Month: August 2024

In the last article, we looked at the scientific reason behind the fasts in Shravan. We have also seen that numerous fasts are observed during Shravan month and why non vegetarian food must be avoided. One distinctive aspect of the Shravan month is that we observe various Pooja(rituals) like Shravan-Somvar, Mangala-Gauri, Satyanarayan and Jivati which we do not see in any other month . Given that we have 11 more months, why have our traditions packed so many poojas into this one month? A lot of mythological stories have been told to explain this. There may be truth to these. However, living in the 21st century, rather than mythology, can there be a more scientific and rational approach to it? After thinking thoroughly, the answer to this question was found in Ayurveda’s Varsha Rutucharyaa!

In the last article I used the word ‘Durdin’. During the rainy season, many a times it rains incessantly. The weather is cloudy and gloomy. We feel lethargic and fatigued in such an environment. We do not feel like stepping out of the house. Such days are described as ‘Durdin’ in our old books of Ayurveda. It is advised to avoid working on such days. It is even mentioned to avoid studies. Our traditions have used such days beautifully through the medium of numerous pooja and rituals. Usually, everybody is busy with work. Because of our busy schedules, we are unable to devote time to such rituals and pooja. However, because of this weather in Shravan we do not want to go out of the house. Therefore, different pujas must have been advised during Shravan in order to make use of this free time in a truly auspicious manner.

Here, I am just trying to explain the relation between Varsha Rutucharyaa and the pooja in Shravan. In this pooja, there is a special feature. We use various garlands and flowers during other festivals. However, in this pooja, along with garlands and flowers, equal importance is given to the leaves(patri). In fact, these leaves are not very beautiful or fragrant like flowers. In spite of this, they are especially used in pooja due to their various medicinal properties. During the rainy season we observe various diseases like cough, cold, fever, vomiting, dysentery, slow digestion, worms in stomach, acidity and Asthma. The thought could have risen to stop these diseases which we observe during every rainy season. It led to the inclusion of these leaves in the Pooja. During this month, we would bring these leaves home for the Pooja. We could use it instantly if anybody falls sick. This is the scientific purpose behind using these leaves in the Pooja. Also, in the rainy season these leaves are fresh, and their properties are perfectly intact. Therefore, it shows good results.

We shall now look into the main leaves used in Patri. The Tulsi leaf is used in all Poojas and is also a favorite of Shri Satyanaryan. This leaf is the best medicine for the respiratory system. For diseases such as cold and cough, it is advised to have Tulsi juice(ras) along with honey. Tulsi leaf can also be chewed upon in case of sore or itchy throat. Tulsi Kadha or tulsi leaf extract is beneficial in treating cold and fever. Tulsi is beneficial in problems like loss of appetite, stomachache, worms in stomach. We can give Tusi juice frequently to Asthma patients to help with breathing. The same problem can also be solved using Aghada leaf which is offered to Magalagouri. The Parijatak leaf used in Pooja is also an excellent medicine for cold and fever. During the rainy season, many a times the root cause of fever is unknown. The kadha of Parijatak leaves is beneficial to treat such kind of fever or fever arising due to Malaria.

Plants like Dorli help in reducing cough and cold. Dorli is also used to reduce the problems caused by Asthma. Another remedy for such diseases is the Dhotra leaf. Inhaling the smoke that arises from burning the Dhotral leaf can reduce these problems as well. Aparajita or Gokarn is also one such beneficial plant. It reduces the Vaat, Pitta and Kapha doshas in the body. Juice made from Gokarni root is useful for removing cough from the body. The seeds of Gokarni are useful to treat problems such as enlarged tonsils. In case of Migraine, it is advised to put drops of the juice of Gokarni roots into the nose.

In this season, the digestive power of our body is slow. The Maka leaves in Patri are useful in improving digestive power. The juice of Maka leaves is an excellent remedy for the Liver. It can cure problems like lost appetite and indigestion. It is also useful in treating worms in the stomach. Bel leaves is another such an excellent medicine for the Liver. We can use Kadha or Churna of Bel leaves. The raw fruit of Bel is beneficial in treating loose motions. We can consume Muramba /Murrumba of Bel fruit. The kadha of Bel roots can reduce the Vaat Prakop occurring due to Varsha Rutu. Strong fragrant plants like Davana are useful in reducing fever and body aches . It is also useful for cough and cold. It helps in increasing appetite, treating worms in the stomach and improving the functioning of Liver.

Plants like Durva, Jai and Jui (variants of Jasmin) are useful in reducing the accumulation of Pitta occurring in the rainy season. Shami leaves also help in pacifying acidity. It also helps in stopping loose motions. All these plants have many more benefits. However, here we are discussing their uses for problems associated with the rainy season.

