Three sentences summarizing the document: 1. The document discusses the concept of rasayana in Ayurveda, which aims to promote longevity and prevent diseases by rejuvenating the body's tissues at a cellular level. 2. It explains various rasayana drugs and their proposed mechanisms of action including antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and regenerative properties that can help maintain health and delay the aging process. 3. The author argues that rasayana therapy may help normalize programmed cell death and prevent conditions related to excessive or undue cell survival, and could play an important role in future medicine by providing a graceful aging process.

1. Swagatham

2. RASAYANA
an updated view
Dr. M.R.Vasudevan Nampoothiri MD(Ay)
FORMER DIRECTOR
AY. MEDICAL EDUCATION , KERALA
PROFESSOR ,
AMRITA SCHOOL OF AYURVEDA

3. शतं ििव शरदो वधधमान
शतं हमनतान् शतम वसनतान्
े
शतं इनदािि सिवता बृहसपित
शतायुषा हिवषेमं पुनददः (ॠगवेदम्)
धु
The desire to live as long as it is humanly possible
has been ingrained in man even from Vedic
times. The benediction worded, “May you live
through a hundred summers and winters” is an
evidence to this.

4. Psoriasis vulgaris

5. Psoriasis vulgaris-
Inclusion criteria
CLINICAL HISTOLOGICAL
Itching Hyperkeratosis
Scaling Parakeratosis
Thickening Cylindrical rete ridges
Erythema Inflammatory cells
Dryness
Auspitz sign

6. Thuvaraka
Plant - Twig
a. Thuvaraka seeds
b. Thuvaraka taila (plain)
c. Thuvaraka taila prepared Acacia catechu. Willd.
with three times khadira Family : Leguminosae
kwatha.

7. Clinical features
Group A
Sodhana + rasayana :- 86% of the
patients with moderate and severe
illness came to the group under mild
illness.
Group B
Sodhana only :- No change in moderate
and severe illness.

8. Histological features
Group A
100% of the patients under the group
‘severe’ came to the group ‘mild’
Group B
No significant change occurred

9. Psoriasis vulgaris
Sodhana + Thuvaraka
rasayana Sodhana only
 
Significant changes Changes in
in clinical
clinical and parameters only
histological
parameters

10. Follow up - after 3 months
Sodhana + Thuvaraka
rasayana Sodhana only
 
Significant clinical Only clinical
improvement as improvement,
well as histological no histological
changes seen,only changes
mild superficial
keratosis persisted

11. Section of Skin
Before Just after After 3
treatment treatment months

12. SAMANYA SAMPRAPTHI
Nidana

Dosha dushti

Dhathu dushti Lakshanas

Dhathu vikruthi

Recurrence of the disease

Secondary diseases

Early ageing process

13. Sodhana chikitsa against
Rasayana Chikitsa
Sodhana Chikitsa Rasayana Chikitsa
Eliminates the dosha Corrects the structural
vitiation deformity of the dhatus
Corrects the functions of there by normalising the
dhatus functions
Fails to correct the Strengthens the dhathus
structural deformityof Prevents the instinct of
the dhatus as it acts only recurrence
in the doshic level Prevents secondary
diseases
Prevents early ageing
process

14. Vatakapha rogas - Prognosis
 Srothorodha caused by the vitiation
of kapha leads to defective
transformation of dhatus
 Agni vaishamya caused by the
vitiation of vata leads to defective
formation of dhatus
 In almost all the vatakapha rogas
pitha will be inhibited resulting in
agnimandya

15. ….. Vatakapha rogas - Prognosis
 As agnimandya takes a major role in
the samprapthi of all the diseases; it
is doubled in the case of vatakapha
rogas
 There is no such rasa which can be
used commonly against vata and
kapha.

16. Sodhana chikitsa
Srothonirmalatha Peyadikramam
Dhathusudhi Kayagnideepthi
Dhatwagnideepthi
Rasayanaprayogam

Ojovridhi

DEERKHAYUS

17. Rasayana Oushadhas are not having a
common rasa, veerya or guna but all
are Srothosodhana and Deepana.
Normal Functioning of srothases
(Srothosoushtava) is highly essential
to convey the nutrients to each and
every cell.

18. Sodhana Therapy acts at the level of
doshas, but rasayana drugs act still
deeper, that is at the level of dhatus.
Hence in deep - seated diseases
rasayana chikitsa is the line of choice
As ageing is a chronic degenerative and
deep – seated problem rasayana
chikitsa is the regime of choice.

19. “ Very few, if any, reach their potential
maximum life span; they die, instead,
prematurely of a wide variety of
diseases, the vast majority being of
free radical diseases ”
(Dr. Denham Halman MD; PhD
Father of free radical medicine)

20. FREE RADICALS
 Definition
: A free radical has been defined
as “any species capable of independent
existence that contains one or more
unpaired electrons.”
 Asthe body ages or is subjected to
environmental pollutants, such as cigarette
smoke, over exposure to sunlight, or smog,
the body become overwhelmed by FR’s.

