Accreditation of Concepts of Rasa (Nutrition) and Veerya (Potency) as Food and Medicine Determinants: A Review

Abstract

Food is the necessity of life. People are concerned with the food so far as it relieves their hunger or satisfies their appetite, and not with whether it supplies their body with all components of good nutrition. Once inside the alimentary tract, the appeal for different types, forms, textures, flavors of food is no longer relevant, because the processes of digestion reduce them all to the same common denominators in a size and form capable of absorption and transportation to individual cells thus providing nutrition. Medicine too is a conditioned necessity of life. Food and medicine consumed according to the needs and conditions of the body are the paramount essentials to sustain the life. Though they share many common parameters, they definitely have individuality. The present communication uplifts the specificity of concept of Rasa and Veerya and their relation to food and medicine respectively. It accepts the accreditation of Chakrapani's quote 'Veerya Pradhanam Aushadha Dravyam, Tatha Rasa Pradhanam Aahaara Dravyam ca|' which denote concepts of Rasa (nutrition) as food determinant and Veerya (potency) as medicine determinants.