OBESITY HEART DISEASE EAR-ACHES, MUMPS, ETC. EOSINOPHILIA (POLYPUS) TONSILITIS BOILS SPASMODIC FITS GOUT, ELEPHANTIASIS AND HYDROCELE EPILEPSY LOW BLOOD SUGAR APPENDIX BENGALI GLOSSARY OBESITY official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Symptoms: Fat is an indispensable element of the human body. Without fat, the natural activity of the bones and muscles could not be sustained for a single moment. But when this very fat abnormally accumulates beyond the ordinary requirement of the body, it causes all the organs of the body to become incapacitated. This state is called obesity. Causes: Lack of physical labour, and at the same time eating lots of curd (yogurt), milk, butter and other high-calorie foods; eating large quantities of sweets and large quantities of mucus-producing foods (fish, tamarind, etc.) are the main causes of obesity. And especially if, along with the above reasons, a particular person undertakes too much mental exertion, then in most cases he/she becomes obese. Persons who do physical labour need nutritious and nonvegetarian types of food, milk and ghee. Those who do mental work and don't undertake much physical work require very little non-vegetarian, sweet and fatty foods. But sensual persons, for the sake of taste-satisfaction, take large quantities of food which they do not need or need very little of. In the world today a handful of people who do no physical work, but live by their wits, have appropriated to themselves most of the wealth of humanity, so they are able to buy comparatively expensive foods, and use them to satisfy their taste buds. As a result, they, on the one hand, swell with unnecessary fat, while, on the other hand, those people doing hard manual labour are forced to live in poverty and deprived of the ghee, butter and sweets they need to maintain their bodies; they have nothing to compensate properly the energy they expend, and they become weak, emaciated and broken in health. On account of malnutrition and excessive hard labour, they fall victim to tuberculosis. Remember that in tropical countries non-vegetarian food is generally like poison, but for those doing a great amount of physical labour, a little such food does no harm to their bodies, nor does it exert its harmful influence on their minds. So my point is that obesity is primarily a disease of well-off, non-labouring society. High-salaried office workers, rich businessmen and parasitic politicians are those who suffer most from obesity. It should be borne in mind that the fat stored in the human body is nothing but its work energy in latent form. When fasting or doing physical labour, it becomes liquefied, then transformed into vital energy or work energy. So when people perform little manual labour, their fat becomes their enemy and pushes them to their death. When this fat accumulates in the abdominal region, it causes sterility in women and impotency in men. That is why we find that in most cases obese people have no children. Too much accumulation of fat on the chest and abdomen disturbs the va'yu; and then, as long as the liver is not affected, the person suffers from 'demon hunger'; so much so that in homes where the person is entertained, he or she becomes famous for his or her voracity. Another distinguishing mark of such people is that they are most greedy for those foods which are most fattening; that is, when invited outside, they will never even by mistake eat much in the way of vegetable preparations--instead they will eat a lot of luci, fish, meat and sweets. As they grow older and their livers become weak, they will lose that voracious appetite. Then they will sorrowfully say to people that they cannot consume food as they used to. Their muscles become flaccid and they begin to suffer from acidity, constipation or intestinal troubles. Fat accumulated on the chest affects the heart and lungs and makes it difficult for these organs to function. Victims' respiration becomes troublesome, they tire out very easily, gasp for breath, and sit down sweating profusely. Fat accumulated in the blood vessels causes patients to suffer from high blood pressure, which may finally lead to an internal haemorrhage by bursting the blood vessels of the brain or of any part of the body, causing death or paralysis. Excessive fat creates disorder in the normal functioning of the liver as well as in the breathing. Fat also creates