Whether we are carrying out our family duties or indulging in spiritual rituals, we need only one thing – our healthy body. It is important to protect ourselves from various diseases during the rainy season while performing various fasts and rituals. Therefore, we bring home all these plants that are used in various pooja. These, in turn, help us in maintaining our health. Friends, we have seen about Varsha Rutucharyaa. We have also seen the fasts and rituals during this season and it’s actual relations with Ayurveda’s Varsha Rutucharyaa. On this note I am ending this story of the month of Sharvan.

Dr Mayuresh Aagte

Note : Please use all the medications mentioned in this article after consultation with your doctor.

Yesterday morning my phone rang. It was one of my closest friend. As we haven’t met in a long time, he invited me for lunch. This friend is a non-vegetable food lover and therefore his favorite hotel is generally decided. Just for formality I asked him if we should meet in the same restaurant. However, I was surprised when he gave me the address of Pure Veg Hotel and asked me to meet him there. I was still in the shock of surprise until we met. That’s why the first thing I asked him was, ‘Are you ok? How come you chose this pure vegetarian place?’. He politely answered by covering his ears, ‘The holy month of Shravan is going on. I strictly follow Shravan. Forget about eating non-veg food , we don’t even talk about it’.

What is wrong with eating non-veg food during Shravan? Is there any law/rule that states that we should not eat non-veg in the month of Shravan? All year long we feast on non-veg food. Then why not in this month of Shravan? Is it a sin if you eat non-veg during this month, but is ok if you consume it during the rest of the year? My friend was speechless as I bombarded him with these questions one after the other. However, I could see the curiosity on his face to find out these answers. Fortunately, I had all the answers to these questions. The answers are hidden in Ayurveda’s Varsha Rutucharyaa.

In the last article, we have seen our physical condition in the rainy season. We have explicitly discussed our weak digestive power in this season. With the same background, we follow the precaution of not consuming non-veg foods under the religious tradition of Shravan. Non-veg foods are heavy to digest. Consuming it can invite diseases of the digestion system like indigestion. Therefore, we should avoid consuming non-veg food. This is the main objective of this tradition. We should avoid consuming not only non-veg food but also the foods that are heavy to digest such as Shrikhand and Basundi. If you still want to consume non-veg food, it should be taken in the form of mutton soup or chicken soup in less quantity. Also, when making these soups, remember to add black pepper, Asafoetida and cumin seeds. These foods also help in digestion.

We observe several fasts during Shravan such as Shravani Somvar, Shravani Shukravar and Shravani Shaniwar, which we don’t find in any of the other months. The main purpose behind these fasts is to avoid stress on our digestive system. It is expected to fast completely or consume foods like Rajgira and fruits which are easy to digest. However, considering the foods that we actually consume during fasts, we can see how this purpose is hardly accomplished.

In this season, Pitta(acidity) begins to accumulate in the body. Therefore, excessive consumption of fermented foods like idli, dosa, dhokla, and bread can lead to diseases like acidity. Hence, it is better to avoid consuming these foods during this season. If you still want to consume bread, then roast it and consume it with butter. For the same reason, fried foods like vada and bhaji should be consumed carefully. Yogurt is also prohibited this season. Apart from these, we should also avoid cold foods stored in the fridge. Such foods are heavy to digest and also invite diseases like cough and cold. It is highly beneficial to eat hot and fresh food during this season. The ideal meal is freshly cooked food, like we say, ‘Roti from the pan’.

There is one thing I would like to mention explicitly while explaining this Apathya(things to avoid) for this season. Consuming such foods will not immediately result in a major health problem. However, it is necessary to be aware that such things can lead to diseases.  As a result, we will automatically minimize consumption of these foods.

When roaming in the rainy season, it is recommended to use an umbrella and a raincoat while going out. The use of appropriate footwear for the rains would be beneficial. We should not wear damp clothes during this season. It would be better to use ironed clothes or clothes warmed up with dhup(smoke of herbs). If we get drenched in the rain, we should not continue wearing wet clothes for a long time. It is important to dry our body as soon as possible. It is better to use thick cotton or woolen clothes to resist the outside cold weather. There is no harm in using a room heater to keep the house warm.

Sometimes, in the rainy season, it rains incessantly throughout the day. We do not feel like going outside in this humid and cloudy weather. We feel lethargic. In our old books of Ayurveda (Granth), such days are mentioned as ‘Durdin’. On this day, we should not work or study at all. Of course, we should avoid sleeping in the afternoons. Do you know how our traditions have used these days?

Just as I was about to talk about it to my friend, the waiter at the hotel said, ‘Sir, it has been a long time, please order something’. My friend and I realized that we had been completely engrossed in our conversation. He must have taken my talks seriously, because instead of ordering his favourite Punjabi dish, which is heavy to digest, he ordered Jeera rice. He paid the entire bill and in return took assurance from me that we will talk more about our traditions in Shravan and Varsha Rutucharya, during our next meeting.

Dr Mayuresh Aagte