IMPORTANCE OF PANCHAGAVYA IN AYURVEDA

• Dr. Suresh Jakhotia-

In Ayurveda, Panchagavya holds a very important place. Panchagavya is an  integral part of Ayurveda, they cannot exist without each other. When we seek into the history of Ayurveda, during churning of the ocean, Lord Dhanwantari and Kamadhenu were born at the same time. Lord Shiva drank the poison and but a few drops fell on the Earth, causing many diseases. So, to overcome those diseases, Lord created Dhanwantari and Kamadhenu.

Ayurveda is based on concept of  Tridoshas. Panchagavya includes milk, curd, ghee, urine, dung of Desi Cow. Milk, curd, ghee acts as ahara dravyas and they help in balancing the tridoshas, are referred as Nitya rasayana in Ayurveda. Gomutra and Gomaya are used in different forms in Ayurveda – especially as medicine due to their tikshna property. 

Following are some products that are being practically prepared and utilized :

1. Use of cow milk is well known to the society. Here, cowmilk is used to enhance the efficacy of some medicinal products. Ashwagandha roots are cleaned with water and boiled in cowmilk , stirring continuously so that no root touches the bottom of the pan. Milk is boiled till it is completely absorbed into the roots. Later, they are dried and powdered. This becomes more palatable and less doses are more efficient. Its Shelf life is 6 months. This is used as blaya, rasayana, shukrala, vedana sthapana etc.

In the same way, herbs like, shatavari, yashtimadhu, vidari, vacha, can be boiled in cowmilk to enchance their efficacy.

2. Certain rasaushadhies like Nagarjunabhra rasa is triturated with Arjuna bark boiled with cowmilk for 21 days. This enhances the potency of Abhraka bhasma & helps in curing diseases of lungs and heart.
3. Certain Kupipakwa rasa, like Rasasindura, Rasmanikya, Mallasindur are triturated with unboiled cowmilk to change it into saumya, to remove the residual toxic substances & to increase the efficacy.
4. Cowmilk is specially used in preparation of  Hairoils like Bhringaraja taila, Yashti taila, Nimba taila. Here, cowmilk is boiled along with the prescribed formula resulting in desired benefits.
5. Preparation of ghee by traditional method – by churning curd – is more effective. During the heating process, betel leaf  & black pepper is added to increase the aroma, color of ghee & to increase its digestive capacity.
6. Based on necessity and yukti, we prepared certain ghee types, by adding jatamansi, brahmi, Agastya fruits etc during its preparation resulting in introduction of qualities of the drug into the ghee. This can be used as nasal drops, eyedrops, shad chakra stimulation, for swarna praashana in children.
7. VII.For purification of certain poisonous drugs like Vatsanabhi, Vishamushti, Bhallataka, Dhatura seeds etc, gomutra  and gomaya is used. The seeds are soaked in gomutra for few days based on drug and later boiled with cowmilk and fried with cowghee. This procedure completely removes the toxicity of  drug. However, precaution should be taken about dosage. For purification of hingu and kapikachu, goghrita is used. Thus, the drug becomes safe for human consumption as medicine.
8. VIII.Panchagavya is part and parcel of panchakarma therapies of Ayurveda. It is used in different therapies like – Takra shirodhara, Kshira shirodhara, Vaitarana vasti, Matra vasti, Uttaravasti, Nasya, Anjana, Akshitarpana, Takra vasti etc,. 
9. Panchagavya as itself works as medicine in certain conditions.

Cow milk – nitya rasayana, substitiute for breast milk.

Curd – it is abhishyandi, ushna virya

Buttermilk – best digestive, increases intestinal flora, best rehydrant

Gomutra – as an antiseptic for cleaning wounds, as pesticide & germicide, contains gold particles as proved by junagarh university

Ghee – as kajal to induce sleep, as nasal drops for snoring & memory booster, as nitya rasayana, as food, to reduce cholesterol.

Gomaya – much better antiseptic that dettol, Lysol as proved by modern science ; smoke of  burnt cowdung cakes are used as mosquito repellants, ash of cowdung cakes mixed with saindhava salt acts as tooth powder, cowdung burnt with 1 drop ghee gives 1 ton of oxygen. Cowdung mixed with water when sprinkled around house at sunrise reacts with UV ,IR rays and keeps the house sterile. Walls smeared with gomaya keeps the house warm in winters and cold in summers, prevents from radiation. When ash is mixed with water, it purifies & makes palatable.

Panchagavya as whole is used in organic farming. 

Thus panchagavya plays a very important role in ayurveda and protection of nature.