constipation, seminal diseases, abnormal menstruation, and different kinds of intestinal disease. Treatment: First phase Morning-Utks'epa Mudra', Diirgha Pran'a'ma, Yogamudra' and Bhu'jaunga'sana. Evening-Matsyamudra', Naoka'sana, Paschimotta'na'sana and Matsyendra'sana. After gaining some mastery over these a'sanas, begin the second phase. Second phase Morning-Utks'epa Mudra', Diirgha Pran'a'ma, Yogamudra', Bhu'jaunga'sana and Padahasta'sana. Evening-Matsyamudra', Naoka'sana, Pashcimotta'na'sana and Matsyendra'sana. After gaining some mastery over these asanas, begin the third phase. Morning-Utks'epa Mudra', Yogamudra', Diirgha Pran'a'ma, Bhu'jaunga'sana, Karma'sana and Garud'a'sana. Evening-Naoka'sana, Pashcimotta'na'sana, Matsyendra'sana and Kurmaka'sana. Diet: Some obese people try simply to eat less, surmising that in doing so they will be able to lose weight. This is not a correct approach, because such dieting can weaken the patient to such an extent that he or she cannot even get up or walk. What the patient needs is a simple, carefully selected diet. For instance: 1. One should drink about four or five seers of water daily, but not much at a time. As far as possible the patient should always mix lemon juice with the water. 2. Completely stop taking non-vegetarian food, ghee and oil. Three-fourths to a seer of diluted milk should be taken, a little at a time, a number of times during the day. 3. Depending upon the appetite, all kinds of fruit in plentiful quantity, preferably sour juicy types, can be taken. These fruits are very beneficial for the obese. 4. Reduce or eliminate rice, rut'i and pulses, and instead eat green vegetables and soups made from them in greater quantity. 5. One must reduce the use of raw and refined sugar, but may use a little honey--nor more than three spoonfuls a day. Do's and don't's: Rules of fasting and sun-bathing should be observed by patients. Generally speaking, obesity is the disease of the sedentary and the greedy. So as far as possible, simple food should be eaten. Instead of luci and puri, dry rut'i should be taken. And patients should give up their habit of sitting and giving orders, and instead should do the work by their own physical efforts. 1958 HEART DISEASE official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Symptoms: Strong beating sound in the chest, chest pain, breathing troubles, trembling of arms and legs, etc., are the symptoms of this disease. Causes: There can be many reasons behind heart disease. 1. Persons who keep their stomachs full and heavy need a greater blood supply for their stomachs, and their hearts have to overwork in order to keep up that extra supply. Consequently their hearts become weak. 2. Persons above thirty-five or forty years of age who consume an excessive quantity of non-vegetarian food out of greed may also suffer from heart disease; because non-vegetarian food increases the acidity of the blood, and this compels the heart to overwork in order to purify the blood; and the heart becomes weak. An increase in the acidity of blood also gradually weakens other organs of the body, and those weaknesses directly or indirectly weaken the heart. 3. Taking excessive fatty and oil food and not undertaking a proportional amount of physical labour loads the human nervous system down with fat, and as a result it becomes impossible for the nerves to properly assist the heart. As a result the heart becomes weak. Fat accumulated in the nerves and blood vessels terribly hampers the blood circulation, and in order to maintain the circulation, the heart is forced to overwork. As a consequence the heart soon becomes weak. 4. Due to debility of the liver, surplus fat of the body may get a chance to accumulate in the nerves and blood vessels, and the heart naturally becomes weak. Usually patients of this condition have chronic dysentery also. 5. Another reason for heart disease is the practice of eating too much food at one sitting with little or no appetite; because taking a large quantity of food enlarges the stomach, and that enlarged stomach starts putting pressure on the heart above it. Persons who do not have breakfast and an afternoon snack usually eat heavy meals at lunch and dinner. If such a habit continues day after day, their stomachs get enlarged and they suffer from heart disease. 