Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Question - Gurudev, how do I know if I am doing the right thing or not? Sometimes I get very confused, please guide me what should I do? Gurudev Sri Sri - When you are not doing the right thing, something pinches you, something irritates you, something inside tells you that you are not doing the right thing. This is how you know you are not doing the right thing. When you are doing the right thing, sometimes doubts also come. So, if doubts come then you can think that it is the right thing. But if irritation comes then it is wrong. Our doubt is always about something that is right. Also, when your prana is low then doubt comes. Raise your prana with more meditation. Then you will see that these doubts don't rise up in the mind.

Question - Gurudev, on this Teacher’s Day could you tell us what should be the qualities of a great Teacher? Gurudev Sri Sri - The Guru or the teacher always wishes for the student to win. And a good student wishes for the victory of the teacher. This is a very strange and unique idea about the teacher-student or Guru-shishya relationship in India. The student knows that if his/her small mind wins, it is going to be miserable but if the teacher wins, it is the victory of the big mind, victory of knowledge which will only bring good and joy for everyone. So the student wishes for the victory of the big mind or Guru. It is healthy because if the student feels that he knows more than the teacher, that would mean the learning has stopped and that his arrogance has killed the wisdom. Another quality that a good teacher needs to have is lots of patience. A student may be a slow learner but the teacher’s patience can turn the student around. Parents may have to deal with only one ...

Life has been nothing less than splendid after the Master came into my life. He has been there in mind and spirit even when the whole world has been against me. This incident happened in 2011. At that time I had just moved to a new building in Bombay along with my parents. From the very beginning, I did not feel good vibrations from that apartment. There was this particular watchman who was a thug and always used to pass lewd gestures at me and other women. Even after repeatedly admonishing him he would threaten me back saying that he did not do anything wrong. He used to drink also during working hours but nobody paid heed. I complained to my parents many a times but they just asked me to ignore him. But that man did not stop with his indecent activities. One day while I came back from a Satsang he passed a lewd gesture and I was livid. I fought with him and came back home and told my parents. I was reduced to tears when my parents started shouting at me saying that I shou...

Chapter 10 - Management & Meditation  Day 20 5. Yoga and the Breath - Our breath can play a vital role in cleansing us of our negative emotions. We have experimented with this and tested it in many prisons around the world.  120,000 prisoners around the world practised a few breathing exercises and they were able to get rid of the hatred, anger and vengeance that clogged their minds and hearts. Within every culprit is a victim crying out for help.  It is stress, the lack of a broad outlook on life, a lack of understanding and bad communication that foster violence in society. If we observe a baby, we will find that from the time of birth until the age of three, it does a lot of exercises, exercises which we, as adults, don't do.  In fact, a baby does a lot of yoga exercises. If you closely follow what a baby does, then you won't even need a yoga teacher. Each of us has practised yoga as a baby.  For instance, one of the things that a baby does is...

💐☘🌾☘🍀🍁🍀☘🌾☘💐         🌺 ASHTAVAKRA GITA🌺                      🌿Chapter - 30🌿     ~ Your Nature Is Gratefulness ~                   🌱 Day - 173 🌱 💐☘🌾☘🍀🍁🍀☘🌾☘💐 कर्मानुष्ठानमज्ञानाद्यथैवोपरमस्तथा । बुध्वा सम्यगिदं तत्तवमेवाहमास्थितः ॥ Know this truth very well. There is a difference in just knowing and knowing it too well. There are three things that I have mentioned earlier. One is shravana (listening). Another is manana. One or two of these words come in the mind again and again, now and then, here and there. The words you listened to suddenly pop up in the mind. These words imply meaning at different times, and at different levels of consciousness. You can't say you have have done a course after doing it just once, because every time you do it, something new opens up - something delicate opens up, and something finer comes into yo...

