VIRUDDHAHARA UNIQUE FOOD CONCEPT OF AYURVEDA

By : Dr. Smitha Jain, PG Scholar, Dept of PG Studies in Rasashastra

Introduction Food is an indispensible part of life.

Food – powerful source of energy.

Ahara - trayopastambha.

In Ayurveda – importance of food :

Asta vidhi visheshayatana and Ahara vidhi vidhana.

Ahara – 2 types: Hita & Ahita.

Hitahara - प्राणिनाां प्रािसांज्ञकानाां प्रािमाचक्षते कुशलााः॥

Ahitahara – affects the equilibrium of body and mind, resulting in ill health.

Viruddhahara is a unique concept of Ayurveda.

Viruddhahara affects the body by causing the

effects similar to visha & garavisha.

Incompatibility is the result of unsuitable

combination, contradictory qualities and faulty

processes.

Importance of dietic rules- bestows health.

Milk, honey, ghee are some of the substances

used in diet since ancient times. Certain

precautionary measures that are emphasized

for the intake of these foods are not followed in

present scenario. Hence the proper knowledge

regarding such incompatible foods is necessary

to maintain the health of an individual.

DERIVATION : वि + रुध ्+ क्त = विरोध विशषे ॥ (शब्धकल्पधु्रम)

Contrast/opposition in particular.

Definition : शरीर धातुविरोधां कुिवन्तीतत िैरोधधकााः॥ (च.सू २६/८०)

विरुद्धमवप चाहारां विद्याद्विषगरॊपम ्॥ (अ.हृ.सू ७/२९)

उत्कक्लेश्य दोषान ्न हरेत ्द्रव्यां यत्कतत्कसमासताः।

विरुद्धां तवद्ध धातूनाां प्रत्कयनीकतया स्थितम ्॥ (अ.सां.सू ९/२६)

antiquity च.सां.सू २६ - आत्रयेभद्रकापीयमध्याय

सु.सां.सू २० - हहताहहतीयमध्याय

अ.सां.सू ९ - विरुद्धान्नविज्ञानीयमध्याय

अ.हृ.सू ७ - अन्नरक्षाध्याय

काश्यप कल्प ७ - भोजनकल्पाध्याय

भेल सूत्र १२ - आत्रयेखण्डकाप्यीयमध्याय

आनन्दकन्द १८ उल्लास – अमतृीकरिविश्रान्तौ Yoga Ratnakara, Bhaishajya Ratnavali –

mentioned viruddhashana as nidana of various

diseases.

Modern literature – Food Incompatibility, Food

intolerance & hypersensitivity reactions.

Concept of viruddhahara Acc to Charaka – the viruddhahara is

considered under ahitahara

• यस्त्ककस्चचत ्दोषमास्राव्य न तनहवरतत कायताः।

आहरजातां तत्कसि ंअहहतायोपपद्यते ॥ (च.सू २६)

• देहधातु प्रत्कयनीकभूतातन द्रव्याणि देहधातुभभाः विरोधमापद्यन्ते|

परथपरगुिविरुद्धातन कातनधचत ्कातनधचत ्सांयोगात ्

सांथकारादपराणि । देशकालमात्राहदभभश्चपराणि तिा थिभािादपराणि ॥(च.सू २६)

Acc to Sushrutha :

Ekantha hitani : jala,grutha, ksheera.

Ekantha ahitani : agni, kshara, visha.

Hitaahitani : vishatulyani bhavanthi.

Sushrutha has given detailed explanation

about rasaviruddha:

Madhura + Amla/ Lavana = rasa & veerya

viruddha.

Madhura + Katu = rasa, veerya, vipaka

viruddha.

Madhura + Tikta/kashaya = vipaka

viruddha.

Amla + Lavana = rasa viruddha.

Amla + Katu = vipaka viruddha.

Amla + Tikta/Kashaya = viruddha in all

aspects.

Acc to Vagbhata:

बभलनाभमिोगिुानाां विषमतया समतया अप्युभयिावप।

सांथकाराहदिशादवप भितत तनसगावदवप विरोधाः ॥(अ.सां.सू ९) 1. Asadrsha guna

2. Sadrsha guna

3. Both sadrsha & asadrsha guna

4. Samskara

5. Maatra

6. Desha

7. Kala

8. Samyoga

9. swabhavataha

Food Incompatibility:

• Not being suitable for combination.

• Unsuitable through chemical action/interaction.

• Antagonistic action.

Food allergy/Hypersensitivity reaction:

• An allergic reaction resulting from ingestion of

food to which person is sensitive.

Food intolerance:

• An abnormal non-immunologic response to

ingested food.