6. Constipation is another reason for heart disease. If the bowels are not cleared, the accumulated stool decays inside the body and breeds a certain type of germ. If these germs get a chance to strike the heart, the patient suffers from heart disease. 7. Ill-tempered persons also run the risk of heart disease, because in anger the flow of blood to the head and face becomes suddenly accelerated (which makes these people turn red). To supply this extra blood, the heart has suddenly to work very hard. That is why persons who are habitually ill-tempered suffer from weakness of the heart. For the same reason, extreme shyness may make the heart weak. 8. In extreme fright also, the blood all of a sudden leaves the other parts of the body and rushes towards the heart in great quantity. It is difficult for the heart to stand this pressure, so in extreme fright the heart pounds or palpitates, and often even stops beating and causes death. (People have often been known to die of heart failure in fear of imaginary ghosts; and just before death or immediately thereafter, such terror-stricken people suffer from bleeding from the mouth and nose, and other people see it and think that the victims have really been killed by ghosts.) So fearful persons are often found to be suffering from heart disease. 9. For the same reason, indulgence in sex causes the heart to strain and the breathing to become heavy. So habitually passionate people also suffer from heart disease. Too much seminal loss in young people also brings about heart disease. 10. Use of wine, tobacco, vir'i, cigarettes and other intoxicants in excessive quantity brings about constipation, which is one cause of heart disease. Moreover, intoxicants increase the acidity of the blood, weaken the glandular system, and ultimately prevent the active co-operation of the heart and the glands, causing them to fall sick. 11. When a person suffers from some devitalizing or chronic disease for a long time, his or her blood will become weak. And to revitalize that blood, the person's heart has to overwork, and gradually the heart becomes weak. That is why with beriberi, pneumonia, tuberculosis, diabetes, gonorrhoea, syphilis and female disease, the longer a patient suffers, the more the heart becomes weak, and when it becomes extremely weak it stops and the patient dies. Treatment: Morning-Utks'epa Mudra', (don't drink too much water), Yogamudra', Diirgha Pran'a'ma, Bhu'jaunga'sana, Va'yavii Mudra' or Va'yavii Pra'n'a'ya'ma, and Padahasta'sana. Evening-Yogamudra', Diirgha Pran'a'ma, Bhu'jaunga'sana, Padahasta'sana and Va'yavii Mudra' or Va'yavii Pra'n'a'ya'ma. Remember that patients should practise no a'sanas and mudra's other than Utks'epa Mudra' when the disease is critical. Only after some improvement in the disease should these a'sanas and mudra's be practised. When patients are more or less cured, they should practice Karma'sana instead of Padahasta'sana. The practice of Vya'paka Sna'na is also especially helpful in this disease. Diet: Only fruits and milk should be taken with this disease. Breakfast and afternoon snacks should also be composed of fruits and milk only. At noon a very small quantity of easily-digestible and non-constipating food should be taken; it is better to refrain from eating rice or rut'i but a little boiled rice can be taken. At the evening meal nothing except fruits and milk should be taken. (Patients should not eat bananas after sunset.) Those who cannot digest milk or who for some reason are unable to procure it, may drink curd-water instead. One should not add salt to food while eating. Care should be taken to let the breath flow through the right nostril for some time after a meal. Do's and don'ts: Patients should never eat a lot at one sitting--rather they should eat a small quantity at a time, several times. When patients are critically ill they should eat nothing but milk, fruit juice (especially orange/tangerine and tomato), milk or water with honey, and the juice of spinach, kalamii, beto, punarnava', shushuni or shulpha'. When thirsty, drink water with a little lemon juice. Sleeping during the day, keeping late nights, and greedily eating a full stomach of food are all very dangerous for heart patients. Dinner invitations usually involve rich food, so patients should not accept dinner invitations. They should go to bed between 8 and 8:30 in the evening. One should again remember that eating a small quantity of spinach, beto, kalamii, shulpha', shushuni or punarnava'--leafy vegetables--is good for heart patients. Bara ela'ca is also particularly helpful in curing this disease. Utmost attention must be paid to clearing the bowels. Heart patients should sleep at least nine hours a night. The mind should always be held back from anger and lust. Physical and mental exertion, garrulousness and sex should all be strictly avoided. Some remedies: 1. Every day in the morning and before retiring to bed at night, patients should take a spoonful of ba'ra ela'ca, powdered along with the husk, with honey. This will give good results. 