Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Question - Gurudev, Can we alter our Time of Death by taking better care of ourselves and by praying? Or is it that when it’s time to go, we have to go? Is it true that no one can alter that? Gurudev @SriSriRaviShankar ji - This is a mystery. There is a possibility to extend life if the soul desires for it. But that should be an innate desire from the soul and not from someone else. Sometimes, someone else’s desire can also work, but that is only sometimes. This is a well-guarded secret in the universe as to when someone is going to exit from this planet. Research studies show that Meditation keeps you young and improves longevity. One of the main reasons for this is its diminishing effects on stress, a factor that has a negative impact on the body. So, Meditation, Yoga and taking good care of oneself will definitely have an impact.

On the second day of Navratri, Mother Divine takes the form of Brahmacharini. This is a quiet, beautiful, and yet powerful form of Durga Devi, where She undertakes severe penance to attain Lord Shiva. Brahma signifies infinity. *Brahmacharini is that which moves in infinity. What is interesting is that even when infinity is all over, it can still move. Movement in infinity is the reality of the subtle. It is like space; while it seems static, it is actually dynamic. There is enormous movement in space.* *The second meaning of Brahmacharini refers to the virgin aspect of energy. Newness is depicted in the second form of Durga. It can be compared to the rays of the sun. While the sun’s rays are old, and have been around for millions of years, they still have a fresh and new feel as they shine every day.* *ब्रह्मचारयितुम शीलम यस्या सा ब्रह्मचारिणी।* *सच्चीदानन्द सुशीला च विश्वरूपा नमोस्तुते.* *या देवी सर्वभेतेषु मां ब्रह्मचारिणी रूपेण संस्थिता।* *नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नम...

Question: Gurudev, what brings satisfaction in life? Whatever I do finally does not bring great joy and contentment after a while.   Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji:  The whole idea of finding satisfaction by doing something itself is not correct. Satisfaction comes from deep rest, by reposing deep within oneself. When you get established within your Self, then there is contentment. The satisfaction you think that comes by doing some work is very temporary and lasts only for a short while. If your work is successful, then you feel the need to do more work. When you get more success, then that again drives you to work more. You do not feel like stopping after having success. On the other hand, if you face some loss or failure in what you are doing, then also you feel, “Oh, how did it fail despite my efforts? I won’t give up; I will try again and succeed”. You feel challenged to do more. So you want to work more and work harder whether you get success or failure. And...

The first day of Navratri, dedicated to Devi Shailaputri. She is the goddess of Mooladhara (Root Chakra), from where one begins their journey towards awakening. “Praying to Shailaputri brings strength like a stone; it brings commitment. When the mind is wavering, chanting the name of Devi helps the mind to be centred and committed. It gives us strength, courage, and composure. *”वन्दे वांछितलाभाय चन्द्रार्धकृतशेखरम्। वृषारूढां शूलधरां शैलपुत्रीं यशस्विनीम्।। पूणेन्दु निभां गौरी मूलाधार स्थितां प्रथम दुर्गा त्रिनेत्राम्॥ पटाम्बर परिधानां रत्नाकिरीटा नामालंकार भूषिता॥ प्रफुल्ल वंदना पल्लवाधरां कातंकपोलां तुंग कुचाम् । कमनीयां लावण्यां स्नेमुखी क्षीणमध्यां नितम्बनीम् ॥ या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शैलपुत्री रूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै, नमस्तस्यै, नमस्तस्यै नमो नम:।

Question - Gurudev, how to be humble yet authoritative at work? Gurudev @SriSriRaviShankar ji - That is a skill that you have to manage. You have to be humble and yet firm. It is easy to be strict and arrogant, and it is easy to be humble and weak. But humility with weakness is no good. Strength with humility is the most appreciable quality. Arrogance with authority is very easy, but authority and humility together is something which is worth having. And that if you can manage to master, you have succeeded in life. Similarly it’s easy to give up things in anger, and in frustration, but letting go with a fullness of contentment and happiness is a skill. Also, did you know this, one of the rarest combinations in the human personality is the co-existence of confidence and humility. Often people who are confident are not humble and people with humility are not confident. Confidence blended with humility is most appreciated by everybody. Question - Gurudev, How can confidence be...

