The Ayurveda therapy is based upon the dosha (Vata, Pitta, & Kapha) therapy. All the patho-physiological actions and pharmaceutical preparations are based upon this. According to ayurveda the basic line of action for treatment are of two types –

• Sanshodhanam (Removal),
• Shanshamana (subsidization of doshas)

These two actions contain all the major activities involved in physiological and pathological activities according to ayurveda.

Sanshodhanam: - This major term involves all drug and substances, which removes the dosha, from the body or its part. This is of following type: -

1. Udharva bhag hara (upper part of body i.e. upper respiratory tract, emesis, shiro-basti and nasya)
2. Adhobhaghara (dosha removal by the lower part i.e. by anus or virechan, stomach wash, suppositories and enema)
3. Ubhayato bhag hara (by both means i.e. upper and lower part removal)
4. Shirovirechan (purification or dosha removal from head neck and brain by nasya).

Some of the examples of Shodhanam are -

• Stanya Shodhanam (purification of lactogenic system of women)
• Shukra Shodhanam (purification of seminal vessels and genital systems of men)
• Pitta Shodhanam (purification of bile)

The upper said terms are found in specific treatment related text. In the same way purification for all dhatu, updhatu dosha (constituent of human body in ayurveda) and body systems are described. They are all covered in the kaya chikitsa (medicine) part of ayurveda.

Charka and Vagbhata describes this dosha elimination treatment in terms of panchakarma: -

1. Vaman,
2. Virechan,
3. Asthapan,
4. Anuvasan,
5. Shirovirechan,

Sharangdhar explained this term in two types external & internal elimination, Bahirashryam, Abhyantrashryam respectively. The main aspects of Shodhanam therapy are the panchakarma that are found in siddhi sthanam (therapeutic chapters of Charka Samhita).

All other specific terms are found in scattered manner in different text. We can conclude that Sanshodham and treatment as upper part dosha elimination and lower part dosha elimination and these two combined as local or common dosha removal, and all these three are again subdivided into external & internal.

Now comes the use of Bhaishajiya Kalpana into Sanshodhanam or Shodhanam process. Charka Samhita states that some drugs are not be taken in natural state by all patients. Hence they need to be converted so that they are easily consumable. The kalpa sthana (chapters related with the preparation methods) of Charka Samhita deals with the ideology of Bhaishajiya Kalpana.

The Shodhanam process can be described as below :-

Virechan: - (dosha removal process from anus). Generally using fast acting purgative or laxatives can be resembled with Virechan. But it is a basic treatment principle in ayurveda and majority of Kalpana (preparation) found in the Bhaishajiya Kalpana depends upon this ideology.

Virechan: - (excretion of waste from anus). is divided into three types on the basis of drugs acting on the G. I. tract.

• Teekshna Vega (Fast acting)
• Mridu Vega (Normal acting)
• Mand Vega (Mild or slow acting)
  

Using the drugs that passes out the stools in fact manner without being stopped in the stomach and producing any harmful effect into the intestinal and colon region as well as the anus do the teekshna Vega Virechan.

The mridu Vega Virechan is performed by those drugs that have the same tendency but acts some slowly than fast acting drugs. The manda Vega Virechan drugs are those drugs that are given to a patient without having the process of snehan and swedan and acts slowly.

Following are the basic rules before taking a virechan drug.

1. Snehan and Swedan must be done to the patient.
2. If the medicine given is digested, then medicine must be given again.
3. In virechan the psychosomatic condition of the patient must be considered and than the drug must be decided.
4. If the patient is alpa bala (having less stamina) and multiple dosha (vata, pitta, kapha) are vitiated. then the virechan drugs must be given as medicated food preparation.
5. While performing virechan process the teekshan (fast acting) drugs must be given very carefully as it can cause dehydration and weakness.

Following are the symptoms of proper virechan process: -

1. If it does not cause any roughness in colon, anus or intestines.
2. After proper virechan there is no weakness in-patient.
3. The dosha is removed.

While process of Virechan is performed several complication may arise than following precautions are to be taken.

1. At certain times the medicine gets stuck. It neither passes out nor reflux. To come out of the situation swedan karma (sweating by vapors / heat) must be performed.
2. In ruksha sharir (dry body symptom), krur koshtha (Irritable bowel syndrome patient), patients doing a lot of physical exertion and healthy digestive system the virechan medicine / drugs are absorbed than the Basti process must be performed before virechan.
3. Patient having snigdha (lipidomic body temperament) must be given Ruksha virechan drugs (drugs herbs having Ruksha (Roughness in composition) property.

These are general basics of virechan process to be kept in mind while preparing medicament.

If virechan is performed while keeping these fact in mind, following characteristic properties are seen in the patient.

This is termed as samyak virechan (properly elimination of doshas by anus). It has following properties: -

• Strot Vishuddhi (cleaned tract)
• Indriya prasadan (All senses stimulated and cleared)
• Laghuta (Lightness feeling)
• Urja (energized feeling)
• Samyagakari (optimum metabolic state)
  

While passing out stools firstly stools than pitta and lastly kapha is excreted out. Ayurveda also predicts about the seasons in which Virechan must be performed. For the Shodhanam (virechan) purpose these seasons are appropriate.

• Pre Rainy ( pravratt, Ashada and Shravan) season.
• Autumn (Sharad) – Kartik and margashirsha.
• Spring (vasant) – Phalgun and Chaitra.

Generally these months are August, September, October & Feb. & March. these months are suitable for performing virechan karma to achieve good health. When the virechan remain undigested or gets readily absorbed, the above rules are to be considered..

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