RITU CHARYA – SEASONAL REGIMEN

RTUCHARYA

DEFINITION: Rtu means synonym of time and charya means regimen to be followed.The regimen which is wholesome to everyone with respect to diet and practices is called Rtucharya

The year is divided into 6 rithus or seasons depending on changes in the climate

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And these 6 rithus has been divided into 2 categories based on features of each climate and the effect they are having on human body.

They are-:

a)Uttarayana

b)Dakshinayana

UTTARAYANA OR ADANAKALA

• It indicates the ascent of sun or the northward movement of sun.

Definition

The movement of the sun in northward direction is uttarayana.The ayana reduces the mild qualities from earth and takes away the strength of human biengs.

Sisira, Vasantha and Grishma rtu together form uttarayana which bring about reduction of strength.The cause for reduction of strength is the increased intensity of sun and the dry wind, which reduce the mild properties of the earth.During this time not only sun but the wind have sharp velocity and dryness absorb the moisture from the earth which bring s about dryness in the body and reduces the bala.

DAKSHINAYANA OR VISARGAKALA

• It indicates the descent of sun or movement of sun in southern direction.

The southward movement of sun and the ayana gives strength.Ritus in Dakshinayana are varsha, sarat and Hemantha.The winds are not very dry fierce, moon is more powerful than sun, the heat of earth is taken away by clouds, rain and cold wind.Unctuousness sets in the atmosphere and sour, salt and sweet tastes are predominant, so the strength of person enhances during this period.In the beginning of visargakala and ending of adana kala weakness occurs in the biengs.In the middle moderate strength and in the end of visargakala, maximum strength is seen.

Hemantha ritucharya

• During hemantha ritu due to atmospheric cold the heat of the body is conserved inside by constriction.This leads to increase of digestive fire.So if proper heavy food is not consumed, it will burn away the body tissues, as the food in the form of fuel is not available.
• The medicines have good potency due to effect of time.The water is clean, unctuous and heavy, sun rays are mild due to ice and mist in the atmosphere.The water and medicines have unctuous, cold and heavy qualities.
• The meat of animals of marshy lands,animals residing in burrows along with.One should drink milk, juice of sugarcane and its products.
• One should undergo body and head massage, do wrestling, one should remove unctuousness by drugs having astringent taste like amalaki powder and then take bath in hot water.After drying kunkuma, kasturi should be applied and fumigated with agaru.
• One should use heavy clothing like rugs,silk, dear’s skin in bed.One should use light but warm clothing.
• One should reside in the rooms made hot by heating or underground houses which can never be affected with doshas due to excessive cold.

Sisira ritu

• The season is more cold and rains are present along with cold wind.Other charecteristics are similar to Hemantha.
• Regimen

The regimen is same as that of hemantha ritu as it is the begning of adana kala dryness and loss of strength increases gradually.

Vasantha ritu

• All atmosphere is pure, forest and gardens appear beautiful due to flowering of palasha, kamala, bakula, amra, and ashoka.Everywhere melodious sound of nightingale and bhramara are heard.The trees are full of tender leaves.
• The kapha dosha accumulated in hemantha ritu gets liquified by effect of hot rays of sun.
• One should consume food made of old barley, wheat, etc and one should take mango juice along with them.The mango juice having heavy, sour, unctuous and sweet qualities are good for health.One should drink alchoholic preparations asava, arista, sidhu, and water medicated with ginger, khadira, honey and mustha.One should avoid heavy,cold, unctuous and sweet food.
• One should pacify aggravated kapha by proper exercise, and take bath and besmeared with powders of karpura,Chandana, agaru and kunkuma.With pleasant mind one should take alchoholic preparations with friends.
• One should spent afternoon by hearing stories, songs, playing chess.They should sit in southern direction where wind is cold, the place should be devoid of sunlight.One should touch the beads, hear to birds singing, different types of fragrant trees should be present in the surroundings to take out the heat.

