Basic Principles
Panchakarma consists of medicated emesis (vamana) to remove
excess kapha, therapeutic purgation (viracana) to clear excess
pitta, medicated enema (vasti) to eject excess
vata, nasal drops
or snuffs (nasya) for diseases of the head & neck and
bloodletting (raktamokshana) in case of blood disorders. Five
purification procedures for removing accumulated toxins and
other waste material in the body. As the humors and tissues are
related closely to each other, this discharge procedure affects
the tissues indirectly by the strong elimination of related
humor. For example, the pronounced elimination of
kapha by herb
induced emesis causes an effect on the nutrient tissue fluid
pool, containing water and electrolytes, plasma, muscle, fat. Or
the large release of pitta by selective purgation similarly
causes an indirect effect on the total colouring material in the
body or blood. Vasti is somewhat different, as it is meant to
nullify excess vata and contains warm oleation substances.
During its long contact with the membrane of the large
intestine, it separates layers of faecal matter and thus
enhances better absorption, which is responsible for the
ultimate nourishment of all tissues. Nasya in turn cleans the
sinus and thereby improves the function of sense organs.
Physical and mental diseases occur due to the vitation of
somatic doshas vata,
pitta and
kapha and due to mental doshas
Rajas and Tamas. Volitional transgression, effect of time and
senses are the three primary causes responsible for vitation of
biological and mental doshas. Food, drinks & environmental
factors with similar properties to the doshas vitiates them and
cause disease. Panchakarma's purificatory therapies balance out
the three doshas, acting both as a curative and a preventive
measure.
Introduction | Basic Principles | Three
Stages | Durations
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