21. ……FREE RADICALS
 Free radicals are generated as a result of
incomplete reduction of oxygen during
the course of various biochemical
reactions.these highly reactive oxygen
derived FR’s have a life span of a few
micro seconds and their concentration at
any site is miniscule. Excessive
production of FR’s can overwhelm the
intrinsic antioxidant defence mechanisms
leading to many pathological lesions.

22. Anti oxidants
 Anti oxidants can be defined as
substance whose presence in
relatively low concentrations
significantly inhibits the action
of free radicals.
 All the Rasayana drugs are
having anti oxidant property.

23. Rasayana drugs and
pharmacological properties
Emblica – Officianalis  Antioxidant, nutritive
(Amla) fruit
Terminalia chebula  Antioxidant
(Haritaki) fruit
Withania somnifera  Adaptogenic,
(Aswagandha) root antioxidant
Tinospora cordifolia  Immunomodulatory
(Guduchi) satwa antioxidant
Terminalia arjuna  Hypocholestrolemic
(Arjuna) Stembark antioxidant.
Courtesy : Prof. Dr.S.Venkataraman
Professor of Pharmacology, University of Madras.

24. Degeneration
 Means deterioration and loss of
specialized function of the cells of
tissue or organ, by defective blood
supply or diseases.
 But clinically it usually refers to that
of CNS & joints.

25. Vardhakyam
Vatavridhi Srothokharathwam(soushtavahani)
 
Ojakshayam Aaharasaraagiranavaigunyam

Utharotharadhathukshayam Upachayapachayaasamatha
Rasadhathukshayam

26. Stage of administration of
Rasayanas
अिसिः
िायते Stage of administration
वदते
ध of Rasayanas.
िवपिरणामते
अपकीयते
नशयते

27. …… another view
Kapha Balya
Kaphapitha Adolescent
Pitha Youvana
Pithavata Age of administration
of rasayanas
Vata Vardhakya

28. Action of Rasayanas in
degenerative diseases
Pithavata

Vata

Agnivaishamya

Rasadhathwagni mandya

Increase in the malarupa kapha

Vatakapha vikara

29. Importance of Ghritha in
preventing CNS degeneration
 There is similarity between ghritha and
brain matter
 Only fat and alcohol soluble materials
can cross the blood brain barrier
 So ghritha is the only medium that can
nourish brain
 Lack of use of milk products, especially
gritha is one of the major etiology of
neurological degeneration.

30. Some rasayanas and their
indications
Brahmarasayanam  Vatika hridroga,
improves immunity
Narasimharasayanam  Oligospermia, increases
vigour and vitality
Thippalirasayanam  Thamakaswasa,
vatasonitha
Bhallathakarasayanam  Found effective in
malignancy, vatasonitha
Lasunarasayanam  Various neurological
disorders including
MND’s

31. Rasayanas in some diseases
Vatapaithika vatasonitha  Chyavanaprasam
Vatakaphaja vatasonitha  Bhallathakarasayanam
Vatika Hridroga  Brahmarasayanam
Kaphajahridroga  Agasthyarasayanam
Prameha  Silajathurasayanam
Sushkaarsas  Bhallathakarasayanam
Thamakaswasa  Thippalirasayanam

32. Need of Rasayanas
1. A vehicle with a strong axle runs
its full course because of the
quality of its axle. Likewise our
life also will run its full course
by maintaining the body
carefully and systematically; if
not the body decays (rapidly).

33.  रसायनेन हसाधयो विधरे ण पयः िसदयते (सु.
सं.)
 रसायनाििना असाधयतां यािनत (डलहण )
 Even the incurable diseases
respond well to rasayana

34. Rasayana therapy
the possible mechanisms of action
 Nourishes and maintains the cell life
(Neutriceutical action).
 Encourages the growth of new cells
(Regenerative action).
 Prevents recurrent infection, expelling the
damaged cells (Immunomodulatory action).
 Eliminates the toxic metabolites and pollutants
(Antioxidant action).
 Maintains the balance between mind and body
(Adaptogenic).
Rasayana drugs act at the subcellular level.

35. Rasayana in the present
scientific scenario
“The delicate, controlled elimination of
cells is called programmed cell death.”
Excessive cell death - AIDS, neuro
degenerative diseases, stroke and
myocardial infarction.
Undue survival of cells - auto immune
conditions and cancer.
Rasayana may help to normalise the PCD
there by preventing the above clinical
conditions.

36. Futuristic application of
Rasayanas
The application of genome code theory may
create a disease free universe.
The most important therapy of the era may
be Rejuvenative.
Our Rasayanas will be on top!!!

37. THE ULTIMATE ACHIEVEMENT
THE SCIENTIFIC USE OF
RASAYANAS WILL PROVIDE
A GRACEFUL AGEING

38. “Who ever makes proper use
of Rasayana attains longevity
on earth and after death
follows the path of sages to
reach immutable”.
Charaka Samhitha
Chikitsasthana 1:1:80

39. Th a n k
yo u