மானிடராய்ப் பிறந்த யாவருக்கும் மனம், புத்தி, சித்தம், அகங்காரம் என்னும் நான்கு அந்தகரணங்களும் ஆன்மாவில் இருக்கும் முக்கிய கருவிகள் ஆகும். மனதையுடையவன் மனிதன், மனிதனின் ஆன்மாவில் உள்ள மனம் ஒன்றை நினைக்கும், புத்தி அதை நல்லதா கெட்டதா என்று விசாரிக்கும். சித்தம் என்பது மனம் நினைத்ததை உறுதியாய் செய்து முடிக்க வல்லது. இறுதியில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ள அகங்காரம் அல்லது அகந்தை என்பது "நான்" என்ற நிலையில் யோசிப்பது மேலும், நான், எனக்கு, என்னால் போன்ற
எண்ணங்கள் மேலிடுவதால் வருவதாகும்.
சித்தர்கள் என்பவர்கள் தம்முடைய மனம், புத்தி, சித்தம் என்னும் மூன்றையும் ஒன்றிணைத்து, கடவுளையறியும் வழியினை நாடி, இம்மானிடப் பிறவி எடுத்ததன் நோக்கமான அறம், பொருள், இன்பம், வீடுபேறு என்னும் நிலைகளை அடைய முயற்சித்து அதில் வெற்றியும் கண்டவர்கள். இவர்கள் நான், எனது என்னும் அகங்காரத்தை அறவே நீத்தவர்கள். அவர்களிடம் அகங்காரம் இல்லாத காரணத்தினாலே தன்னை யாரென்றும், தனக்கென்று எதையும் கூறாமலும் மறைந்தனர்.
அனைத்து உயிர்களையும் தன்னுயிர் போல எண்ணிச் சீரும் சிறப்புமாய்
உண்மையான அன்பினால் பாதுகாப்பது "அறம்" எனப்படும். இதன் மூலம் சீவாத்மாக்களின் நன்றியையும் நல்லாசியையும் பெறுதலே "பொருள்" எனப்படும். இவ்விரண்டும் நிகழும் போது கடவுள் கருணை கூர்ந்து, மகிழ்ந்து தனது சோதிமயமான தரிசனம் தந்து, அச்சீவனிடம் குடிபுகுந்து அவர்களை ஆதரிப்பதே "இன்பம்" எனப்படும். அறம், பொருள், இன்பம் என்னும் மூன்றையும் பெற்று கடவுளின் அருட்சக்தியால் சீவாத்மாவை(ஆன்மா) இறைவனுடன் இரண்டறக் கலக்கச் செய்வது வீடுபேறு எனப்படும். இத்தகைய நிலையை அடைந்தவர்களே சித்தர்கள்.
"அன்பையும் விளைவித்து என்னையும் நின்னையும் இன்பையும் நிறைத்து என்னையும் நின்னையும் ஓருருவாக்கி" என்ற பாடலின் படி, தூல உடல் (காரண உடல்) அழிந்து போனாலும், ஆன்மாவை அழியாத உடலாக இறைவன் மாற்றித்தருகிறார். சித்தர்களில் பதினெண் சித்தர்கள், நவநாத சித்தர்கள், நவகோடி சித்தர்கள் என்று வகைப்பாடுகள் இருந்தாலும், பதினெண் சித்தர்களே முதன்மை சித்தர்களாக கருதப்படுவர்.
Siddha medicine, traditional system of healing that originated in South India and is considered to be one of India’s oldest systems of medicine. The Siddha system is based on a combination of ancient medicinal practices and spiritual disciplines. The term Siddha is derived from the root word ‘siddhi’ which means attainment of perfection and the system emphasise health as the perfect state of physical, psychological, social and spiritual components of a human being.
Siddha system is based on the fundamentals of "anda pinda thathuvam" (the relationship between the universe and human body) and 96 thathuvas (basic principles) which includes the concepts of five elements, three humours and seven physical constituents. The annamaya kosa or the physical body is made up of these seven physical constituents.
CORE PRINCIPLES
• Siddhars: Founded by saintly spiritual adepts and masters called Siddhars (with Agasthiyar traditionally considered the founding father).
• Five Elements (Aimpootham): Earth, water, fire, air, and sky make up all matter, including the human body and food.
• Three Humours (Mukkuttram): Health depends on the balance of vata (air), pitta (fire), and kapha (water).
