1. Supreme beauty of body, mind and soul
Every individual has a natural desire to look beautiful and there is nothing wrong in it. Youth and particularly young girls often spend hours before the mirror. A saint once said in his discourse that, “Beauty is only skin deep”. A young man stood up and told him, “We are interested only in external beauty. What have we to do with the inner muscles and bones?” In general, the common impression is that beauty depends on the external appearance and the qualities of the skin. But this external beauty depends on the health of the body and mind. Even a beautiful person does not appear so when he is tense or afflicted with an ailment. Hence to look beautiful, it is important to maintain a healthy body and mind.
1.1 Ayurvedic oil massage
Diet, activity, exercise, rest, oil massage, bathing, attire, etc. which are important to maintain a healthy skin and the ways to modify them in various seasons are well described in this book. Ayurveda advises amalaka, yashtimadhu (glycerrhiza) and triphala as tonics for the skin. Ayurveda advises that everyone should apply to the skin, a paste of keshar (saffron) and agaru in winter, a paste of sandalwood and ushira in summer and a paste of keshar and sandalwood in the rainy season. Ayurveda advises massage with oil medicated with rasna and bibhitaka for individuals with a vata constitution, milk medicated with sandalwood, manjishtha and sariva for individuals with a pitta constitution and a fine powder of triphala or a mixture of lodhra and katphala for individuals with a kapha constitution.
1.2 The three humours
Vata, pitta and kapha constitutions are diseased constitutions. As the constitution is present since birth, the individual gets used to the unhealthy state. Guidelines to change the diseased constitution into a balanced one (sama prakruti) through appropriate diet, activity and medication are elucidated in this book.
The body and mind constantly work as one unit. The unbalanced state of vata, pitta and kapha humours (doshas) gives rise to disease and their balanced state results in health. Natural desires help to restore health and promote the quality of the weak tissues, e.g. an individual with decreased body fluids desires to drink water to prevent dehydration. An emaciated person with decreased muscular and fatty tissue develops a desire to eat meat, ghee and butter. Such natural desires should be fulfilled.
1.3 Importance of Spirituality
The mind becomes healthy and beautiful when its sattva component increases and the raja and tama components decrease. This is achieved by undertaking the practice of Spirituality as advocated by the Path of Action (Karmayoga), Path of Devotion (Bhaktiyoga) or Path of Knowledge (Dnyanyoga). Sattvik (sattva predominant) people possess good qualities such as compassion, kindness, helpfulness, etc. However they are unable to tolerate the misery of other people. Hence they have to achieve a higher state i.e. a state beyond the sattva, raja and tama components (trigunatit state). In this state, a person’s Serenity and Blissful state are not affected by praise or criticism, respect or insult, riches or poverty. An ideal man (Purushottam) attains the trigunatit state but continues to work for the welfare of society without any selfish motive or ego.
Lord Krushna was such an ideal person (Purushottam). He had a balanced constitution and every tissue of His body was of an ideal quality. Lord Krushna is beauty in the manifest form. The beauty, fragrance and sweetness of His divine life will continue to have its impact on the universe and the minds of the people and make the entire universe overflow with Bliss and beauty. To appreciate the beauty of Lord Krushna we will have to become ideal.
This book will serve as an excellent guide to attain the state of supreme and eternal beauty which begins with the beauty of the skin and the body.
If a person follows the guidelines as described in this book, he will experience the universe overflowing with Bliss and Beauty from within and outside too.
2. Contents of the book
- 1. Beauty
- 2. Beautiful life
- 2.1 A healthy life
- 2.2 A healthy mind
- 2.3 A happy life
- 2.4 A useful life
- 3. Vedanta theory of origin of components of human life
Section I: Beauty of the skin
- 4. Skin (structure, functions and care)
- 4.1 General information on skin
- 4.2 Structure of the skin
- 4.3 Hair follicles
- 4.4 Hair on the skin
- 4.5 Sebaceous glands
- 4.6 Apocrine glands
- 4.7 Sweat glands
- 4.8 Structure of the skin (Ayurvedic concept)
- 4.9 Hair
- 4.10 Nails
- 4.11 Functions of the skin
- 4.12 Colour of the skin
- 4.13 Constitution and the skin
- 4.14 Age and the skin
- 4.15 Tissues and the skin
- 4.16 Ideal skin (tvaksara)
- 4.17 How to maintain the skin healthy ?
