Ayurveda is the science of life. It is not only considered as a medical science to cure different ailments and diseases but also to teach us how to leave or lead a healthy life. So it is always considering the person’s surroundings whether it is living or nonliving to maintain a peaceful life. Panchabhootas-Prithvi, Ap, Tejas, Vayu and Akash are the basic structural elements for all in the Universe according to Ayurveda. They bound together in different proportions creating new structures, maintaining the shape and state, changing from one state to another degrading or decaying from a state. These changes are always happening in every part of life. 3 different modes of energy always controlling these processes. Some things are generating or forming or originating, maintaining the state for milli seconds to many years then slowly degrading or changing the state to another. In micro or macro level we can see or experience these changes in every seconds of our life. These three main stages of life; formation, maintenance of state and degrading or changing to another are controlled by different modes of energy can be considered as the Thridoshas of Ayurveda. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the Throdoshas and together they are maintaining the life cycle.
Ayurveda has eight branches call it as Ashtangas of Ayurveda. They are, Kayachikitsa (general medicine), Balachikitsa (pediatric medicine), Graha chikitsa (Psychiatry), Shalya (Surgery), Shalakya (Ophthalmology and ENT), Visha (Toxicology), Rasayana (Rejuvenation) and Vajeekarana (Aphrodisiac treatment).
Shalakyatantra is an important branch of Ashtanga Ayurveda. Mainly this division deals with the diseases occurring in the organs situated above the neck. Shalakyatantra is much important because it is dealing with the main sense organs of the body like eyes, ears, nose and tongue.
Shalakyatantra got the name from the word “Shalaka” which means a probe or rod like instrument for doing different surgical procedures. This shows that thousands of years ago different surgical procedures were practiced by the ancient scholars. Acharya Sushruta is considered as the father of surgery. In his textbook Sushruta Samhita he described different surgical procedures like cataract surgery, rhinoplasty etc. Acharya Charaka very well said about the importance of shalakya Tantra; life of the living beings and all the indriyas (sense organs) are situated in the head hence it is known as “Uttamanga”. Shalakyatantra is much important because it is describing the organs and diseases of this “Uttamanga”.
Acharya Sushruta described the diseases of eye, ear, nose and head in Uttarastana of Sushruta Samhita. Mukharogas,diseases of mouth and throat are in Nidana stana and its treatments in Chikitsa stana. Acharya Vagbhata also told and explained about the above disorders in Uttaratantra of Ashtanga hridaya. In the first chapter of Uttaratantra of Sushruta Samhita, Acharya explained about anatomy of eye. In the following chapters a detailed description regarding the diseases and treatment of Netra (eye), Karna (ear) Nasa (nose) and Shiras (head); different surgical procedures like Lekhana (scraping), Chedana (excision), Bhedana (incision), Vyadhana (puncturing) and special therapies like Kriyakalpas (Tharpana, Anjana, Seka etc.) are mentioned.
Acharya Sushruta described about 76 different types of eye diseases; this number is 94 for Acharya Vagbhata. Diseases were very well explained with the signs and symptoms, different medical formulations, treatments were also explained. In Sushruta Samhita itself Acharya Sushruta explained 28 Karnarogas (diseases of ear), 31 Nasa rogas (diseases of nose), 11 Shirorogas (diseases of head) and their treatments. Some special treatment procedures called as Kriyakalpas were told by Acharya for the treatment of eye disorders. Acharya Sushruta and Vagbhata explained about five different types of these Kriyakalpas and Acharya Sarangadhara had narrated 7 types these Kriyakalpas. Tharpana, Anjana, Seka are some of the Kriyakalpas. Tharpana is a special procedure in which medicated ghee is kept over the eyes for a specific period of time. It is advised to do in degenerative conditions of eye, some nervous disorders, structural deformities, refractive errors etc. Anjana is a treatment in which medicine is applied in the inner aspect of lower eyelid. It is very effective to maintain the normal functioning of eye, vision will be cleared and eye will feel lightness after the treatment. Likewise different surgical and para surgical procedures were told by Acharyas like bloodletting with leeches or vein puncturing, chedana (excision), bhedena (incision), Lekhana (scraping) etc. So definitely we can say Ayurveda is a time-tested science practicing for thousands of years and especially Shalakyatantra the branch which deals with the disease of head and neck has prime importance.
