Homeopathic principle highlighted in Vedic Literature

[Venkat]

Hello All

I posted the links of Amy Lansky's article in a civilizational discussion group (Indian) and I got a response from Mr Puneet which was surprising and pleasant. He had quoted a sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam, one of the eighteen Puranas of the Vedic tradition of India. Though there were hints here and there that Hindu texts mention homeopathic principle, this is the first time I got a detailed answer with the original sanskrit sloka. Below is the mail from Mr Puneet

+++++++++++++++
Greetings

From the article that you quoted ....
Homeopathic practice is based on a single law of therapeutics called the *Law
of Similars*. This law states that *a substance that can cause the symptoms
of a disease can also cure it*.
Now from SriMadbhagvatam

आमयो यश्च भूतानां जायते येन सुव्रत
तदेव ह्यामयं द्रव्यं न पुनाति चिकित्सितम् |

( Venkat's word to word translation: suvrata: - Oh ye of good deeds, yah cha : which , jAyate: creates, yena Amaya:- a given disease, bhootAnAm - in living beings, tat eva na-does not that alone , dravyam hi- material be, punAti- again, chikitsikam: (used for) theraputically cure, Amayam- (the same) disease)

This is from the fifth chapter of the first canto (sloka 33). And this verse would
literally translate as ....

Whichever disease is caused in the living beings, by a given substance --
does that very substance, when therapeutically prepared, not cure that very disease ?

Regards
- Puneet
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
( My word to word translation of the above sloka)

suvrata: - Oh! ye of good deeds, yah cha : which , jAyate: creates, yena Amaya:- a given disease, bhootAnAm - in living beings, tat eva na-does not that alone , dravyam hi- material be, punAti- again, chikitsikam: (used for) theraputically cure, Amayam- (the same) disease

[Soroush Ebrahimi]

Dear Venkat
I think this is closer to ISOPATHY than Homeopathy!
Rgds
Soroush

________________________________

From: minutus@yahoogroups.com [mailto:minutus@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Venkat
Sent: 27 December 2009 05:51
To: minutus@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Minutus] Homeopathic principle highlighted in Vedic Literature
Hello All

I posted the links of Amy Lansky's article in a civilizational discussion group (Indian) and I got a response from Mr Puneet which was surprising and pleasant. He had quoted a sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam, one of the eighteen Puranas of the Vedic tradition of India. Though there were hints here and there that Hindu texts mention homeopathic principle, this is the first time I got a detailed answer with the original sanskrit sloka. Below is the mail from Mr Puneet

+++++++++++++++
Greetings

From the article that you quoted ....

Homeopathic practice is based on a single law of therapeutics called the *Law
of Similars*. This law states that *a substance that can cause the symptoms
of a disease can also cure it*.

Now from SriMadbhagvatam

आमयो यश्च भूतानां जायते येन सुव्रत
तदेव ह्यामयं द्रव्यं न पुनाति चिकित्सितम् |

( Venkat's word to word translation: suvrata: - Oh ye of good deeds, yah cha : which , jAyate: creates, yena Amaya:- a given disease, bhootAnAm - in living beings, tat eva na-does not that alone , dravyam hi- material be, punAti- again, chikitsikam: (used for) theraputically cure, Amayam- (the same) disease)

This is from the fifth chapter of the first canto (sloka 33). And this verse would
literally translate as ....

Whichever disease is caused in the living beings, by a given substance --
does that very substance, when therapeutically prepared, not cure that very disease ?

Regards
- Puneet
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
( My word to word translation of the above sloka)

suvrata: - Oh! ye of good deeds, yah cha : which , jAyate: creates, yena Amaya:- a given disease, bhootAnAm - in living beings, tat eva na-does not that alone , dravyam hi- material be, punAti- again, chikitsikam: (used for) theraputically cure, Amayam- (the same) disease
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[Tanya Marquette]

Isn't that an exciting piece of information. I always learned that the Law of Similars was traced back to
the Delphic Oracle. There was even one piece of info that claimed the idea was traced back to the Oracle
when it was still matriarchal. That would put it back almost 5000 yrs.
How old are the Puranas which were quoted?
Such information seems to validate for l us how interconnected learning and spirituality were in the world in such
ancient times.
tanya

[Tanya Marquette]

you may be right soroush, but it shows the antiquity of the idea.
native americans used the tips of new poison ivy shoots in the spring
to build immunity for the season. not quite homeopathy, but again, the
same principle of using a substance that causes disease to heal it.
on another level, during the european era of wicca spirituality, people
did pay attention to the signatures of plants to help identify their medicinal
uses. this is, again, a similar type of principle that kept the human race
healthy and alive into the modern era.
wish someone would have the time to research and collate this type of
information on a world wide basis. think it would make very interesting
reading while supporting the development of the homeopathic principles and
practice today.
tanya
________________________________

[Shannon Nelson]

But it's simply a re-wording of Hahnemnann's principle!
I think the key difference between isopathy and homeopathy is whether the emphasis is on *can* cause and *symptoms* (as in fact the wording goes both in the below quote and in Hahnemann's phrasing), rather than whether that substance *did* (presumably) cause the current *disease*. The line between isopathy and homeopathy isn't always distinct, and there's overlap; but in my understanding the above is what distinguishes them--symptom similarity (homeopathy) versus presumed cause (isopathy).
?
Shannon
________________________________

[Venkat]

Dear Tanya,
This is the most difficult question to answer. In Indian history, nothing is definitely available as official. There are various vested groups like leftists who want to see a version, the secularists who bend over backwards to get 'all' sections accommodated versus the traditionalists who see the literal part. The last ones are nearer the truth but as is the case in 'modern' times , they are dismissed as 'right wingers'.

Now to the timeline,
Puranas are believed to be post Mahabharata War, that is, after 3067 BC. There may have been additions later on. The most curious thing about Puranas is that they are written in future tense (as if in predicting). This has baffled the 'historians' who wanted to dissect the dead corpse of civilizations. But, puranas are not history books but interpretations of philosophy in lay terms such as stories.

Regarding Principle of similars in ancient India

If Sage Vyasa (the author of Puranas), quoted this principle of similars, then the idea and practice must have been prevalent at that time. Also, potentization is not new to Ayurveda. Hahnemannian 2002 once posted a beautiful article in minutus about this procedute. Every level of potentization is called as 'puta' ('u' sounded as in 'put')

The Vedic people must have had a fair grasp of the principle of similars.

But, it was left to Hahnemann to put all relevant philosophies into one coherent healing system. If Hahnemann just stumbled out on principle of similars alone, homeopathy would still be unborn. It was his understanding of the vital force that led to the understanding the degree of affection of disease versus the host vital force. (thus leading to the correct potency).

The theory of Chronic disease was another feather in Hn's cap. This led to the induction of isopathic treatment to some extent (nosodes)

The rest is history.

Venkat
--- In minutus@yahoogroups.com, "Tanya Marquette" wrote:

[Tanya Marquette]

ah, thank you. we do know that Hahneman was influenced by 'world' travelers as well as his translation work.
both sources opened him up to ideas of other places. but you are right that he put it together into the system
of homeopathy that we know today.
i am fascinated with the antiquity of the core ideas and how widespread they were. our materialistic culture
has eliminated broader, energetic understandings of the world and life in it.
tanya