Efficacy of Pushpa Ayurveda:Flower Therapy

Once upon a time, Buddha, in the course of a journey, fell ill and some Jain priests were able to treat him successfully with nectar served on a lotus petal. The story throws light on the antiquity and efficacy of Pushpa Ayurveda (flower therapy), which is now recapturing attention all over the world. India is all poised to reap the benefits from it.

Pushpa Ayurveda is a special branch of Ayurveda which was developed primarily by Jain priests. They were especially attracted to this branch as the therapy was closer to the Jain principle of ahimsa. Flower therapy is the modern version of this age-old treatment developed in ancient India.

The first text dealing with the details of using flowers in the treatment of particular diseases appears in the 9th century text called Kalyana Karakam. Written by Ugraditya Acharyan, the text says, "ayurveda texts usually prescribe the use of plant-based medicines. But some acharyas like Charakan have used some meat-based formulae for medicine preparation. To offset this imbalance, Jain doctors have perfected Puspa Ayurveda which makes use of 18,000 types of flowers".

Written in the 3rd century B.C., the treatise is exceptional because of the wealth of detail and keenness of observation. It also vividly portrays the fact that the use of flowers in ayurvedic treatment results in much prosperity - it makes for prosperity, kalyana karakam as the title claims!

A Way of Life

In ancient India, planting and taking care of trees and plants were considered a pious thing to do. In fact this was considered one of the seven good qualities of a person. As far as a ruler was concerned the nurturing of these seven good qualities was considered a duty too. From this might have followed the custom of royalty and rich people planting shade-giving trees and maintaining gardens. Ancient foreign travellers through the Indian subcontinent have often specially noted this practice and many have described these gardens in glowing terms. Lumbini, Pataliputram and others are some of the famed gardens of those days.

The practice of making garlands using flowers was considered an art in those days. Special sections of the society were entrusted with the preparation of garlands to be used on auspicious occasions like marriages, and temple rites. Those people also usually used to collect and deliver flowers in large quantities for use on special occasions .

In Kerala, the Warriers were a special class of people who were entrusted with the task of preparing garlands used to decorate idols in temples. It is said that they were quite adept in the temple rites and used to prepare garlands in the form of stanzas in praise of the temple deity.

A Part of Life

The Vedas considered flowers as part of the primordial impulse that marked the advent of life on earth. Brahma, considered as the creator according to mythology, is also called ‘pushpa sambhavan’, or ‘one born of flowers’. Brahma is described as one who was born out of the lotus that grew out of Maha Vishnu - so sung Kunjan Nambiar, the famous Malayalam bard who systematized the genre of satirical poetry in Malayalam. One of the stanzas of the Rig Veda says that one who knows about pushpas or flowers will be blessed with prosperity, riches and good fortune.

Thus, in short, flowers were considered a part of life in ancient India. This intimacy of flowers in the way of life of the people and as a part of life of the common people has been celebrated though numerous references in many literary texts as well.

Basis of Flower Therapy

Pushpa ayurveda divides the whole kingdom of flowers into four major classes. Only one of these classes qualifies for medicinal use. These flowers are used in many ways as well as in combination with other types of treatment.

Basically, flowers are used as the foundation for making various kinds of medicines. But in addition, ancient texts have detailed myriad ways of using flowers as therapy. One set is called ‘darsanam’ or sight. The seeing of flowers at certain times of the day or night for a specified time was prescribed in this kind of treatment. Wearing a crown of flowers for specific time limits and reclining on bed made of flowers were also treatments prescribed under pushpa ayurveda.

Bhojan, Charakan and Vagbhatan were some of the illustrious masters of ayurveda who had made systematic and successful use of flowers for ayurvedic treatment. The smell of flowers, the time they were plucked, the kind of medicine prepared, the quality and kind of materials used along with the flowers in the preparation of medicines were important parameters governing the success of treatment. For example, Charakan prescribes yellow jamanthi flowers as beneficial to control cough and phlegm. Bhojan mischievously suggests that the Kethaki flower will definitely enhance the happiness of ladies.

Modern Times

With the importance given to health tourism and floriculture in modern days, pushpa ayurveda seems to have got a new lease of life. Several reputed ayurveda institutions in the private sector have come forward with proposals for combining these activities into a wholesome menu for the foreign and even domestic tourists. The development of medicinal gardens with popular help at the grassroot level, as has been spearheaded by the twin traditional ayurveda institutions in Kerala are capable of being successfully replicated elsewhere.