- 4.18 Season and the skin
- 4.19 Diet for the skin
- 4.20 External applications in different seasons
- 4.21 Skin tonics
- 4.22 Improving the complexion of the skin according to the constitution
- 4.23 Selection of an appropriate preparation for external application to the skin
- 5. Oil massage (abhyanga)
- 5.1 General information
- 5.2 Various modes of application of oil
- 5.3 Advantages of oil massage to the entire body
- 5.4 Contraindications for oil massage
- 5.5 Advantages of scalp massage
- 5.6 Advantages of instilling oil drops in the ears
- 5.7 Advantages of massage to the legs and soles
- 5.8 Advantages of sitting with the body immersed in an oil tub
- 5.9 Advantages of sprinkling or spraying the body with oil
- 5.10 Oil massage according to the season
- 5.11 Udgharshan and utsadan
- 5.12 Samvahan or gatramardan or mardan
- 6. Bath
- 6.1 Advantages of having a bath
- 6.2 Temperature of water used for a bath
- 6.3 Contraindications for having a bath
- 6.4 Udvartana
- 6.5 Attire
- 7. Skin diseases associated with beauty
- 7.1 Acne
- 7.2 Dark circles below the eyes
- 7.3 Medicines which increase the lustre of the skin
- 7.4 Medicines which impart freshness to the colour of the skin
- 7.5 To darken the colour of the skin
- 7.6 To make the skin fair
- 7.7 To keep cold skin warm
- 7.8 To prevent wrinkling of the skin
- 8. Hair
- 8.1 Role in beauty
- 8.2 Constitution and hair
- 8.3 Causes of hair loss
- 8.4 Exercises for maintaining the hair healthy
- 8.5 Dandruff
- 8.6 Ayurvedic treatment
- 8.7 Seborrhoeic dermatitis
- 8.8 Lice
- 8.9 Greying of hair
- 8.10 Medicines which improve the colour of hair (kesharanjana)
- 8.11 Medicines which augment the growth of hair (keshya)
- 8.12 Diet beneficial for the hair
- 8.13 Removal of unnecessary hair
- 8.14 Nails
- 8.15 Shampoo
- 9. Baldness
- 9.1 Causes
- 9.2 Treatment
- 10. Local applications in skin lesions
- 10.1 Acute eczema
- Wet dressings
- Solutions
- Powders
- Lotions
- Sprays and aerosols
- 10.2 Subacute eczema
- Creams
- Gels
- Hydrophilic ointments
- Pastes
- 10.3 Chronic eczema
- Moisturising creams
- Ointment
- Cold creams
- Keratolytic creams, lotions or powders
- Tar preparation
- Antifungal agent
- Antibiotics
- Corticosteroid solutions, gels, creams and ointments
- Sunscreens
- 10.4 Selection of an appropriate preparation for external application to the skin
- 10.1 Acute eczema
- 11. Cosmetics
- 11.1 Cosmetics and their side-effects
- 11.2 Cleansing agents
- 11.3 Bleaching agent
- 11.4 Axillary antiperspirant
- 11.5 Scented oils and perfumes
- 11.6 Lipsticks
- 11.7 Eye shadows and eyeliners
- 11.8 Dentifrices and mouth wash
- 11.9 Bindi dermatitis
- 11.10 Kumkum (vermilion dot) or bindi
- 11.11 Hair dyes
- 11.12 Rinses and tint
- 11.13 Hair bleaches
- 11.14 Permanent waves
- 11.15 Hair straighteners
- 11.16 Hair sprays
- 11.17 Depilators
- 11.18 Hair tonics and lotions
- 11.19 Hair conditioners
- 11.20 Nail lacqures or nail polish
- 11.21 Nail polish removers
- 11.22 Artificial nails
- 11.23 Nail hardeners
- 11.24 Refresheners
- 11.25 Lubricants of the skin
- 11.26 Fragrance
- 11.27 Medica or mendi or mehendi
- 12. Facial treatment
- 12.1 Cleansing
- 12.2 Facial massage
- 12.3 Steaming
- 12.4 Gentle scrubs
- 12.5 Facial or nutritional packs
- 12.6 Toning moisturising pack
- 12.7 Toners
- 12.8 Moisturisers
- 12.9 Mists
- 12.10 Use of Ayurvedic cosmetics based on the season
