With the onset of COVID in India, several people shared various kinds of therapies which they claimed, will keep you away from COVID. People followed what they could. Some people claimed that they were protected. Some even claimed that they were cured of COVID without having to take medication. Ayurveda is the most ancient text on preventive health and healing. Let us see what our own traditional science says what we can do to maintain personal hygiene during a pandemic.
Ayurvedic instructions are spread over innumerable texts, all of which date back to few thousands of years. The instructions were written in sanskrit and were codified. So, they required a guru to reveal it to you. By yourself, you couldn’t decipher all of it. Here are a few instructions that have been extracted for your benefit.
The below text is from Manusmruti on maintaining personal hygiene of your sense organs
अनातुरः स्वानि खानि न
स्पृशेदनिमित्ततः ।।
मनुस्मृति ४/१४४
Translation: Without a reason, don’t touch your own indriyas (sensory organs, your eyes, nose, ears, mouth).
The below text is from Vaghal Smruti on basic and personal hygiene
स्न्नानाचारविहीनस्य सर्वाः
स्युः निष्फलाः क्रियाः ।।
वाघलस्मृति ६९
Without a bath or Snan and Shudhi, all Karmas (duties) done are Nishphal (do not bear a favourable result).
This one is from Markandeya Purana on personal hygiene pertaining to clothes
अपमृज्यान्न च स्न्नातो
गात्राण्यम्बरपाणिभिः ।।
मार्कण्डेय पुराण ३४/५२
Translation: Don’t use clothes already worn by you & dry yourself after a bath.
न धारयेत् परस्यैवं
स्न्नानवस्त्रं कदाचन ।I
पद्म० सृष्टि.५१/८६
Don’t use the cloth (like towel) used by another person for drying yourself after a bath.
तथा न अन्यधृतं (वस्त्रं
धार्यम् ।।
महाभारत अनु १०४/८६
Don’t wear clothes worn by others.
न अप्रक्षालितं पूर्वधृतं
वसनं बिभृयाद् ।।
विष्णुस्मृति ६४
Clothes once worn should not be worn again before washing.
न आद्रं परिदधीत ।।
गोभिसगृह्यसूत्र ३/५/२४
Don’t wear wet clothes.
Here is an instruction how to maintain clothing hygiene at home
अन्यदेव भवद्वासः
शयनीये नरोत्तम ।
अन्यद् रथ्यासु देवानाम
अर्चायाम् अन्यदेव हि ।।
महाभारत अनु १०४/८६
Use different clothes while sleeping, while going out, while doing pooja.
The below text is from Sushruta Samhita Chikitsa Sthana on maintaining personal hygiene before eating
हस्तपादे मुखे चैव पञ्चाद्रे
भोजनं चरेत् ।।
पद्म०सृष्टि.५१/८८
नाप्रक्षालितपाणिपादो
भुञ्जीत ।।
सुश्रुतसंहिता चिकित्सा
२४/९८
Translation: Wash your hands, feet, mouth before you eat.
And the last one written here is from a text called Dharma Sindhu to maintain personal hygiene while serving food.
लवणं व्यञ्जनं चैव घृतं
तैलं तथैव च ।
लेह्यं पेयं च विविधं
हस्तदत्तं न भक्षयेत् ।।
धर्मसिन्धू ३पू. आह्निक
Salt, ghee, oil, rice and other food items should not be served with bare hand.
There are innumerable ayurvedic texts that show us how to maintain personal hygiene. These are only a few.
— Compiled by Dr. Mahesh Krishnamurthy