History of Siddha System of Medicine

 

The guiding principle of this form of medicine is that only a healthy body can lead to a healthy soul. Therefore, the practices of Siddha medicine emphasize on attaining a healthy body through a rigorous routine of meditation, yoga, and fasting.

 

As per Indian mythology, Lord Shiva gave the knowledge of medicine to his wife, Goddess Parvati, who in turn passed it on to Nandi, after which this knowledge was transmitted to human beings. Ancient documents tell us that there have been 18 siddhars till now. These include Nandi, Agasthiyar, Thirumular, Punnakkeesar, Pulasthiyar, Ponnaikannar, Idaikkadar, Bogar, Pulikaiisar, Karuvurar, Konkanavar, Kalangi, Sattainathar, Azhuganni, Agappai, Pumbatti, Theraiyar, and Kudhambai. 

 

Of these 18 siddhars, Agasthiyar is the most revered figure. He is also credited as being the originator of the Siddha form of medicine. The siddhars are said to have preserved their knowledge on manuscripts made out of palm leaves. While some remains of these manuscripts have been discovered, it is believed that some families in South India may be in possession of some of the other remains.

 

The term Siddha has been derived from the word ‘siddhi’ which means perfection. It denotes the perfection of mind over body. Those who practiced siddha medicine gained great wisdom as well as immortality. This form of medicine involves usage of natural products such as flowers, leaves, fruits, and roots, apart from some metals such as gold and minerals such as mercury. 

 

Mostly, siddhars would prescribe a mixture of these elements to an ailing person. These elements would help restore the balance of vata, pitta, and kapha in the patient’s body, thereby curing the disease. In fact, Siddha and Ayurvedic form of medicines share several common elements.  

 

The objective of the Siddha is to make the human body resilient to disease. Nadi shastra or the science of studying human pulse in order to diagnose the disease is also a part of the Siddha. Yet another noteworthy feature of this line of medicine is the study of patient’s urine. According to ancient scriptures, under this method, siddhars would drop some oil in the patients urine obtained early in the morning. The diagnosis would then be made on the basis of the shape the oil takes inside the urine.