyaka. The Atharvaveda Brahmana includes Gopatha Brahmana text, that goes with Atharva Samhita. The Atharvaveda has three primary Upanishads embedded within it: Mundaka Upanishad, Manduka Upanishad, Prashna Upanishad. The Mundaka Upanishad is a poetic style Upanishad, with 64 verses, written in form of mantras which are used for teaching and meditation on spiritual knowledge. The Mundaka Upanishad contains three Mundakams (parts), each with two sections. The first Mundakam defines the science of Higher knowledge and Lower knowledge, and then asserts that it is the Higher knowledge that frees. The second Mundakam describes the nature of the Brahman, the Atman (Self, Soul) and the path to know Brahman. The third Mundakam continues the discussion and then asserts that the state of knowing Brahman is one of freedom, fearlessness, liberation and bliss. Through continuous pursuit of Satya (truthfulness), Tapas (perseverance, austerity), Samyajnana (correct knowledge), and Brahmacharya, one attains Atman (Soul) and Paramatman (God). The Manduka Upanishad is the shortest of all the Upanishads, found in the Atharvaveda. The text discusses the syllable Om, presents the theory of states of consciousness, asserts the existence and nature of Atman (Soul), and the philosophical relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism. The Prashna Upanishad contains six Prashna (questions), and each a chapter with a discussion of answers. The first three questions are profound metaphysical questions but, do not contain any defined, philosophical answer but, instead of it mythology and symbolism. The fourth question, in contrast, contains substancial philosophy. The last two questions discuss the symbol Om and moksha (liberation) concept. It is certainly the case that among the Vedas the Atharva Veda has attracted the least attention over the last two hundred years of Indological study, primarily due to its minor role in Vedic sacrifices. There have been few studies dedicated exclusively to the Atharva Veda and its traditions. The study of the Atharva Veda gained proeminence with Whitney [12] through his monumental translations and studies of the Atharva Veda (Saunaka) Samhita. However, Bloomfield [13] provides the most comprehensive treatment of the Atharva Veda tradition, its texts, content, and place in the Vedic tradition. Following Whitney s and Blommfield s efforts, interest in Atharva Veda studies diminished. The field of Atharva Veda studies came alive again in the 1950s, when Bhattacharya [14] announced the discovery of several palm-leaf manuscripts of the Paippalada Samhita from Orissa. In the 1990s and early 2000s several kandas or books of the Paippalada Samhita were edited and translated, and a few collections of papers on the Atharva Veda appeared [15]. On the other hand, the roots of Ayurveda (a traditional medical and health care practice in India) [16] are in Hindu texts of Charaka Samhita (an internal medicine treatise) and Sushruta Samhita (a surgery treatise), both of which claim their allegiance and inspiration to be the Atharvaveda [17]. The Rishi

4 The history of the Indian sacred book (Atharva-Veda) and its Contribution to the Integrative Medicine Model 57 Sushruta, remembered for his contributions to surgical studies, credits Atharvaveda as a foundation [18] and the verse of the Charaka Samhita [19] also states reverence for the Atharvaveda. The Charaka Samhita consists of eight books and one hundred chapters. The eight books are Sutra Sthana (General principles which deal with general principles, philosophy, definitions, prevention through healthy living), Nidana Sthana (Pathology which deal on causes of diseases), Vimana Sthana (Specific determination which contain training of a physician, ethics of medical practice, diet and nourishment, taste of medicine), Sarira Sthana (Anatomy which describe embryology and anatomy of a human body), Indriya Sthana (Sensory organ based prognosis which is an elaboration on diagnosis and prognosis, mostly based on sensory response of the patient), Cikitsa Sthana (Therapeutics which deal with medicines and treatment of diseases), Kalpa Sthana (Pharmaceutic and toxicology which describe pharmacy, the preparation and dosage of medicine, signs of their abuse, and dealing with poisons), Siddhi Sthana (Success in treatment). The Sushruta Samhita is divided into two parts: the first five chapters (Sutra-sthana, Nidana-sthana, Sarira-sthana, Cikitsa-sthana, Kalpa-sthana), which are considered to be the oldest part of the text, and the Later Section (Uttara-tantra) that was added by the author Dridhabala. The content of these chapters is diverse, some topics are covered in multiple chapters in different books. And so, Ayurveda is considered an upanga (subsidiary) to the Atharvaveda. 3 The Contribution of Ayurveda to Integrative Medicine The Ayurveda medical books [20] - sometimes called mind-body medicine - claims that diseases arise because of mental imbalances which are reflected in disturbances of vital energy (called prana ) that flows in pathways called nadis. In Ayurveda (and Eastern medicine) some medical signs are required in order to make a suitable diagnose of the patient. Ayurveda books [21] claim that each individual is characterized by a combination of certain mental and vital body types called gunas (rajas, tamas and sattwa) and doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), respectively. These mental and vital body characteristics are important in Ayurveda (and in mind-body medicine) because show us the several ways in which the individual is able to process the movements of the vital energy, and so determine (in some way) the individual s physical body type. For example, a person with a hyperactive mind (overactive mental rajas) might have a major susceptibility to physical nervous disease (due to a quick temper), while a person with a mental inertia (or mental tamas) could be prone to physical depression. In the same way, in Western medical books (from conventional medicine) four mind humours are considered important in order to make a proper medical diagnose: the choleric, the phlegmatic, the melancholic and the sanguine. If we would like to make some parallel with