💐☘🌾☘🍀🍁🍀☘🌾☘💐         🌺 ASHTAVAKRA GITA🌺                      🌿Chapter - 30🌿     ~ Your Nature Is Gratefulness ~                   🌱 Day - 172 🌱 💐☘🌾☘🍀🍁🍀☘🌾☘💐 Ignorance is as important as knowledge. It is ignorance that makes knowledge exist. It is ignorance that glorifies knowledge. Both knowledge and ignorance are equal for that one in the Brhama consciousness, in the highest consciousness of Unity. For a beginner, knowledge is acceptable, while ignorance is to be rejected. Knowledge is what one craves for and ignorance is what one pushes out. When you play a game, for example, knowledge of the result of the game reduced the charm in the game. If you know you are going to lose, you will not play a fair game. If you know you are going to win, you will not play a fair game, either. Isn't it? If you already know you are going to win...

💐☘🌾☘🍀🍁🍀☘🌾☘💐         🌺 ASHTAVAKRA GITA🌺                      🌿Chapter - 31🌿                ~ Free Of Wanting ~                   🌱 Day - 180 🌱 💐☘🌾☘🍀🍁🍀☘🌾☘💐 So when the different gunas arose, Janaka said that he saw them as rising and then subsiding. He said that he was continuously aware of his hollow and empty nature, because it was his very nature. निद्रिनो बोधित इव क्षीणसंस्मरणो हि सः । He said that he slept as though he was awake. Even sleep has taken on a dimension of continued awareness, though his body was resting. He felt a continuum of awareness, even in sleep. With his mind in such a state, there was nothing. There was no conflict, and his mind was hollow and empty. Now, what can distract such a fulfilled state? What can distract such a joyful existence and state of being? क्व धनानि । Can m...

Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (Water hyacinth) Free-floating aquatic macrophytes Family - Pontederiaceae Common name - Bilatidala Flowers produce large numbers of long-lived seeds that can remain viable for up to 20 years in sediments. Uses -  Antimicrobial activity Antioxidant activity Wound healing activity Antitumor activity larvicidal activity Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees (King of bitters) Family - Acanthaceae Common name - Chirata, bhuin neem. Found mostly in roadsides, moist habitat, seashores, waste ground. Andrographis paniculata used in ancient oriental & ayurvedic medicine. Medicinal uses - Skin diseases Anticancer Antidiabetic Anti - HIV Whole plant part is used for the treatment of snakebite, dysentery, malaria. Leaf is used for fever, common cold, cough. Aerial part is used for cancer, diabetes, urinary tract infection. Root is used for stomachic & anthelmintic Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Commelina benghalensis Linn. (Benghal dayflower or dew flower) Family - Commelinaceae Common name - Kanasiri Mostly found in shaddy places, roadsides, moist places. (Almost all parts of the plant mainly the leaf & the bark contains may different active & non- active chemical compounds that possess a wide range therapeutic values.) Medicinal uses - 1. Fried leaves are given as leafy vegetables to cure constipation. 2. Anticancer activity. 3. Warm dried leaves are given to cure rheumatic pain. 4. Warm leaf juice is dropped in the ear to get relief from earache. 5. Leaf extract possess properties that treat infertility in women. 6. Leaf juice with coconut oil is applied externally to cure leprosy & skin inflammations. 7. In Bangladesh, plant is used to treat night blindness, sleep disorders and mental disorders. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in  

Azolla pinnata R. Br Family - Salviniaceae Common name - Mosquito fern (Aquatic free-floating fern) Found mostly on the surface of small, still ponds or backwaters and riverbanks. They are green, blue-green or dark red color & coated with tiny hairs. The tiny hairs of the plant are responsible for, the velvet appearance & make the top surface of the leaf as a water repellent. Uses -  It is used as a natural fertilizer, which takes advantage of the nitrogen-fixing abilities of the symbiotic blue-green algae. It can be used as green manure. Antioxidant activity Antibacterial activity It has a wide range of use including fodder for dairy cattle, pigs, chicken, ducks, fish, and rabbit. It has the ability to absorb a certain amount of heavy metal pollutants such as lead from contaminated water. In the Philippines, it eats as an ingredient to salads. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.ap...