• Diagnostics: Practitioners examine pulse, urine, tongue, and voice status (Envakai Thervukal) to identify the root cause of an imbalance.
THE FIVE ELEMENTS
According to the Siddha system, there are five elements that exist in nature: earth, water, fire, air, and ether, all of which form the original basis of all corporeal things. It is believed that there is an intimate connection between the macrocosm of the external world and the microcosm of the corporeal being. In the human body the element of earth is present in the bone, flesh, nerves, skin, and hair; the element of water is present in bile, blood, semen, glandular secretions, and sweat; the element of fire is present in hunger, thirst, sleep, beauty, and indolence; the element of air is present in contraction, expansion, and motion; and the element of ether is present in the interstices of the stomach, heart, neck, and head.
Three humours (Three dosha)
The uyir thadu (functional units of the human body) are the three humours namely Vali ( vatham – air+ space), azhal (pitham - fire) and iyyam (kapham - water + earth). When the humours are in natural equilibrium and harmony, a person enjoys the best of health. When they are deranged, they are called as kutram or dosha and diseases are produced.
HUMORAL PATHOLOGY
Three of the elements—air, fire, and water—are emphasized in Siddha medicine because they are believed to form the three fundamental components that make up the human constitution. These three components—vata, pitta, and kapha (representing air, fire, and water, respectively)—are known as humours, and their inharmonious interaction produces various pathological states.
According to the theories of humoral pathology, all diseases are caused by the discordant mixture of vata, pitta, and kapha. Their proportions in the body govern a person’s physical and mental disposition. The elements form the connecting link between the microcosm (the human) and the macrocosm (the world). Thus, the external air corresponds to the internal vata, the external heat corresponds to the internal pitta, and the external water corresponds to the internal kapha. Under normal circumstances, according to Siddha theory, vata occupies regions related to the pelvis and the rectum, pitta occupies regions related to the stomach and the viscera, and kapha occupies regions related to breath, the throat, and the head.
Siddhars believed vata to be self-originated and identical to divine energy. Imbalance of vata could be the root cause of all disease. Pitta was believed to represent all the characteristics of fire, such as burning, boiling, heating, and similar sensations. It was the name given to the heat contained in the liquid bile, which causes the expulsion of waste matter in the form of urine and feces, and it was believed to give sight to the eyes, beauty to the skin, and cheerfulness to the mind. Kapha was believed to supply moisture to the body and to give stability, adding to the strength of the body by increasing the firmness of the limbs and thereby keeping them in harmony with one another. It was also thought to aid in digestion and sensation, such as by imparting taste to the tongue.
The presence and proportion of these humours within the system is indicated by the pulse, which is vital to correct diagnosis.
PRANAYAMAM
pranayama, in the Yoga darshan (system) of Indian philosophy, the fourth of eight stages intended to lead the aspirant to samadhi, a state of perfect concentration. The immediate goal of pranayama is to reduce breathing to an effortless even rhythm, thus helping to free the individual’s mind from attention to bodily functions.
Yoga, like most Hindu philosophies, recognizes four states of consciousness—waking, sleep with dreams, sleep without dreams, and a state resembling cataleptic consciousness—each of which has its own respiratory rhythm. By prolonging each respiration as long as possible in simulation of the unconscious states during which respiration is slower than in the normal waking state, the yogi ultimately learns to pass from one state to another without loss of consciousness.
VARMAM
Varma is an area of practice in Siddha medicine that is concerned with varmam. The varmam are points of intersection of bone, muscle, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. The ancient siddhars believed that disease emerged when these points were adversely affected by an external force. A manipulative technique used in Siddha medicine to restore health at the varmam is known as ilakku murai. There are believed to be 108 varmam, according to Siddha tradition.
SIDDHA MEDICINE
According to their mode of application, Siddha medicines could be categorized into two classes:
1 . Internal medicine (32 types)
Internal medicines are classified into 32 categories based on their form and method of preparation with definite shelf life for each type. They include medicines with short life period to medicines especially metallic preparations which could be used even for hundreds of years.
2 . External medicine (32 types)
A few among the thirty two types of external applications and manipulations are ottradam (fomentation), vedhu (inhalation), pottanam (kizhi), nasiyam, kattu (bandaging), kombu kattal (splint application), attai vidal (leech therapy) etc.