Ayurveda, we could say that the choleric humour corresponds to Ayurvedic pitta type; the phlegmatic humour corresponds to Ayurvedic kapha type; the melancholic and the sanguine humours correspond to Ayurvedic vata type [22]. Moreover, the Ayurveda books and the Oriental medicine claims that the human being has seven vortices of consciousness or mind perception, called chakra [23] which lead to seven planes of manifestation or reality [24]. These seven planes of reality are: Annamaya Kosha (or physical plane of consciousness), Pranamaya Kosha (or vital plane of consciousness), Kamamaya Koha (or emotional plane of consciousness), Manomaya Kosha (or concrete mental plane of conciousness), Vijnanamaya Kosha (or archetypical mental plane of counsciousness), Anandamaya Kosha (or intuitive plane of consciousness) and Purushamaya Kosha (or nirvanic plane of consciousness). Thus, nothing happens in the Universe or in the physical world (including the physical body health) that doesn t have its correspondent on all planes of manifestation [25]. The vital body is correlated to physical body organs at the chakras. The relationship between vital-physical bodies shows promise in integrating Ayurveda and Western medicines. In Western medicine (conventional medicine), healing is effected mainly by treating the symptoms of the physical body disease via chemical drugs, surgery, while in Ayurveda the cure is performed particularly by the mind itself (mind, emotions) via an inward self-healing process [26]. The individual way we process the meaning of thoughts and emotions depends on the mental and the vital body characteristics as referred to by Ayurveda. We can heal ourselves by regaining balanced movement of vital energy at the chakra, un-

5 The history of the Indian sacred book (Atharva-Veda) and its Contribution to the Integrative Medicine Model 58 blocking the movement that was suppressed by the mind (which means making what was previously unconscious become conscious). Conventional medicine also agree with the mind correlated with the brain via consciousness. The brain is also connected to our immunological system via the movement of neuropeptides, such as endorphin (in this way, the mind, via the brain, can affect the immunological system). The mind can also affect our physical body through the autonomic nervous system the part of our nervous system that is involuntary [27]. Thus, if the function of the immunological system is suppressed we may get various diseases, like breast cancer (research in this medical area points out that combination of mental, vital and physical imbalances could contribute to this illness). Recently, it appeared the Integrative medicine model which is a holistic approach to health [28], that is, a synthesis of Ayurveda medicine (mindbody medicine) with Western medicine (conventional medicine). The Integrative medicine model tries not to treat disease by targeting only the physical level (looking at the human body as a car mechanic would look at an automobile), but by assuming that the mental, emotional and vital bodies are the places where disease could originate and thus, where healing should firstly take place. The higher plane of consciousness (the Soul and Spirit) heals the lower planes (the mental, the emotional, the vital and the physical), although can be a lengthy process. One of the gifts of an Integrative medicine model is try to help to understand the explanation of distant and spontaneous healing [29], as well as, the healing of incurable diseases which are described in the Indian Sacred books. Larry Dossey [30] was one of the first to talk about nonlocality (instantaneous communication outside space-time) in healing. Some years later, Byrd [31] did his double-blind experiment on distant prayer healing. In this experiment, carried out at San Francisco hospital, the healing rate of a group of patients was studied, but only an arbitrarily chosen fraction of them were prayed for at distance by a prayer group, without the knowledge of either the doctor or the patient. The result of the experiment is historically famous: those who are prayed for, healed more quickly. Prayer works for healing even at distance as referred to by Indian Sacred books. When somebody prays for us from afar selflessly, the consciousness mind (being nonlocal and unitive), simultaneously collapses the healing intention of the prayer group mind and the patient mind. 4 Conclusions The Indian Sacred books (particularly Atharvaveda) which are the essence of the Ayurveda medicine, claim that the consciousness mind triggers the malfunctioning of the vital and the physical bodies. Ayurveda books have suggested that self-healing [32] depends on a process of self-transformation or self-awareness. The intuition is a central element to get disease control [33], so that we can contribute to the betterment of the world around us. One of humanity s evolutionary goals is to make the unconscious conscious [34] in order to manifest new archetypes (love, light and grace) on our planet as is suggested by the Indian Sacred books. The healing of the Earth is within humanity itself, namely, in our spiritual evolution [35]. And so, the main target of an Integrative medicine model (an evolutionary model of healing) is to relate the body health and the power of the consciousness mind [36] with the spiritual evolution of humanity so that some spontaneous healings described in the Sacred books of all religious traditions (Vedas, Bible, Qur an, Torah) might be explained in a scientific way. Acknowledgements I would like to thank to Professor Dr. Carlos Lopez providing valuable suggestions on the history of the Atharva-Veda. References [1] Vivekananda, S. (1998). Karma Yoga, Brasilian Editions. [2] Staal, F. (2009). Discovering the Vedas: Origins, Mantras, Rituals, Insights. Penguin. [3] Muller, M. (2002). The Sacred Books of the East, vol. 42, Oxford University Press. [4] Gonda, J. (2009). Vedic Literature: Samhitas and Brahmanes, vol. 1, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. [5] Bloomfield, M. (1999). The Atharvaveda, Harvard University Press. [6] Lopez, C. (2010). Atharvaveda-Paippalada Kandas Thirteen and Fourteen, Harvard University Press.