What is Devi Tattva? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji:  There are 36 elements present in us. First is the Earth element, second Water, Fire, Air, Ether and you go on like that and the last one, the most refined is Shiva Tattva. One is finer than the other. Earth is the most gross, Shiva is the finest, the most subtle, the subtlest of all. So in these 36 elements which are present in us, Devi is also a Tattva. The last and finest is Shiva. And how is Devi present in us? It is present in many forms, in many emotions. When you see some brightness in someone, that is Devi manifested. When you see total peace, essence of deep peace, peace in the heart, not just the temporary peace, total fulfillment, satisfaction, that is Devi. And when you feel restlessness, that is also Devi. So if someone is agitated , you stand back and you say ‘Oh, Devi has manifested as agitation in this person.’ The Devi is manifesting in everyone as hunger. Someone is hungry, that hunger is Devi manif...

Sesamum indicum (Hindi-Til/Gingli,Marathi-Thil/Til/Tila,Sanskrit-Tila/Asitatila/Snehaphala,Kannada-Yellu/Ellu/Wollelu,Tamil-Carali/Kakutam/Karel,Telugu-Gubbulu/Nuvvulu,Urdu-Till/Kunjad,Malayalam-Karuellu/Chitrallu,Popular-Gingelly/Sesame/Sesamum)Pedaliaceae.Syn-S.orientale.It is an erect, stout, aromatic, annual herb growing upto 2 m tall.Leaves are opposite in lower parts, arranged spirally and 3-lobedin upper parts.Lower leaves are ovate, entire margins or partly toothed.Higher leaves are with narrowly elliptical lobes.Highest leaves narrowly elliptical,entire margins.Flowers are white to violet, throat often yellow and spotted purple.Fruit is an obling-quadrangular capsule,1.5-3 cm long and hairy,nany seeded.It is one of the oldest and most traditional oil seed crops,valued for its high quality seed oil.It is native to Tropical Africa.Within India,it is cultivated throughout the plains upto an altitude of 1200 m.Initially,it forms a large rosette of basal leaves as large...

Annona squamosa (Hindi-Sharifa/Sitaphal,Marathi-Sitaphal/Seethaphal,Sanskrit-Atripya/Gandagatra/Sitapalam,Kannada-Sita Phala,Tamil-Sitapalam/Sitha/Seetha pazham,Telugu-Seetapandu/Seethaphalamu,Manipuri-Sitaphal,Assamese-Katal,Bengali-Ata,Popular-Custard Apple/Sugar Apple)Annonaceae.It is a shrub or small tree growing upto 7 m tall and is cultivated throughout India.Leaves are bright green above and bluish green below, elliptical ovate to lanceolate.Flower is 2-2.5 cm, frequent with 3 green sepals and 6 petals arranged in two containers.Fruit has thick,scaly or knobby skin that guves them a pine-cone appearance.It is widely distributed in the tropics and abundantly in the eastern regions of India.It has antioxidant, antibacterial,anti inflammatory, antidiabetic,antihyperlipidemic,anti-head lice,antitumor, chemopreventive, hepatoprotective, insecticidal,molluscacidal,vasorelaxant,mosquitocidal,pesticidal,antiplatelet, antiviral, antifertility, anthelmintic, anticancer,anti-HI...

Solanum villosum (Sanskrit-Kovidaraha/Raktokovidaraha, Popular-Yellow Nightshade/Hairy Nightshade/Red-fruited Nightshade)Solanaceae. Syn-S.alatum, S. luteum, S. nigrum var. villosum. It is a common weed distributed in many parts of India. It is a brittle stemmed perennial plant growing upto 60 cm height. Leaves are rhombic to ovate-lanceolate, 2 to 7 cm long and 1.5 to 4 cm broad, margins entire to sinuate-dentate. Inflorescence is simple, corolla 3 to 7mm in diameter, white with a green central portion near the base.Fruit is a globose berry, 6 to 10 mm in diameter having many small seeds, red, bright orange or yellow. It is distributed throughout the tropical and temperate regions of the world including Kenya, China, India and Pakistan. It is an wild edible plant which is used as an Ayurvedic herb with multiple medicinal properties. Its demand continues to increase due to its nutritional and medicinal value. The plant has antioxidant, antibacterial, anti inflammatory, anti...

Marticaria chamomilla (Hindi-Babuna,Marathi-Shevanti,Telugu-Chaamanthi,Malayalam-Chingu Kuttan,Popular-Chamomilla/German Chamomile/Wild Chamomile)Asteraceae.Syn-Chamomilla recutita.It is a freely branched short-lived perennial plant growing upto 5-80 cm tall from a thin spindly root.Leaf blades are 0.5-7.8 cm long, very narrow, needle or thread like.Flower heads are daisy like,1-1.5 cm across,borne singly on long stalks.The central disk is yellow and prominently convex,obovoid or spheroid to ovoid.Ray florets are 14-26,white,7-8.5 mm long,2.4-3.3 mm wide.As the flower ages, the ray florets start pointing up.They bloom in early to mid summer and have a strong aromatic fragrance.It grows as a weed all over along parts of India.It has antioxidant, antibacterial,anti inflammatory, antispasmodic, carminative,cholagogue, diaphoretic,emmenagogue, febrifuge, sedative, stomachic,tonic, vasodilator, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, antiallergic,insect repellent, laxative,spasmilytic and i...