- 12.11 Daily and seasonal regime
- 12.12 Home remedies to keep the skin of the face healthy
- 13. Groups of medicines acting on the skin
- 13.1 Jivaniya gana (group)
- 13.2 Brumhaniya gana
- 13.3 Lekhaniya gana
- 13.4 Bhedaniya gana
- 13.5 Sandhaniya gana
- 13.6 Balya gana
- 13.7 Varnya gana
- 13.8 Kushthaghna gana
- 13.9 Kandughna gana
- 13.10 Krumighna gana
- 13.11 Svedopaga gana
- 13.12 Shvayathuhara gana
- 13.13 Dahaprashamana gana
- 13.14 Udardaprashamana gana
- 13.15 Rukshana gana
- 13.16 Snehana gana
- 13.17 Svedana gana
- 13.18 Rakshoghna gana
- 13.19 Rasayana gana
- 13.20 Pûyavardhana gana
- 14. Diet for skin disorders and spiritual therapy
- 14.1 Diet
- 14.2 Spiritual therapy (karmavipak)
Section II: Beauty of the Body
- 15. Beauty of the five cosmic elements
- 15.1 Qualities and action of the five cosmic elements
- 15.2 Absolute earth (pruthvi) element
- 15.3 Absolute water (apa) element
- 15.4 Absolute fire (tej) element
- 15.5 Absolute air (vayu) element
- 15.6 Absolute ether (akash) element
- 16. Molecular beauty
- 16.1 Kapha
- 16.2 Vata
- 16.3 Pitta
- 17. Constitution and beauty based on the three humours (tridoshas)
- 17.1 Origin of constitution
- 17.2 Vata constitution
- 17.3 Pitta constitution
- 17.4 Kapha constitution
- 17.5 Balanced constitution (sama prakruti)
- 18. Diseased constitution due to increase or decrease in vata, pitta and kapha
- 18.1 Causes of increase in vata, pitta and kapha humours (doshas)
- 18.2 Clinical manifestations of increased or decreased humours (doshas)
- 18.3 Treatment of decreased humours (doshas)
- 18.4 Treatment of excessive increase in humours (dosha prakopa)
- 18.5 Humours (doshas) and diet
- 19. Healthy and a beautiful body (tissues and beauty)
- 19.1 Rasa dhatu (body fluids)
- 19.2 Rakta (blood)
- 19.3 Mansa dhatu (muscular tissue)
- 19.4 Meda dhatu (fatty tissue)
- 19.5 Asthi dhatu (bony tissue)
- 19.6 Majja dhatu (nervous tissue)
- 19.7 Shukra dhatu (reproductive tissue)
- 19.8 Oja (vital energy)
- 19.9 Dhatu sara (tissues of a good quality)
- 19.10 Ideal tissue and the associated quality of the mind
Section III – Beauty of the Mind
- 20. Impact of the body on the mind
- 20.1 Origin of the body from the mind
- 20.2 Effects of constitution on the mind
- 20.3 Effects of tissues on the mind
- 20.4 Humours (doshas) and desires
- 20.5 Tissues and desires
- 20.6 Unnatural desires
- 20.7 Ideal tissues and qualities of the mind
- 21. Four stages of treatment
- 21.1 Roga nashini (treatment of diseases)
- 21.2 Prakruti sthapini [establishing a balanced constitution (sama prakruti)]
- 21.3 Rasayani treatment (administration of tonics to improve the health of the tissues
- 21.4 Naishthiki – Mokshadayini treatment (attaining the Final Liberation)
- 22. Soul, mind and body
- 22.1 Self-realisation
- 22.2 Deny the presence of the disease
- 22.3 Faith
- 22.4 Love
- 22.5 Getting rid of your real enemies
- 22.6 Truth
- 22.7 Beautiful and ugly
- 23. Beauty of the mind
- 23.1 Psychological constitution
- 23.2 Tamobhuyishta or tamasik (tama predominant) individuals
- 23.3 Rajobhuyishta or rajasik (raja predominant) individuals
- 23.4 Sattvabhuyishta or sattvik (sattva predominant) individuals
- 23.5 Trigunatit (one beyond the three components)
- 23.6 Ideal individual (Purushottam)
- 23.7 Diet and the mind
- 23.8 Qualities of an individual with a healthy mind
- 23.9 Beautiful life
