Monday, November 15, 2010

SIDDHA MEDICINE

                            The Siddha medicine is a form of south Indian Tamil traditional medicine and part of the trio Indian medicines - ayurveda, siddha and unani.This is nearly 10,000 years old medical system followed by the Tamil people, both in India and abroad. This system of medicine was popular in ancient India,due to the antiquity of this medical system,the siddha system of medicine is believed to be one of the oldest medical system. The system is believed to be developed by the 18 siddhas in the south called siddhar. They are the ancient supernatural spiritual saints of India and the Siddha system is believed to be handed over to the Siddhar by the Hindu God - Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. So are the siddhars, the followers of Lord Shiva (Shaivaites). Siddhar's total nos are eighteen, with agathiyar being the first Siddhar.
                                         
                           According to the scriptures, there were 18 principal siddhars. Of these 18, agasthiyar is believed to be the father of siddha medicine. Siddhars were of the concept that a healthy soul can only be developed through a healthy body. So they developed methods and medication that are believed to strengthen their physical body and thereby their souls. Men and women who dedicated their lives into developing the system were called Siddhars. They practiced intense yogic practices, including years of fasting and meditation. And believed to have achieved super natural powers and gained the supreme wisdom and overall immortality. Through this spiritually attained supreme knowledge, they wrote scriptures on all aspects of life, from arts to science and truth of life to miracle cure for diseases.
                           The Siddhars wrote their knowledge in palm leaf manuscripts, fragments of which were found in different parts of South India. It is believed that some families may possess more fragments, but keep them solely for their own use.
From these manuscripts, the siddha system of medicine developed into a part of Indian medical science. Today there are recognized siddha medical colleges, run under the government universities  where siddha medicine is taught.[citation needed]
Siddha medicine means medicine that is perfect. Siddha medicine is claimed to revitalize and rejuvenate dysfunctional organs that cause the disease and to maintain the ratio of vata, pitta and kapha. The siddha medicine given to practitioners include leaves, flowers, fruit and various roots in a mixed basis. In some extraordinary cases this medicine is not at all cured. For those such cases they recommend to take Thanga Pashpam in it Gold is also added in an Eating method.
Most of the practicing Siddha medical practitioners are traditionally trained, usually in families and also by different gurus (teachers). When the guru is also a martial arts teacher, he is also known as an ashan. They make a diagnosis after a patient's visit and sets about to refer their manuscripts for the appropriate remedies which a true blue physician compounds himself or herself from thousands of herbal and herbo-mineral resources. The methodology of siddha thought helped decipher many causes of disorders and the formulation of curious remedies which may sometimes have more than 250 ingredients.
After Tamil Nadu's Current Chief Minister Dr. Kalaigar Karunanidhi's Announcement of Tamil New Year's Day as World Siddha Day, the First World Siddha Day was celebrated on 14 April 2009, addressed by his Excellency Shri Surjit Singh Barnala, Governor of Tamil Nadu.[6]
The 2nd World Siddha Day was celebrated in a grand manner this year, 14 April 2010, at Image Auditorium, Adyar, Chennai, more than 2000 students, post graduates, practitioners and traditional vaidyas participated in the celebration addressed by Honourable Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Shri. M. R. K. Pannerselvam, and Peraasiriyar Anbhazhagan[7]
In connection with the celebrations, a website was also launched

 Basics

Generally the basic concepts of the Siddha medicine are almost similar to ayurveda. The only difference appears to be that the siddha medicine recognizes predominance of vatham, pitham and kapam in childhood, adulthood and old age respectively, whereas in ayurveda it is totally reversed: kapam is dominant in childhood, vatham in old age and pitham in adults.
According to the Siddha medicine various psychological and physiological functions of the body are attributed to the combination of seven elements: first is saram (plasma) responsible for growth, development and nourishment; second is cheneer (blood) responsible for nourishing muscles, imparting colour and improving intellect; the third is ooun (muscle) responsible for shape of the body; fourth is kollzuppu (fatty tissue) responsible for oil balance and lubricating joints; fifth is elumbu (bone) responsible for body structure and posture and movement; sixth is moolai (brain) responsible for strength; and the last is sukila (semen) responsible for reproduction. Like in Ayurveda, in Siddha medicine also the physiological components of the human beings are classified as vatha (air), pitha (fire) and kapha (earth and water

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