Hans Heinrich Rhyner - Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Ayurveda: A Comprehensive Resource for the Understanding & Practice of Traditional Indian Medicine

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

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Llewellyns Complete Book of Ayurveda: A Comprehensive Resource for the Understanding & Practice of Traditional Indian Medicine 2017 by Hans H. Rhyner.

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Copyright by Hans Heinrich Rhyner / Koenigsfurt-Urania Verlag, D-24796 Krummwisch, www.koenigsfurt-urania.com.

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First e-book edition 2017

E-book ISBN: 9780738757360

Cover design by Kevin R. Brown

For a complete list of art credits see page

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Rhyner, Hans H.

Title: Llewellyns complete book of Ayurveda : a comprehensive resource for

the understanding & practice of traditional Indian medicine / Hans H.

Rhyner MD, PhD.

Other titles: Neue Ayurveda-Praxis-Handbuch. English | Complete book of

Ayurveda | Translated title: New Ayurveda practice handbook

Description: First American edition. | Woodbury, Minnesota : Llewellyn

Publications, 2017. | 7th German edition: Das neue

Ayurveda-Praxis-Handbuch (Krummwisch : Konigsfurt-Urania Verlag, 2014). |

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016056363 | ISBN 9780738748689

Subjects: LCSH: Medicine, Ayurvedic. | Alternative medicine.

Classification: LCC R605 .R48413 2017 | DDC 615.5/38--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016056363

Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

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Manufactured in the United States of America

Contents

: AyurvedaMother of Medicine

: Applied Philosophy and Working Hypothesis

: Anatomical Aspects (Rachana Sharira)

: Evolutionary Physiology (Kriya Sharira)

: Constitution (Prakruti)

: Pathology (Samprapti)

: Diagnostics (Nidana)

: Pharmacology (Dravya Guna)

: Treatment Strategies (Chikitsa)

: Nutritional Science (Annavijnana)

: Preventive Medicine (Swasthavritta)

: Quintet of Therapeutics (Panchakarma)

: Clinical Application

: Ayurvedic Surgery

: Ayurvedic Psychiatry

: Yoga in Therapy

: VastuVedic Geomancy

: Medical Astrology

: Womens Health

: List of Ayurveda Products

: List of Ailments, Medicaments, Dosages, and Therapies

: Ingredients Used in Listed Ayurvedic Medicaments

: Abbreviations

: Important Addresses

Disclaimer

Please note that the information in this book is not meant to diagnose, treat, prescribe, or replace a consultation with a licensed health-care professional. The publisher and the author assume no liability for any injuries caused to the reader that may result from the readers use of content contained in this publication and recommend common sense when contemplating the practices described in the work.

introduction

It is better to die than to be treated by a physician ignorant of the science of medicine. Because, like a blind person groping in darkness without direction or a sail-less boat being driven by the wind, a quack treats his patients without any clue of the consequences of the treatment. By sheer accident, such a quack may cure a few people who would otherwise also have got over the ailment by the law of nature; but he is likely to kill hundreds of patients who would have survived if treated properly.

W hen I started my practice of Ayurveda in 1984, the comparison to the blind man in the previous verse instantly came to mind. I realized that enthusiasm, good intentions, and partial knowledge alone were not sufficient to venture into the field of medical Ayurveda. When my family moved from Bombay to Bangalore, I got the opportunity to meet my respected teachers Professor Vasudevan Nair and Professor P.S. Rai. They not only taught me the principles of Ayurveda both in practice and theory but also encouraged my enthusiasm of bringing Ayurveda to Europe.

Professor Vasudevan wrote in a draft at the first meeting of our newly founded Trust: The Ayurveda Research Centre International has come into existence. So we must immediately get down to the business of achieving the objective of the Trust both in letter and spirit. To put it in a single line, the aim of the Trust is to resuscitate Ayurveda to its ancient glory and provide minimum health care to all people of the world. This left me with no choice but to devote all my time and energy to the cause of Ayurveda.

Notwithstanding a few setbacks, it has been particularly exhilarating to experience the growing popularity and the positive therapeutic effects that were and are achieved by Ayurvedic treatments in the West. In this pursuit, it was a fortuitous meeting with Dr. Vishwanath Rai, the brother of Professor P.S. Rai, who had made a career in Europe as a neurophysician and went on to head the major Swiss epilepsy hospital. He helped me in establishing the first Ayurvedic hospital in Switzerland. In him I saw a kind and a thorough professional as well as a great teacher. I am most grateful to him for his unstinting support and guidance.

As of today, I have treated thousands of patients for more than thirty-five years. I have also had the opportunity to teach a new generation of highly committed students in whom rests the challenge of spreading Ayurvedic knowledge in the days to come.

It is for the future practitioners of Ayurveda that I have undertaken writing this book. In addition, it should also provide the layperson with an insight into the basic principles of Ayurveda, its therapies, and its vast materia medica.

Each chapter begins with verses translated from the classical textbooks. This should arouse the curiosity of the student of Ayurveda, forcing he or she to delve deeply into the works of the pioneers themselves, for any attempt to make inroads into any field of science would be futile without knowing its roots. In addition, the book should help not only to dispel the misconception from the critical readers mind that old medical textbooks are obsolete but also gain deep understanding into the science of medicine that has been in use for thousands of years.