Ayurveda is the ‘Science of Life’. It is an ancient Indian medicinal science, which is both holistic and field -oriented in its approach towards its twin objective of maintaining the health of a healthy person and restoring the health of a diseased person. The basic principles of Ayurveda are based upon nature. Ayurveda believes that all things that are present in nature are also present in a smaller from within the human body and therefore all the laws of nature are applicable to the human body also.
Ayurveda consists of two words namely ‘ayu’ and ‘veda’. ‘Ayu’ means life in Sanskrit. In Ayuvedic terms the union of body (sharir), body senses (indriya), mind (satva) and spirit (atma) is termed as ‘ayu’ . Therefore it is clear that the ayu in Ayirveda does not limit only to the physical aspects but includes the mental aspects as well. ‘Veda’ means ‘knowledge’ or ‘science’. Hence ayurveda means the science of life.
However Ayurveda is not merely a medicinal science as well. It is the culmination of the traditional knowledge that has been accumulated down the centuries by civilizations regarding food habits, behavioral science and the use of nature for curative and preventive aspects of medicine.