Prayojan

Ayurveda, the science of life and its different branches, have its own aims and objectives which are known as Prayojan. Ayurveda deals with other branches of life along with medicine.

You can see that the aims and the objectives of Ayurveda can be seen in Shloka Charak Su 30/26.

In these shlokas, one can see that health is given the highest priority for leading a happy, healthy and spiritual life.

Ayurvedic concepts discuss the importance of maintaining one's health, and moreover, if the health is lost or a person is in a diseased state, it discusses the methods to rejuvenate life in him/her.

To analyze individual constitution, and understand the variations in disease manifestations, the theory of Ayurveda is the best. The connection and the relationship between the mind and body are also best described only in Ayurveda.

Based on the unique approach of Ayurveda, the aims and objectives were divided into two aspects. They are:

1. Swasthasya Swathy Rakshanam or Preventive and Social Medicine.
2. Aturasya Vikar Prashamanam or Therapeutics.

Dravya Chikitsa or treatment with medicines and a form of bhava chikitsa or treatment without medicines combined together to form Therapeutics. Therapeutics also medicates through Achar Rasayan, which means good personal as well as good social conduct. Scriptures have detailed explanation of these two objectives that are defined in a concise statement.

The unique features of Ayurveda are the four chatushtayas.

The good human life is based on these four chatushtayas.

If these four chatushtayas are followed, it is not only possible to maintain a good health but also treat any disease whatever caused it, when one is affected by it.

Most of the people are aware that Ayurveda treats diseased or ailing people, but most of us are not aware that it also helps to maintain good health and also to find the signs and symptoms of any disease or ailment, and its origin.

Charak, one of the known reorganizers of Ayurveda, had mentioned that one cannot excuse himself or herself, thinking that one does not know the procedure to maintain his or her health, and should take pains to read and understand the rules and regulations needed to maintain good health or to treat the ailments or diseases one is inflicted with, in his Shloka Chark sutrasthan 5/103.

You should understand that these are guidelines for remaining fit, refraining from diseases, and for leading a healthy life.

Swasthavrutta, a topic in Ayurveda deals and explains these aims and objections. If one is affected by any disease, in spite of taking all the precautionary measures, then it is important that one digs down to the source of the disease, and the reasons causing it. Moreover, one should also find out where he or she had lacked in following those guidelines or missed out on any detail due to which the disease could have attacked them.

Sometimes, ignorance, laziness, lack of interest on health and environment could be the reason for the disease to be caused. Due to this factor the second objective in Aaturasya Vikara Prashamana is written and described.