2. The juice of shulpha' greens mixed with honey is very useful in heart disease. 3. A spoonful of cinnamon powder with a little honey, taken twice a day, will bring excellent results. 4. Take 1/16 tola of bhu'mi kus'ma'n'd'a powder with a little honey twice a day. 1958 EAR-ACHES, MUMPS, ETC. official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. A remedy: Take a few mature, fresh leaves of white a'kanda and slowly fry them in pure cow's ghee as paratha is fried. Then extract juice from these fried leaves, add warm ghee to it and pour three drops of that mixture into the affected ear three times daily--in the morning, evening and before bed. Continue using the medicine till the disease is completely cured. This remedy is very useful in diseases like mumps and pus-forming diseases of the ears. 1958 EOSINOPHILIA (POLYPUS) official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. A remedy: Take a little camphor and some ma'skala'i beans and boil them mildly at a low temperature in pure mustard oil in a thin brass pot. In case a brass pot is not available, use an iron, copper or silver pot. Once this preparation has been made, put that boiled oil and those ma'skala'i beans in a glass jar, corking it firmly and tightly, so that it can be preserved for up to a month if necessary. Be particular to use a good, solid cork, for if the cork is not firm and solid, the camphor may evaporate. Now prepare a leaf-packet of a green banyan leaf and pour that prepared mixture into it. Now light a mustard oil lamp and hold that leaf-packet over its flame. When the packet becomes somewhat scorched and its contents start dripping, catch the mixture in a pot. Now keep some warm water ready at hand. Dip your little finger in that oil, push the finger inside each nostril as deep as possible, and rub. Having rubbed both the nostrils well in that fashion, take warm water (as warm as you can endure), and draw it in through the nostrils and expel it through the mouth. Repeat the use of the water, and again repeat, for a total of three times through both nostrils. Having used the water three times, use your little finger again to rub the oil inside the nostrils, and repeat the drawing of the water, as hot as bearable, three times. Repeat the alternation of oil and water for a total of six times, in two installments of three times each. While expelling the water through the mouth, insert your middle finger inside your throat. Now holding a mouthful of warm water, splash your eyes repeatedly with the same warm water from the pot. Thereafter your morning Vya'paka Shaoca should be completed as usual. As long as the disease is not fully cured, use this remedy in the aforesaid manner three times a day - in the morning, in the evening, and before bed. When suffering from na'sa'shula, or if the nose, throat and lungs are all weakened at the same time, this remedy will also yield a good result. In na'sa'shula extra flesh grows inside the nose, throat or lungs. People who use snuff suffer mostly from this disease. It is true that patients do not die of this disease, but they endure much agony from it. When the disease becomes chronic, the patient becomes nasal. Those who are accustomed to smoke viri and cigarettes suffer most from cancer. With cancer also this remedy yields results. But before using this medicine, patients of either disease should strictly give up the habits of smoking vir'i and cigarettes, taking snuff, etc. 1958 TONSILITIS official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Treatment: First practice Shiva'sana for five minutes, then Matsyamudra' for five minutes, and thereafter Matsyendra'sana for a maximum of one minute in each position. The performance of all three A'sanas will make one round. Practice three rounds. Take your usual massage, and after that do Shava'sana for at least 100 seconds. Then take a stroll for a few minutes. Ten minutes after the stroll, drink some warm water. If you feel any pain while pressing hard the spot located two fingers' width up, on the left or right side of the urinary passage, then you should drink half a glass of slightly-warm water, mixing one teaspoonful of baked clove powder in it. If pain is felt while inhaling at a spot three fingers' width up, on the left or right side of the urinary passage, when those regions are pressed hard with the thumb, then in that case also, ten minutes after your stroll you should take one teaspoonful of baked clove powder in tepid water. 