immunity and ojas

[Guest guest]

hi venu

 

thanks for the tip on the kashyapa samhita - i have a copy and will

look at this procedure: can you give me the chapter and verse? and i

would be interested to hear what you have to say on this procedure, and

how this resembles modern vaccination...

 

as far as i understand yuktikritham it is simply refers to the acquired

strength of the individual, as opposed to sahaja balam (the innate

strength = para ojas), or kalaja balam (ojas dependent upon

time/seasonal factors); it doesn't have anything to say specifically

about vaccination - but it does support the contention that the status

of ojas is in part conferred by external factors, which is fairly broad

but of course would include infectious agents, as well as diet and

lifestyle, etc.

 

in several modern ayurvedic texts i have seen a direct correspondence

between ojas and immunity - i suspect this is what is taught in the

college system - but is it correct?

 

personally, i think it is an unfortunate simplification

 

for e.g., how would ojas relate to nonspecific mechanisms of host

resistance, such as hydrochloric acid secretion in the stomach or the

activity of lysozymes in the saliva, which are obviously more similar

to agni in action? or even specific mechanisms of host resistance, such

as cell-mediated and humoral immunity, that result in cell lysis with

free radicals, and when dysfunctional cause inflammation - to me many

of these functions are mediated agni, through qualities such as ushna

and tikshna

 

my understanding of ojas is that it is the principle of function that

organizes and maintains structure, that fuels the physiological

functions of the body - i don't think one could equate it to a specific

physiological function or organ (e.g. the adrenals), but rather, it is

the feminine counterpart to the masculine agni, a set of physiological

response that nurtures, soothes and sustains - in contrast, agni is

there is stimulate, expose, catalyze and destroy

 

in immune function i can see both agni and ojas participating, agni

stimulating the mechanisms that result in inflammation and ojas

supplying the cellular matrix to restore the integrity of the tissues -

if i were to use an analogy (and please excuse the sexism, its not

intentional), agni is like the soldier that does battle, and ojas is

like the nursemaid that attends to his wounds...(as well as the

villagers that tend to the farms, look after the children, basically,

keeping the structure of society functioning until the crisis is over)

 

best... todd

 

> We can't just confine that ayurveda doesn't have the concept of vaccination.

> So the Yuktikruta bala may be referred as vaccination through

> medicines(this is what i feel).