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Ayurveda > Ayurvedic Treatment > Ashtang-Ayurved: Purva-karma
By
Dr. Satish Kulkarni.
We have seen in
the last article that one way of
classifying Ayurvedic
treatment is purva-karma
(pre-procedures), panch-karma
(five important procedures) also
known as pradhan-karma (main
procedures) and pashchat-karma
(follow-up treatment). Amongst these
three procedures, purva-karma
includes snehan (olation
therapy) and swedan
(fomentation therapy).
Ayurveda
believes that the cause of chronic
diseases is deep rooted faults in the
dosha (basic body elements)-dhatu
(body tissues)-mala (waste
products) system of the body and a
diseased person needs one or more panch-karma
to cleanse the body so as to achieve
a status of health again.
Nonetheless, the desired effect of panch-karma
can be achieved only after proper purva-karma
i.e. preparation of the body to
receive panch-karma or
pradhan-karma.
Purva-karma
is done by snehan and swedan
under the supervision of an Ayurvedic
therapist. In scheduled treatment, snehan
is followed by swedan.
Snehan:
This can be done in two ways:
- Internal snehan:
- In
this type of snehan,
sidhdha ghrut
(medicated clarified
butter) or sidhdha
taila (medicated
edible oil) is given by
oral route in the dose
recommended by the Ayurvedic
therapist. This ghee (ghrut)
or oil is called sneha.
It works as a lubricant
to the body system. Snehan
helps in reducing
dryness. It enters the dhatu
(body tissues) and strotasa
(body passages). This
ultimately helps in
driving impurities out of
the body during panch-karma.
Snehan mobilizes
unwanted stuff lodged in
the body and adds to the
results of panch-karma.
Elimination of ama
(toxins) becomes easy if purva-karma
is carried out properly,
which can otherwise be a
difficult task. Ghee (ghrut)
prepared from cow milk is
the best according to Ayurvedic
scholars.
- External snehan:
- This
comprises all kinds of
partial and total body
massage done with the
help of sneha in a
guided manner. Sidhdha
ghrut or sidhdha
taila is applied to
the skin. Our skin, being
a semi permeable
membrane, accepts some
amount of sneha. A
chartered program of body
massage for 1, 3, 7 or
more days as needed, is
executed to achieve the
desired level of snehan.
Lustrous skin is a marker
of external snehan.
This type of snehan
is beneficial for skin
problems, for body
wasting, for prolonged
bed ridden conditions,
etc.
Swedan: This is generally executed after
snehan. Swedan means
dry or wet fomentation or heat
therapy. Different types of
fomentations are possible. These
include taking a sunbath, sitting in
a specially prepared wooden sweat
box, pouring warm water on the body,
sitting in a bath tub or taking a
steam bath. Variations like swedan
for the whole body (below the neck),
for the diseased part of the body
(e.g. only extremities), sitz’s
bath (for perineal region) can be
used according to the need of the
patient.
Many kinds of
warm solids like cloth, sand bags,
heat pads and liquids like warm
water, water with milk, herbal
decoctions and medicated oil can be
used for fomentation. Here too, the
decision of the Ayurvedic
therapist is essential.
To summarize, snehan
and swedan are purva-karma
(pre-procedures) which help in
liquefying the accumulated ama
(toxins), in cooling the irritated dosha
(basic body elements), in opening the
blocked strotasa (body
channels) and in lubricating the
passages of mala (waste
products). Effective purva-karma
adds to the results of the
panch-karma or pradhan-karma.
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