1979 BOILS official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. A remedy: Often we see that even though a boil has ripened, it does not show any opening. If in that case fresh pigeon droppings are applied on the boil, it will burst and an opening will show within a few hours. 1979 SPASMODIC FITS official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Symptoms: In children, fever with up-turned eyes. Eventually the child dies. Some remedies: 1. The na'gdona' plant (which grows about two feet in height, with thorns and very strong-smelling leaves) is an excellent medicine for nerves. If, when a child suffers from spasmodic fits, leaves of this plant are pounded to paste and the child is made to smell the paste, the convulsions will be cured. There is no other medicine for this disease. Nagdona plants also prevent being struck by lightning. 2. If the patient's face, hands and feet are washed with water in which potatoes have just been boiled, this will also control the convulsions. 1979 GOUT, ELEPHANTIASIS AND HYDROCELE official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. A remedy: Take some kadamba leaves or white a'kanda leaves ripened yellow (the a'kanda leaf turns yellow when full mature). Warm the leaves on the fire and apply them to the affected region as a fomentation for some time. Afterwards bind the leaves over the affected place with a warm cloth, and it will cure the disease. 1958 EPILEPSY official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Treatment: Shalabha'sana, Bhu'jaunga'sana, Matsyamudra', Sarva'unga'sana, Matsya'sana and Mayu'ra'sana. Vya'paka Sna'na should be taken twice a day. Diet: Food prepared and cooked in ghee or oil is strictly forbidden. All sorts of boiled foods can be taken, especially various types of green vegetables such as spinach, nat'e, cola', mat'ar and heleinca'. Do's and don'ts: Every morning and evening take a stroll for some time, or run. If necessary take someone with you. 1979 LOW BLOOD SUGAR Treatment: Matsyendra'sana, Utkat'a Kurmaka'sana, and Padahasta'sana. Ta'n'd'ava dance for males (see an A'ca'rya for instructions). Diet: Little fat, no sugar (a little honey or flower nectar* is all right). No tinned fruit. Less white flour and more whole-wheat flower, plenty of fresh fruits of any taste, more green vegetables, less potato. No alcohol or tobacco or drugs. No animal product except curd (yogurt). * Nectar gathered directly from flowers. Do's and don't's: Fast walking or running is desirable. Taking a bath daily in water of body temperature is good 1979 APPENDIX official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. A. WATER DRINKING 'A'pashcavishvabhes'ajii' -- that is, 'water is medicine for all diseases.' Truly, all types of disease can be relieved if one knows how to use water properly. To maintain the internal functions of the body without hindrance and to maintain the internal liquid balance, everyone should drink a sufficient quantity of water every day. A healthy person can consume three or four seers of water a day, a sick person four or five seers, and a person suffering from skin disease, five or six seers. These amounts of water help cure a disease to a great extent. Drinking water is good, but water with a little lemon and a little salt is still better. Drinking a lot of water at a time is harmful, especially for heart patients. B. SEX People should not taint their sex lives by over-indulgence. Everyone should remember that shukra is the ultimate element of the body, and if it is absent or somehow impaired, all the elements of the body may become impaired and invite attacks of various diseases. Intercourse more than four times a month leads to wastage of shukra, which culminates in debility of the nerve-cells, nerve-fibres, glands, etc. People