Din charya (Daily Regimen)
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Mukha-hasta-pada prakshalan, mukha dhavanam (washing of body and body parts)
After defecation, mouth, hands and feet should be thoroughly washed with soap and water, to prevent any kind of infection and smell. One should clean his body properly after removing any kind of mala (wastes) from eyes, ears, nose, cutting hairs, before and after taking food, after getting up from bed, before doing worship and after coming home from outside etc.
Danta dhavanam (cleaning of teeth)
After finishing defecation and washing one should now clean his teeth regularly. It is very important to maintain good mouth hygiene. According to ashtang samghrah, an ayurvedic book written by rishi brahma muhurat Vagabhatta, it is clearly mentioned that teeth should be cleaned by kashaya (astringent), katu (pungent) and tickt (bitter) rasa. According to rishi Sushurut in kashaya rasa Khadir and Babool, and in tickt rasa neem and in katu rasa karanj is considered superior. These trees possess the properties like antimicrobial, wound healing, coagulant and mouth freshener.
A plant twig was used to brush teeth. It is known as datun. Datun can be prepared from the root or a small branch. This twig was selected from various trees which had the three rasa as mentioned earlier. Commonly used trees were vatt (Ficus bengalensis), vijaysaar (ptertocarpus marsupium), ark (calotropis gigantea), Khadir (acacia catechu), karanj (pongamia pinnata), karveer (neriumindicum mill), sarj (vatria indica), arimed (acacia farmesiana), apamarg (achyranthus aspera), malti (aganosma dichotoma), and arjuna (tyreminalia arjuna). A datun should have following morphology
(a) Shunagra- the brush like crushed front part
(b) Rijhu- strait shaft
(c) Agranthi- with out any tumors
A datum should be 12 anguli (12 finger units). It should be of about the thickness of front part of out little finger. One end of the datum should be chewed and brushing should be done carefully. Brush the teeth and clean small spaces in between teeth, talking precautions of gums. Powders oftrivarga tritye i.e. combination of three herbal powder (1) triphala- haritaki (terminalia chebula), amlaki (Emblica officinale) and baheda (terminalia bellerica), (2) trikatu- shunthi (Zingiber officinale), marich (piper nigram) and pipilli (piper longum), (3) trijata- dalchini (Cinnamomum zeylanica), choti ilaychi (Elettaria cardamomum) and tej patra (Cinnamomum tamela) should be mixed with honey and then brushed on teeth without damaging gums. By using datun teeth becomes clean, bad odor from mouth cavity is removed and taste sensations improves.
Some contraindications are also given for choosing a datun. Plants like bibhitak (terminalia bellerica), palash (butea monosperma), Nirgundi (Vitex negundo), shigru, lodhar (viburnum nervosum), shami (prosopis spicigra), devadar and guggulu (commiphora mukul) should not be used. Madhur (sweet), amal (sour) and lavan (salty) rasa herbs should never be used as datun. Datun should be new, juicy, non-slimy, non-porous and good and fresh smelling. According to rishi Vagabhatta people who suffers from ajirn (indigestion), shwas (dyspnoea), kaas (cough), jwar (fever), ardit (facial paralysis), trishna (dehydration and thirst), mukh paak (mouth ulceration and stomatitis), hridya roga (heart disease), netra roga (eye disorder), shiro roga (disorder related to cranium), and karn roga (ear related disorder).
Teeth should be brushed by datun twice a day i.e. once in morning and once in night. Lowe jaw should be cleared initially and then the upper jaw should be cleaned.
Jihva nirlekhan (tongue care)
After doing the brushing with datun, tongue should be cleaned carefully. For cleaning tongue the tongue should be long flexible metal or wood strip. Tongue cleaning and scrapping is advised every day. Scrapping of tongue not only cleans the mouth but acts as a stimulant for digestive tract, therefore helps in increasing jathar agni (digestive fire). Tongue cleaner makes mouth fresh, rejuvenates taste buds, improves mouth taste, removes foul breath, vanishes all the mucous accumulated on the tongue, regulates digestion. Tongue scrapper should be made from metals like gold, silver, copper, iron and brass. It can also be made by scrapping a branch of a tree which has katu, tickt, and kashaya rasa.
Anjanam karma (eye care: collyrium)
After mouth care, now comes the eye care. For good eye side and prevent eye disease sauviraanjan (kaajal) should be used daily. Due to sauviraanjan Shukl mandal (sclera), Krishna mandal (cornea), and dristi mandal (pupil) becomes clear. Due to regular usage of kaajal (collyrium) increases brightness in eyes and strengthen their ability to withstand bright light.
Medicated collyrium should be prepared from the decoction of barberry, licorice and triphala in equal parts along with enough honey to produce a paste like texture. This is applied in eyes. Medicated ghee is made with triphala is also used for application in eyes.
Ayurveda consider eyes as a tejas mahabhoot dominating hence any kind of shlesham (mucous) may be threat for eye functioning; hence rasanjanam (it is made from a tree called daruharidra commonly known as berberis aristata) should be applied to eyes every week. As eyes are directly exposed to environmental factors such as dust, local medications like aschyotan (eye drops) and Anjanam (eye ointment) works as the cleansing agent and is very much effective in preventing eye care.
Ayurveda mentions three types of Anjanam:-
- Lekhnam or cleansing ointment should be applied by a copper applicator
- Ropanam or healing ointment should be applied by an iron applicator
- Dristi prasadanam or soothing ointment should be applied by a silver or gold applicator
Anjanam nishedaham (contraindication of using Anjanam)
- After taking food
- After washing head
- When afflicted with anger
- During fever, headache or indigestion
- After administration of vamaka dravya (emetics) and virechak dravya (purgatives)
- People who are exposed to fire and heat
- Person who are trishna pidit (thirsty) and who consume madd (alcohol)
- During urge of passing urine and stool
- In person with eye strain
- In person who has not slept during the night or who have slept during the day
- In cloudy and rainy weather
- After strenuous journey or over reaction
Anjanam should not be too strong or too mild, neither too liquid nor too solid, neither too hot nor too cold and should be smooth and of equal texture and should be applied in normal quantity.