6 The history of the Indian sacred book (Atharva-Veda) and its Contribution to the Integrative Medicine Model 59 [7] Zysk, K. (1993). Religious Medicine: The History and Evolution of Indian Medicine, Routledge. [8] Griffith, R. (2010). Atharva Veda, Books I to VII, E.J. Lazarus. [9] Griffith, R. (2016). Atharva Veda, Books VIII to XX, Harvard University Press. [10] Lubotsky, A. and Griffiths, A. (2002). Paipalada Samhita 4.15: To Heal an Open Fracture With a Plant. Die Sprache, 42(1-2): [11] Zysk, K. (1983). Fever in Vedic India. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 103(3): [12] Whitney, W. D. (1905). Atharva-Veda Samhita, Charles Rockwell Lanman. [13] Bloomfield, M. (1896). Contributions to the Interpretation of the Veda. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol.16. [14] Bhattacharyya, D. and Limaye, V.P. and Gadre, R.N. (1968). The Fundamental themes of the Atharvaveda, with special references to its Paippaladasamhita, Acharya V. P. Limaye and R. N. Gadre. Poona: S. P. Mandali. [15] Ghosh, A. (2002). Atharvana: a collection of essays on the Atharva Veda with special reference to its Paippalada tradition, Kolkata: Sanskrit Book Depot. [16] Wujastyk, D. (2003). The roots of Ayurveda, Penguin Classics. [17] Zysk, K. (2010). Medicine in the Veda: Religious Healing in the Veda, Motilal Banarsidass. [18] Knapp, S. (2006). The Power of Dharma, Rasbihari Lal & Sons. [19] Valiathan, M.S. (2002). The Legacy of Caraka, Orient Blackswan. [20] Frawley, D. (1989). Ayurvedic Healing, Salt Lake City, UT:Passage Press. [21] Berger, R. (2013). Ayurveda Made Modern, Palgrave Macmillan. [22] Khare, C.P. and Katiyar, C.K. (2012). The Modern Ayurveda, CRC Press. [23] Motoyama, H. (1981). Theories of the Chakras, Wheaton, I.L.:Theosophical Publishing House. [24] Nicolescu, B. (1996). Levels of Complexity and Levels of Reality, Bernard Pullman Edition. [25] Dossey, L. (1982). Space, Time and Medicine, Boulder, CO:Shambhala. [26] Lad, V. (1984). Ayurveda: The science of self- Healing, santa Fe, N.M.: Lotus Press. [27] Pert, C. (1997). Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel, New York: Scribner. [28] Goswami, A. (2004). The Quantum Doctor, Hampton Roads Publishing Co. [29] O Regan, B. (1987). Spontaneous Remission: Studies of Self-Healing, Sausalito, CA: Institute of Noetic Sciences. [30] Dossey, L. (2001). Healing beyond the Body, Boston: Shambala. [31] Byrd, C. (1988). Positive therapeutic effects of intercessor prayer in a coronary care unit population. Southern Medical Journal, 81(1), [32] Barasch, M.I. (1993). The Healing Path, New York:Tarcher/Putnam. [33] Salovey, P. and Mayer, J.D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(1): [34] Kübler-Ross, E. (1975). Death: The Final Stage of Growth, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:Prentice-Hall. [35] Siegel, B.S. (1990). Peace, Love and Healing, New York: Haper Perennial. [36] Searle,J.R. (1994). The Rediscovery of the Mind, Cambridge, M.A.:MIT Press. About the Author Dr. Paulo Nuno Martins, a Chemical Engineer (Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon) and a PhD in History and Philosophy of Science (Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon). He studied for 3 years Oriental languages and culture (Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic) and he is currently a researcher in History of science at Interuniversity Center for History of Science and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Portugal (CIUHCT-UNL) ( ). Dr. Paulo Nuno Martins is a member of CIRET (centre international de recherches et d études transdisciplinaires), Paris.