Ocimum basilicum var.thyrsiflorum/Ocimum thyrsiflorum (Hindi-Marooah,Marathi-Marawa,Popular-Thai basil/Siam Queen Basil/Anise Basil/Licorice Basil)Lamiaceae.It is a type of basil native to SE Asia and grows upto 45 cm tall.Leaves are opposite,small and narrow,purple stem is square shaped.The inflorescence is purple and the flowers are pinkish purple.Thai basil is widely used in the cuisine of SE Asia including Thai,Vietnamese,Lao and Cambodian cuisines.Leaves are the frequent ingredient in Thai green and red curries.This is the perfect culinary herb and has been cultivated for centuries.In India,it has great importance in pooja especially in Ganapati and Gauri festivals.It is also used in rituals after death.It has antioxidant, antibacterial,anti inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, carminative, stimulant, diaphoretic, expectorant, febrifuge, diuretic, demulcent, cooling,antithrombotic, antimutagenic, anticancer, antiulcerogenic,antiplatelet, anticonvulsant, galactagogue,st...

Punica granatum_Wild(Hindi-Anaar/Daarim,Garhwali-Darim/Daru,Himachali-Daram/Daadam,Sanskrit-Dadim/Dadhim,Popular-Wild Pomegranate)Punicaceae.It is an erect deciduous spreading shrub or tree growing upto 8-10 m height.Wood is very hard and light yellow.Leaves are opposite, lanceolate, about 5.7 cm long and 1.7 cm broad with entire margins.Flowers are solitary or in axillary clusters of 2 to 6,3.6 cm diameter,rose coloured.Fruits are globose,covered with persistent calyx,4.2-6.6 cm diameter, yellowish green with a red tinge.Wild pomegranate is an emerging wild fruit of Central Asia.It is native in the region from Northern India to Iran with its shrubs found in the forests of these areas.In India, it is widely distributed in drier and submarginal land of outer Himalaya at an altitude of 900-1800 m covering the mid hill belts of HP,J and K and Uttarakhand states.One of the important centres of wild pomegranate is Darlaghat in Himachal Pradesh.The major use of wild pomegranate i...

Juglans regia (Hindi-Akhrot/Khor,Kannada-Akrotu/Akshota,Tamil-Akkarottu,Telugu-Akrottu,Sanskrit-Akhota/Karparala/Parvatiya/Akshota,Popular-European walnut/Black Sea walnut/Carpathian walnut/Common walnut)Juglandaceae.Syn-J.orientalis,J.fallasa.It is a deciduous medium sized to tall tree that can reach upto 45 m tall.Leaves are alternate,pinnate, leaflets ovate-lanceolate, margins irregularly serrated.Flower is pale yellow,10 stamens.Fruit is globose or slightly ridged,3.5-5 cm in diameter.It is native to Asia and Europe.However,it was widely naturalized elsewhere in temperate regions and was widely cultivated.It is a crop of economic importance to the food industry.It is globally popular and valued for its nutritional and health attributes.It has antioxidant, antibacterial,anti inflammatory, antifungal, antidiabetic, antiparasitic, anthelmintic, antihypertensive,antihyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, insecticidal, analgesic, anticancer (colon,breast, prostat...

Crassocephalum crepidioides (Nepali-Anikale jhar, Manipuri-Terapabi,Mizo _Buarthau, Malayalam _Appuppanthadi, Popular _Thickhead/Fireweed/Redflower ragleaf)Asteraceae. It is an erect, annual, slightly succulent little branching herb growing upto 1 m tall. Flower heads are cylindrical, green with red florets. Seeds are floating balls of numerous silky white hairs. It has antioxidant antibacterial, anti inflammatory, antidiabetic, antitumor, anticancer, purgative, laxative, insect reppelent, anticoagulant, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, wound healing, antidiarrheal, immunomodulatory and antihyperlipidemic activities. In Bangladesh, leaf juice is taken to treat constipation and stomach disorders. In Uganda, it is used to treat AIDS and HIV. In India, Nepal and China, it is used to treat cuts, wounds and diarrhoea. It can be used in the treatment of blood coagulation due to its anticoagulant property. It is effective in the treatment of indigestion, stomachache, epilepsy, sle...