may become aware of the physical debility caused by this immoderate loss of shukra belatedly, but they will begin to feel the mental and spiritual loss right away. That is why it is not at all desirable for adolescents and young people to remain ignorant of sexual matters. And when it comes down to a choice between restraint and lack of restraint, it is better not even to stipulate four times a month, but simply to say: the more restraint the better. C. MUD PACKS Soil possesses great curative properties. With cuts, scratches, sores and boils, if soil is applied properly, it can be especially helpful in curing the disease and drawing out the poisonous substances. If the mud-pack starts cracking within about three hours after drying, or if the pack becomes stale, then the pack should be thrown away. The wound should then be cleansed carefully with some antiseptic, and after giving it a sun-bath, a fresh pack should be applied. Healthy persons or persons suffering from skin disease should smear their bodies with yellow soil, massage themselves, then immerse themselves in a river or in a pond. This will certainly give good results. It is desirable for everyone to use this mud-massage now and then when they bathe. Those who are suffering from leprosy or other diseases characterized by contaminated sores should definitely have such a mud-massage followed by a bath every day. D. SUN-BATHING The meaning of A'tapa Sna'na is 'sun-bathing,' but sunshine is not the same for all countries at all times. Therefore, it is not possible to fix the best time for sun-bathing. But at the present time, in the plains of Bihar, a sun-bath can be taken during the summer until 10 AM and during the winter between noon and 2 PM. During the sun-bath, the diseased parts of the body are exposed to the sun's rays while the remaining parts are kept in the shade. When the affected area becomes hot after leaving it in the sun for fifteen to twenty minutes, it should be brought into the shade and the procedures described below followed. 1. If there is rheumatism or gout in that part of the body, that part should, under advice, be massaged with oil for four or five minutes. 2. If it is a skin disease, then that area should be massaged with neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) oil for four or five minutes. 3. In the case of other diseases, the affected area should be massaged with a cool, wet towel that has been wrung out. After the temperature of the area has come down to normal, it can once again be exposed to the sun's rays. After leaving it in the sun for fifteen or twenty minutes, again cool the area by massaging with oil or a towel in the aforesaid manner. Exposure to sun and massage can be done in the same manner again and again. But during the last massage, instead of using oil, it is desirable to wipe with a wet towel in all cases except that of skin disease. If a healthy or sick person so desires, he or she may take a sun-bath over the entire body. In this case, after the completion of the sun-bath, the whole body must be thoroughly wiped off with a wet towel. When taking a sun-bath over the entire body, one should wear little or no clothes and keep the back to the sun. If the diseased area is in the front portion of the body, that is to say, the face, chest, stomach, etc., then it can be kept uncovered but the remaining portions must be kept covered. One should always remember, 'Expose the stomach to fire and the back to sun'; i.e., if you need to warm yourself at a fire, keep the stomach towards the fire, never the back. E. TAKING THE AIR Pure, fresh air has the power to cure diseases. It is advisable to breathe in as fully as possible, because when we do so, the air gets an opportunity to penetrate the lungs completely. It is better to take a walk in the fresh air than to ride a vehicle. If the body does not work up a sufficient sweat, then you should know that you have not taken the air properly. F. FASTING During fasting the body's organs get a good rest, and the healing process is more rapid. It is possible for one to get relief even from chronic skin diseases if one goes on a long fast and drinks plenty of water with lemon juice. Only persons in very good health and with good energy should fast without water. Persons suffering from gall or kidney-stones should never undertake a waterless fast. Sick persons and people in mediocre health should