Hydrolea zeylanica (Linn.) Vahl Common name - Ballubalua Family - Hydroleaceae   Found mostly in open forests, streamsides, swampy areas, pond margins.  Uses - Young shoots are eaten as a vegetable. Young leaves are eaten with rice in Java. Paste of the whole plant with coconut oil is applied in minor cuts, wounds, and boils as antiseptic for quick healing. Antioxidant activity Antiulcer properties In the Hazaribag district of Jharkhand, India leaves considered antiseptic. The decoction of leaves used for healing ulcers. Liver disorders In Southern Assam, India, leaves & twigs used for diabetes. In Bangladesh, the pulp of plant applied as a poultice on neglected & callous ulcers, also used for pain. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Ludwigia adscendens (L.) H.Hara  Family - Onagraceae Common name - Jagal, hikota (Perennial creeping or floating, smooth herbaceous aquatic plant) Mostly found in freshwater pools, ditches, swamps, wet paddies. Uses -  In India, leaf decoction with black pepper taken orally for stomach pain & treatment of intestinal worms. In West Bengal, India, whole plant paste applied to bone fracture & rheumatism. In Thailand, the decoction of the whole plant used orally for fever & diarrhea. In southern China, the plant is eaten as a vegetable. In Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, the whole plant is boiled in water after cooling is administer one cup twice a day for 4 to 6 days in fever, cold & cough. The decoction of plant also used in dysentery. In South Orissa, the whole plant is applied against ulcers & skin infection.    Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn. Family - Sapindaceae Common name - Jyotishmati, balloon vine. Cardiospermum is the combination of the Latin words cardio, meaning heart & Sperma meaning seed. Seeds are black in color having large white heart-formed aril. Medicinal values - 1. Anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, antipyretic, antifilarial, urinary tract infections suppression, epilepsy & certain nervous disorders, respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal problems. 2. The leaves are rubefacient & are excellent for arthritis & fever. 3. Anticancer activity. 4. Leaves & stalks of the plant are employed in the curing of diarrhea, dysentery & headache. 5. The use of its oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, is the valuable aid in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Other uses - 1. Due to the presence of saponin, the plant is based on herbal products like gel, cream, shampoo, spray are helpful in dry itchy skin & scalp. 2. Young leaves of the plant ca...