• Pharmacologic/metabolic/toxic.

types 1. Desha (habitat)Viruddha:

Jangala desha & Anoopa desha.

2. Kala Viruddha: (season)

Sheeta & Ushna.

3. Agni (digestive power) Viruddha:

Chaturvidha agni.

4. Matra (quantity) Viruddha:

Madhu & grutha in equal quantity.

5. Satmya (homologation) Viruddha:

Depends on individual.

6. Dosha viruddha:

Drugs and diet.

7. Samskar (mode of preparation) Viruddha:

Processing – gunaantaradana.

8. Veerya (potency) Viruddha:

Sheeta and ushna together.

9. Koshtha Viruddha:

Mrudu/kroora.

10.Avastha (State of health) Viruddha

11.Krama (sequence/order) Viruddha

12.Parihara Viruddha

13.Upachara Viruddha

14.Paaka (cooking) Viruddha

15.Samyoga (combination) Viruddha

16.Hrit(pallatability) Viruddha

17.Sampad (Richness of quality) Viruddha

18.Vidhi (rules for eating) Viruddha:

Incompatible food examples

न मत्कसान ्पयसा सह अभ्यिहरेत ्।

Both matsya & kshreera : madhura in rasa

and vipaka abhishyandi strotorodha.

Opposite veerya vitiates rakta.

Among matsya – specifically mentioned

chilichima maha abhishyandi

amavisha kastasadhya.

सि ंच अम्लां द्रिमद्रिां च पयसा सह विरुद्धम ्।

Rasa & veerya viruddha.

In general – milk+sour substances

curdling/fermentation.

Ksheera + lavana

Rasa & veerya viruddha.

भक्षतयत्किा हररतकां मूलकाहद पयथत्कयजेत ्|

न मूलक लशुन कृष्िगन्धाजवकसुमुखसुरसादीतन भक्षतयत्किा पयाः सेव्यां कुष्ठबाधभयात ्॥

qualities of ksheera and moolaka

Sushrutha’s opinion of rasa viruddha can

also be applied here.

Thus it is viruddha by rasa, veerya & vipaka.

kheera moolaka

Rasa - madhura katu

Veerya - sheeta ushna

Vipaka - madhura katu

मधु चोष्िां उष्िातवथय च मध ुमरिाय ।

मधु पीत्किा उषिोदकम ्।

The harmful effects of ushna samskara of

madhu is proved by experimental study.

मधुसवपवषी समधतृ े।

Best example for matra viruddha

काांथयभाजने दशरात्रपयुववषतां सवपवाः ।

• घतृमेकां विना चान्यत्कसि ंकाांथयगतां निृाम ्। भुक्तमारोग्यसुखदां हहतां सात्कम्यकरां तिा ॥ (र.र.स ५/२०८)

Bhallataka + ushnodaka

Bhallataka – teekshna, pittakara, lekhana,

daha paaka & sravajanaka.

Upachara viruddha.

Sheetajala sevana after snehapana

Can be considered as parihara and

upachara viruddha.

Causes agnimandya & ajeerna.

diseases चरक - षाण््य, अन्ध्य, विसपव, विथफोट

उन्माद, भगन्दर, मूर्ाव, मद, अध्मान,

गलग्रह, पाण्डु, आमविष, ककलास ,

कुष्ट, ग्रहिी, शोि, अम्लवपत्कत, पीनस,

सन्तानदोष, मतृ्कयु.

िाग्भट – विथफोट, शोफ, गलु्म, विद्रधध

यक्ष्म, तेजोबलथमतृतमतीस्न्द्रयनाश, ज्िर अष्टौगदाांश्च महतो, विषिच्च मतृ्कयु.

सुशु्रत - व्याधधभमस्न्द्रयदौबवल्यां मरिां चाधधगच्र्तत । विरुद्धरसिीयावणि भुचजानो आत्कमिान्नराः॥ (सु. सू २०)

treatment

• िमन विरेचनां च तद्विरोधधनाां च द्रव्यािाां सांशमनाि ंउपयोगाः।

तिा विधैश्च द्रव्यैाः पूिवमभभसांथकाराः शरीरथयैतत ॥(च.सू २६)

• विरुद्धशनजान ्रोगान ्प्रततहस्न्त विरेचनम ्।

िमनां शमनां चैि पूिवम ्िा हहतसेिनम ्॥ (सु. सू २०)

• शुवद्धरत्रषे्टा शमो िा तद्विरोहदभभाः ।

द्रव्यैथतैरेि िा पूि ंशरीरथय अभभसांथकृतत ॥(अ.हृ.सू ७)

Viruddha does not affect the following individuals:

