Nature with medicinal power

Ayurveda, which was marginalised soon after the advent of allopathic medical system, has regained its lustre and popularity nowadays. The influx of visitors to various Ayurvedic hospitals and ayurvedic resorts kerala stands in testimony to this fact. Ayurvedic medical system which makes use of herbs and traditional methods to cure diseases has surely found many takers nowadays across the world.

The efficiency and value of Ayurveda owe a lot to the biodiversity on the earth. According to Ayurveda, there is no plant without medicinal properties. A story related to the medicinal properties of plants can be seen in Jataka Tales, the literature native to India.The protagonist of the story is Jeevaka, the legendary physician, who is believed to have treated Bimbisara, the father of King Asoka. Jeevaka was the disciple of Athreya, an ancient sage. Athreya once decided to test his disciples and asked them to find out plants which do not have any medicinal property. The disciples went into the woods in search of such a plant; after a week they all returned. Some came with a lot of plants which they found medicinally inactive and some others could find only a few. But Jeevaka came back with empty hands.

Jeevaka told his guru that he could find nothing in nature without medicinal power. According to him, not only the plants, animals and minerals, but also winds, sunlight, birdsong, flower smells, river sounds and even the cloud shadows in nature have the healing powers. Some heal human beings while the others heal animals, Jeevaka said. Needless to say, Jeevaka came out of this test victoriously as he had understood the essence of Ayurveda.