Grishma ritu

• The sun rays are intense and scorching, wind in the northern direction is unhealthy.The earth gets heated up, rivers become narrow, directions appear blazing, chakra birds and animals roam, small trees, grass and climbers appear lifeless and trees shed their leaves.
• Always sweet, cold, unctuous and liquid food is good in this season.Cold mantha preparation with sugar, flesh of terrestrial animals, birds , ghee, milk and rice should be consumed.Alchohol should be avoided and if done it should be with plenty of water.One should drink mango juice, churned curds, medicated with pepper.Kept in new earthern pot, covered with banana or jackfruits leaves.One should drink cold water fragranted with patala and karpura.
• One should take rest in the cold home in afternoon and under smoothening rays of moon light at night.One should apply sandalwood paste to his body and forehead.Soothening touch of loved one, cold sandal wood water and precious stones are beneficial.One should stay in forest in water reservoirs, cold places beautified with flowers in grishma ritu and should avoid sex.
• One should have food if smoothening rays of moon and stars sitting on the top of the house with white washed walls to make the nigh pleasant.

Varsha

In varsha ritu the medicine are of less potency, due to excess of water content due to raining and the sky full of clouds.Land is moist with rain so the body gets enhanced along with coldness, which decreases the digestive fire which further leads to improper digestion, which leads to accumulation of pitta.

Due to adanakala, both the body and agni are weak.Rain, clouds in the sky, ice and cold wind in the atmosphere, along with water stream, produced due to contact of cold water and hot earth, produce dosa kopa in the body and weaken the agni further.The food items with sour and unclean water again affect the agni and vitiate dosha especially vata.

One should drink sanskaritha water and rice along with honey.One should consume sour, salt and unctuous food to pacify the aggravated vata in varsha ritu.One should consume food which protect the agni like old barley, wheat and rice prepared rice soup, dal soup.One should drink little quantity of alchoholic preparation along with honey.

• In varsha ritu there will be malnourishment of dhatus leading to vata prakopa.
• Honey increases vata but it can be taken in less quantities to reduce the excessive moisture in the body.
• One should drink rain water, boiled water, well water or water from reservoir.One can consume mastu mixed with the powder of sauvarchala and panchakola.
• One should avoid river water and churned preparations having water.One should avoid day sleep, excessive exercise and sexual intercourse.
• After vamana and virechana, niruha or asthapana basti can be given.
• In varsha ritu there will be malnourishment of dhatus leading to vata prakopa.
• Honey increases vata but it can be taken in less quantities to reduce the excessive moisture in the body.
• One should drink rain water, boiled water, well water or water from reservoir ..
• One should avoid river water and churned preparations having water.One should avoid day sleep, excessive exercise and sexual intercourse.

Sarat ritu

• During varsha ritu body will be accustomed for coldness in the atmosphere and the sudden heat of of sun rays makes the body hot and aggravates the pitta accumulated during varsha ritu.The pitta accumulated during varsha ritu gets aggravated during sarat ritu due to the reduction of clouds and increased intensity of sunrays.
• One should consume sweet, bitter, light, cold and pitta shamaka food in required quantity accordingly.Flesh of lava, Kapinjala, ena, Urabhra, sasa, Sali variety of rice, barley and wheat should be consumed.One should avoid meat of animals of anupa desa, kshara curds,daysleep and easterly wind.One should use the water purified by the rays of sun in the morning and rays of moon in the night time and by the birth of agastya star for the purpose of drinking and washing.It is cold Hamsodaka and it is devoid of dosa clear, pure like nector.
• Food having bitter, sweet, light cold should be consumed.Sali rice, green gram, sugar candy, gooseberry, snake gourd, honey and flesh should be taken in diet.
• One should avoid mist, daysleep and pragvata which increase the kapha.
• One should apply chandana, usira, wear garlands of pearls and clean cloth and sit over the terrace of house and enjoy the moon light in the first part of light.

Relation of ritus with rasa

• In hemantha, sisira and varsha ritu, the first three rasa i.e., madhura(sweet), amla(sour), and lavana(salty) are recommended.
• In vasantha ritu last three rasas i.e., tikta(bitter), katu(pungent), kashaya(astringent) are advised for daily use.In grishma madhura rasa and in sarat ritu, madhura, tikta, and kashaya rasa should be taken.
• Similarly food and drinks which are ruksha are recommended in sarat and vasantha ritu.Food items which are unctuous can be used during other four ritus of sisira, grishma, varsha and hemantha.

Ritu sandhi

• The last seven days of a season and the first seven days of the next season is considered to be ritu sindhu.
• During this time one should taper the regimens of the previous ritu and practice those of the next ritu in a gradual phased manner.Immediate abandoning and adoption of regimens will cause various diseases due to improper adaptation.