• व्यायाम स्थनग्ध दीप्तास्ग्न ियथि बलशाभलनाम ्।

विरोध्यवप न पीडायै सात्कम्यमल्पां च भोजनम ्॥(अ.हृ.सू ७)

Padamshika krama:

Tapering of unwholesome practices-

• पादाांशने त्कयजेत्कसात्कम्यमहहतां हहतमाचरेत ्।

एकान्तरां ततश्चोध्ि ंद्व्यन्तरां त्र्यन्तरां तिा ॥ (अ.सां.सू ९)

discussion

अन्नात ्भूतातन जायन्ते । जातातन अन्नेन िधवते ॥

आहार सम्भिां िथतु रोगथतु आहार सांभिाः ।

Discussion on definition:

Compared with visha & gara – the effect of

viruddhahara will be sudden/delayed in onset.

तनविवष द्रव्यकृतां गरसांज्ञकम ्। Majority of them shows their effect lately i.e

cumulative effect.

The definition of ahita as per Charaka and the

definition of viruddha as per Vriddha

Vagbhata are similar.

Discussion on types of viruddha:

The various types of viruddha which are

mentioned by Sushrutha, Vagbhata can be

incorporated under the 18 types of viruddha

explained by acharya Charaka.

Only Sushrutha has explained the different

incompatible combinations of the shad rasas.

As ahara is rasa pradhana, this also has to be

given prime importance.

Common viruddhahara in day to day life:

Milk shake, fruit salad(rasa & veerya viruddha).

Intake of juice/ice cream/alcohol after hot & spicy

meal(upachara viruddha).

Taking bath after food(vidhi viruddha).

Taking cold water bath after exposure to sunlight.

Taking milk/tea/coffee after consuming fish(guna

viruddha).

Consuming curd at night (krama viruddha).

Honey with hot water(samyoga viruddha).

Cooked food – refrigeration – again heating

(samskara viruddha).

Preservatives/coloring agents.

Role in manifestation of diseases:

Viruddhahara – as a nidana of various diseases.

In kusta nidana- विरोधीन्यन्नपानातन.....शीतोष्िलांघनाहारान ्क्रमां मुक्त्किा तनषेििम।् ....घमवश्रमभयातावनाां द्रतुां शीतम्बु सेविनाम…्

Viruddhahara is mentioned first, by this we can

understand the role of viruddha in disease

manifestation.

Amavata nidana – विरुद्धाहार चेष्टथय मन्दाग्ने.... Here

also the viruddhahara is mentioned first.

Viruddhashana is one among nidanas of

vatarakta.

The autoimmune disorders like RA, psoriasis,

SLE can be considered here.

Discussion on chikitsa:

Nidana parivarjana is the main line of treatment.

Importance of shodhana: as the definition of

viruddha says-

उत्कक्लेश्य दोषान ्न हरेत ्द्रव्यां यत्कतत्कसमासताः।

विरुद्धां तवद्ध धातूनाां प्रत्कयनीकतया स्थितम ्॥ (अ.सां.सू ९/२६) thus shodhana is the proper line of treatment as

it does the dosha nirharana.

Importance of padamshika krama – there will not

be any recurrence of apachita doshas & upachita

gunas become stable.

By adopting the dinacharya, rutucharya, achara

rasayana one can avoid most of the health

problems.

Exception for general rule:

In jaatakarma samskara sushrutha has advised

to give madhu & ghrutha with ananta or

lakshmana. Here honey + ghee is given in

alpamatra, hence does not shows any harmful

effects, instead it may act as a triggering factor

& helps in initiating the body’s immune

mechanism.

The ushna madhu prayoga is done with

vamaka dravyas which are given to induce the

vamana, here the effect of viruddha may not

cause harmful effects on the body because it is

expelled out from the body without undergoing

the process of digestion.

The intake of milk after having haritaka varga/

moolaka is viruddha. Lashuna is one among

the harita varga dravyas. The lashuna

ksheerapaaka is the yoga indicated for

treatment of gulma -

साधयेत ्शुद्ध शुष्कथय लशुनथय चतुष्पलां..... Here specifically mentioned to take the

nistusheekrutha and apoornaveeryasya.

Under certain condition viuddhahara will

remain harmless to the body and effect of

viruddha are nullified – saatmya, alpa,

deeptagni, vyayama nitya, balinaam.

conclusion

Viruddhahara is a unique concept of

Ayurveda.

All viruddha act as apathya/ahita but not

vice versa.

To find out rationality regarding concept of

viruddha, there is need to conduct

research in this field.

Health education & propagation of

Ayurvedic principles of food should be

done.

“we are what we eat”.

Prevention is better than cure, hence one

should follow the deitic rules to maintain

the healthy life.