Siddha Philosophy

The medicine should be improved as a preventive and curative form. It should significantly improve the quality and duration of life.

“Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be food”. It is an important quote alleged by ancient Siddhars. In those days, Siddhars invented the methodology of drugs scientifically and developed well-defined pharmacopeias. In that pharmacopeia, they describe plants, animal parts, minerals, and metals for treating purposes.

The Siddhars Bohar, Agathiyar, and Theraiyar denote 120 Uparasam in their pharmacopeia. Within that, they mention more than 45 types of animal parts and their uses. It includes many marine products and explains their medicinal preparation methods and their indications for treating human disease. They recorded these details as verses. 

Siddha’s system of medicine believes that herbo-mineral formulation is more effective for chronic diseases. Herbo-mineral formulations are gaining popularity worldwide due to their Nano medicine form, increased bioavailability, minimal side effect, longer shelf life period and need less dosage as compared to herbal formulations. To date, lesser studies have been conducted on the standardization of such preparations.

According to cosmogenesis, there are five basic primordial elements in nature viz. earth, water, fire, wind, and ether. Everything is made up of these elements. The food we take consists of six tastes viz. sweet, sour, salt, bitter, acrid, and astringent. These six tastes are formed by the selective combination of those five primordial elements.

Further, there are three humors viz., Vatham, Pittham, and Kabam, which are responsible for the physical and mental quality and also proper maintenance of the healthy body. Any changes in food habits and lifestyle bring an improper balance of vatham, pittham, and kabam which is the cause of the disease. Thus there is an interconnection between the five primordial elements, six tastes, and three humors which are the basic fundamental of the Siddha System.

The Siddha treatment aims at the proper balance and equilibrium of the three humours through proper diet and perfect lifestyle.

Though Siddha system has its own value it has been latent due to modern medicine which has its way of immediate healing and treatment. In recent years the Siddha system has its dawn among worldwide for its natural inheritance, holistic approach, healthy lifestyle, and preventive treatment. Especially for non-communicable and chronic illnesses where modern medicine has their limits