observe fasting taking plenty of lemon juice and water. Persons who are very weak may take a small quantity of fruit and milk. Persons who, for whatever reason, do not fast on Eka'dashii, Pu'rn'ima' and Ama'vasya' should at least abstain from taking rice, fried vegetables, pulses and non-vegetarian food on those days. They should also take just a little milk, fruit and dry things on the evenings of Pu'rn'ima' and Ama'vasya'. G. MENTAL PURITY Mental purity helps particularly in keeping a person healthy. Impure thoughts increase the acidity of the blood and invite disorders of the stomach, heart and brain. That is why every human being should make a strong as habit as possible of selfless service and Iishvara Pran'idha'na (meditation). The best way to attain mental purity is to follow the principles of Yama and Niyama. (For a fuller explanation of Yama and Niyama, see A Guide to Human Conduct.)* * Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, A Guide to Human Conduct [Calcutta and Denver: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, 6th Edition, 1982, or First North American Printing.] Yama Sadhana Yama is divided into five parts (1) Ahim'sa', (2) Satya, (3) Asteya, (4) Brahmacarya and (5) Aparigraha. 1. Ahim'sa'--Not to inflict pain or hurt on any living thing in the world by thought, word or action is 'Ahim'sa'.' 2. Satya--The benevolent use of mind and words is 'Satya.' 3. Asteya--To renounce the desire to acquire or retain the wealth of others is 'Asteya.' 'Asteya' means 'non-stealing.' 4. Brahmacarya--To keep the mind always absorbed in Brahma (the Supreme Entity) is 'Brahmacarya.' 5. Aparigraha--To renounce everything excepting the necessities for the maintenance of the body is known as 'Aparigraha.' Niyama Sadhana Niyama is also divided into five parts--(1) Shaoca, (2) Santos'a, (3) Tapah, (4) Sva'dhya'ya and (5) Iishvara Pran'idha'na. 1. Shaoca is of two kinds--Purity of the body and of the mind. The methods for mental purity are kindliness towards all creatures, charity, working for the welfare of others and being dutiful. 2. Santos'a--Contentment for things received unasked-for is 'Santos'a.' It is essential to try to be cheerful always. 3. Tapah--To undergo physical hardship to attain the objective is known as 'Tapah.' Upava'sa (fasting), serving the Guru (Preceptor), serving father and mother, and the four types of Yajina, namely, Pitr Yajina, Nr Yajina, Bhu'ta Yajina and Adhya'tma Yajina (service to ancestors, to humanity, to lower beings and to Consciousness), are the other limbs of Tapah. For students, study is the main Tapah. 4. Sva'dhya'ya--The study, with proper understanding, of scriptures and philosophical books is 'Sva'dhya'ya.' The philosophical books and scriptures of A'nanda Ma'rga are A'nanda Su'tram and Subha's'ita Sam'graha (all parts) respectively. Sva'dhya'ya is also done by attending Dharmacakra (group meditation) regularly and having Satsaunga (spiritual company), but this kind of Svadhyaya is intended only for those who are not capable of studying in the above manner. 5. Iishvara Pran'idha'na--This is to have firm faith in Iishvara (the Cosmic Controller) in pleasure and pain, prosperity and adversity, and to think of oneself as the instrument, and not the wielder of the instrument, in all the affairs of life. Human life is short. It is wise to get all the instructions regarding Sa'dhana' (intuitional practice) as soon as possible. BENGALI GLOSSARY official source: Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies cross-references: none this version: is the printed Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, 3rd edition, 3rd printing, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Words in square brackets [ ] are corrections that did not appear in the printed version. Words in this glossary have been alphabetized according to the English alphabet, not the Bengali. Accented letters have been treated the same as unaccented (e.g. A' the same as A.) A'kanda--Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) R. Br ex Ait. A'marula --(Sha'k). Oxalis corniculata Linn. A'mra'--Spondias pinnata Kurz. Anantamula--Hemidesmus indicus R. Br. Apa'ma'rga--Achyranthes aspera Linn. Apara'jita--Clitoria ternatea Linn. Ar'ahara--Cajanus cajan (Linn.) Millsp. Ashoka--Josesia ashoka Roxb. Ashvagandha'--Withania coagulans Dunal. A'tapa Rice--A fine-quality, very white type of rice Ba'bla--Acacia