Evolvulus nummularius (L.) L. Family - Convolvulaceae Evolvulus nummularius is a low growing species with creeping stem & rounded leaves. Found mostly in wet places, along the roadsides, wastelands. Medicinal uses - In Indian traditional folk medicine, the whole plant is used as a medicine for hysteria, to cure burns, cuts, wounds & scropion stings. In Nepal, the paste of the plant is used to treat scabies. A paste made of Evolvulus nummularius along with other plants is used in the treatment of peptic ulcer. The herb is also known to be applied to legs to reduce edema during pregnancy.    Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Ludwigia perrenis L. Family - Onagraceae Found mostly in ponds, ditches, puddles, marshes & swamps. Medicinal uses - The plant is boiled in oil & applied externally to reduce fever. The tender shoot is rubbed on aching gums. The leaves and roots are used for ulcer and vulnerary (used in healing wounds). Astringent, Haematuria (blood in urine), Colonorrhea (discharge of watery fluid from the colon). Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Hygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine Family - Acanthaceae Common name - Koilikhia Mostly found in wet places Medicinal uses - Leaf of this plant used to treat for pain, poison, abdominal disorders, anemia, constipation & urinary disorders. The root is used as a coolant, diuretic, aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, calculus (stone in the kidney), oedema. The seed is used as a tonic & for antidiarrheal. It is also useful in cancer & tubercular fistula. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Pistia stratiotes L. Family- Araceae Common name - Water lettuce (Free-floating aquatic plants) Medicinal uses - It extracts is used as an anodyne for eyewash & for relieving ear complaints. Its ash is applied to the scalp for curing ringworm. leaf extracts are used in eczema, leprosy, ulcers, piles & syphilis. leaf extract boiled in coconut oil is applied to the skin in chronic dermatitis. Pistia stratiotes are useful in the treatment of stomach disorder, throat & mouth inflammation. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Limnophyton obtusifolium (L.)Miq. Family - Alismataceae (Aquatic herb) Uses - Limnophyton obtusifolium is used to treat epilepsy & anti - ulcer in traditional medicine. The bulb is crushed & boiled, & the decoction is taken immediately after poisoning sometimes with palm oil. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Coldenia procumbens Linn. Family - Boraginaceae It is a prostrate herb usually lying quite flat on the ground. Medicinal uses -  Fresh leaves of Coldenia procumbens ground & applied to Rheumatic swellings. The whole plant is used in the external application of causing suppuration ( a process of pus-forming) of boils. The leaves are also used to cure fever, piles & scorpion sting. Coldenia procumbens possess antioxidant & anti-cancer activity. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Parthenium hysterophorus L. Family - Asteraceae. Common name - Carrot grass. Commonly found in banks of water course, on roadsides, waste areas. Medicinal uses - Treatment inflammation, eczema, skin rashes, rheumatic pain, remedy for female ailments. Folk remedy against skin diseases, ulcerated sores, facial neuralgia, fever & anemia. Effect against dengue parasite. Emmenagogue ( Menstrual stimulator in females). Anticancer activity. Treat fever, diarrhea, urinary infections, dysentery, malaria. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Salvinia cucullata Roxb. Family - Salviniaceae (Free-floating aquatic fern) Mainly found in slow-moving freshwater bodies & rice fields. Uses - Salvinia cucullata can be used as a peat moss & a raw material of composting for agricultural utilization. Anthelmintic activity. Salvinia cucullata thrived well in a phytotoxic level of metals & suited for nutrient removal. Used for removal of Hg, Cr, Ni, Pb & Cd. Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India www.aprf.co.in

Ottelia alismoides (L.) Pers Family - Hydrochaitaceae Common name - Panikundari Mainly found in streams, lakes, marshes, ponds, ditches & canals. The plant is entirely submerged except for the flower which is in the water surface. Medicinal uses -  Leaves Applied on poultice arm & legs in fever. It is used as the treatment of Pneumonia. It is used as a rubefacient. It is used as the treatment of stomach disorders. It is used as a spice for the rice & vegetables. Leaves used to check to bleed. In Tamil Nadu, India leaves used to treat hemorrhoids.   Flower  Flower paste 10 - 12 gram is taken orally early in the morning to curing piles. Local people eat lower part of the flower as raw or as a vegetable.   Fruit  Arresting cough & inducing diuresis. The fruit is eaten as raw.    Seed   In West Bengal, India, the paste of dry seeds used    externally on boils for relief of burning sensation.   Whole Plant...

Barleria prionitis Linn. Family - Acanthaceae Common name - Kanta malati, Daskerenta. Medicinal uses -  The juice of Barleria prionitis is used for the cure of whooping cough in Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh. The leaves are used for toothache, rheumatism & root powder to cure fever. The juice of leaves is used in fungal infections, ulcers & fever. In Bangladesh, it is used for anti-inflammatory activity & also for the treatment of cancer & tumor.   In Orissa, it is used in cuts, wounds & malaria. In Karnataka, it is used for fresh leaf paste that has been used for scabies. It is also used in urinary infection, jaundice, hepatic obstruction & dropsy. The decoction of aerial parts is used in anti- respiratory synctyial virus, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory & antifertility activities.          Sugimani Marndi Biodiversity and Conservation Lab.  Ambika Prasad Research Foundation Cuttack, Odisha India ww...