arabica wild. Baher'a'--Terminalia belerice Roxb. Ba'munaha'ti--Clerodendron indicum (Linn.) Ktze. Ba'nsha--Bambusa bambos Druco. Bar'a Ela'ca--Amomum subulatum Roxb. Bel--Aegle marmelos Corr. Ber'ela'--Side cordifolia Linn. Beto (Sha'k)--Chenopidium albm Linn. Bhu'mi Kus'ma'n'd'a--Ipomoea paniculata R. Br. Bhunica'pa'--Kaempferia rotunda Linn. Bora'caka--Cyperus iria Linn. Brahmayasti--Clerodendron indicum (Linn.) Ktze. Bra'hmii (Sha'k)--Bacopa monnieri (Linn) pennell. Cola'--Cicer arietinum Linn. Dhundula--Luffa cylindrica (Linn.) M. Roem. Dugdhaks'iira--Wrightia tomentosa Roem. Durba'--Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers. Ga'mbha'rii--Gmelina arborea Linn. Ghor'a'nim--Melia azedarach Linn. Gima'-Hydrocotyle rotundifolia Roxb. Gulainca--Tinospora cordifolia (willd.) Miers. Ha'tishunr'a'--Heliotropium indicum Linn. Heleinca'--Enhydra fluctuans Lour. Isabgula--plantago ovata Forsk. Ja'm--Eugenia jambolana Lam. Jayanti--Sesbania sesban (Linn.) Merr. Jhim'ge--Luffa acutangula Roxb. or Luffa acutangula (Linn.) Roxb var. amara Clarke. Kadam (Kadamba)--Anthocephalus indicus A. Rich. Ka'la Kesenda'--Cassia occidentalis Linn. Kalamii (Sha'k)--Ipomoea reptans (Linn.) Poir. Ka'nsa'--A particular alloy translated 'white brass' or 'bell-metal' (because vessels of this metal ring when struck). It is widely used for cooking vessels in India. Ka'nt'anat'e--Amaranthus spinosus Linn. [Kapha--See Va'yu, Pitta, Kapha and Rakta.] Kayetbel--Feronia limonia (Linn.) Wingle Kelekonar'a'--Capparis sepiaria Linn. Kuksiima'--Veronia cinerea Less. Kula'ttha Kala'i--Dolichos biflorus Linn. Luci--Hindi 'puri', unleavened bread puffed by deep frying. Lodha'--Symplocos racemosa Roxb. Mahuya'--Madhuca indica J.F. Gmel. Ma'n Kacu--Colocasia antiquorum Schott. Ma'skala'i--Phaseolus radiatus Linn. Very similar to mung bean. Masu'r Da'l--Lens esculenta Moench. Mat'ar (Sha'k)--Pisum salivum Linn. Meoya'--A dried fruit. Michrii--Rock candy. Mis't'i Nebu--Citrus limettioides Tanaka. Mutha'--Cyperus rotundus Linn. Na'geshvara (Na'ga Keshara)--Mesua ferrea Linn. or Ochrocarups longifolius Benth & Hook. f. Pala'sha--Butea monospherma (Lam.) Kuntze. Palta'--Erythrina vagiegata Linn. var. orientalis (linn.) Merrill. Paratha--Flat bread prepared like a RUT'I, but usually folded into a triangular shape and fried in ghee or oil. Pat'al--Trichosanthes nervifolia Linn. [Pitta -- See Va'yu, Pitta, Kapha and Rakta.] Punarnava--Boerhaavia diffusr Linn. Puni--Basella rubra Linn. Puri--Similar to LUCI, but sometimes stuffed. [Rakta -- See Va'yu, Pitta, Kapha and Rakta.] Rut'i--Hindi 'cha'pa'ti,' flat bread made from whole-wheat flour. Sajane--Moringa oleifera Lam. Sarpagandha'--Rauwolfia serpentina Benth. ex Kurz. Shatamu'lii--Asparagus racemosus Willd. Shimu'la--Salmalia malabarica Schott & Endl. Shiuli--Nyctanthes arbortristis Linn. Shobha'injana--Moringa oleifera Lam. Shukra--This term comprises a large class of substances in the body. "This vital fluid has three stages, lymph or Pra'n'arasa (Lasika'), spermatozoa, and seminal fluid...' (P.R. Sarkar, Idea and Ideology [A'nandanagar: A'nanda Ma'rga Praca'raka Sam'gha, 5th Edition, 1978], p. 66). Shukrabaha Na'r'ii--Literally, 'SHUKRA-carrying vessels.' Shulpha'--Fumaria parviflora Lam. Shushuni (Sa'ka)--Blepharis edulis Pers. Soda'la--Cassia fistula Linn. Tela'kuca'--Coccinia indica W. & A. Tha'nkuni--Hydrocotyle asiatica Linn. Triphala'--Emblic myrobalan (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), myrobalan and BAHERA' in equal portions. Ucche--Momordica charantia Linn. Va'saka--Adhatoda vasica Nees. Va'yu-- Va'yu comprises (1) the ten basic energy flows in the body, performing specific functions ; (2) the gas that is created in the digestive tract, lungs, etc., when the energy flows become distorted. Pitta is the expression of the luminous (fire) factor in the human body, responsible for digestion and preservation of body heat. Examples of Pitta are the liver bile and pancreatic juice. Kapha denotes mucus, phlegm, and all physical factors (such as some factors of the blood) which tend to create mucus. Rakta is blood. For further explanation [of va'yu] please see Idea and ideology, pages 63-65. (P. R. Sarkar, Idea and Ideology [A'nandanagar: A'nanda Ma'rga Praca'raka Sam'gha, 5th Edition, 1978]). Vir'i--Leaf tobacco rolled in the form of a very small cigar, usually inhaled. Yajina D'umura--Ficus cunia Ham. ex Roxb.