what are the basic concepts of SIDDHA type of treatment?  

Like Ayurveda, Siddha is also a traditional medical system of India. It is of Dravidian origin and has its entire literature in Tamil language. The basic concepts of the Siddha medicine are the same as those of Ayurveda. The difference is mostly in detail, Siddha being influenced by the local tradition with roots in the ancient Dravidian culture.

Its origin is also traced to mythological sources belonging to the Shaiva tradition. According to the tradition, Lord Shiva conveyed the knowledge of medicine to his wife Parvati. The knowledge was passed from her to Nandi and finally it was given to the Siddhas. The word Siddha denotes one who has achieved some extraordinary powers (siddhi). This achievement was related to the discipline of mind and its superiority over body, and was accomplished through both yoga and medicine. Thus siddhars (practitioners of Siddha) became the symbols of psychosomatic perfection and so the Siddha medicine became a combination of medicine and yoga.

The tantrik siddhi was thought of in different forms such as janmaja (due to birth), osadhija (due to some medical elixirs), mantraja (due to magical incantations), tapoja (due to penance) and samadhija (due to meditation). The tantriks endeavoured to attain the siddhis by several means, one of them was through the use of certain compositions of compounds of mercury, sulphur, mica and several other metallic substances.

According to tradition, there were 18 Siddhars (the person who has achieved some extra-ordinary powers): Nandi, Agasthiyar, Thirumular, Punnakkeesar, Pulasthiyar, Poonaikannar, Idaikkadar, Bogar, Pulikai isar, Karuvurar, Konkanavar, Kalangi, Sattainathar, Azhuganni, Agappai, Pumbatti, Theraiyar and Kudhambai, but the Agasthiyar (Agastya) was the topmost. He is regarded as the originator of the Siddha medicine and also of the Tamil language. He occupies the same position as Hippocrates in modern western medicine. In the period of Ramayana he seems to have settled in the South. Thus origin of every tradition in the South, including language and culture, is traced back to Agastya.

In the Siddha medicine system use of metals, minerals and chemical products is predominant. The use of metals started from the period of Vagbhata (6th Centaury AD). Alchemy actually has its origin in the Siddha system which was connected with the Tantrik culture, aimed at perfection of man not only at the spiritual level but also at the physical level. The use of human urine in medicine also started with the Tantrik culture and became popular in the medieval period.

The dates of most of alchemy texts are generally uncertain, but they belong possibly to a period between the 9th and the 18th Centuries AD, the period between the 10th and the 14th Centuries being perhaps the most flourishing one. Generally these texts come under the category of the rasasastra, signifying systematic treatments of the new knowledge and practices relating to the use of mercurial compounds and a host of other substance as medicine. The following are among the important rasasastra texts in Sanskrit: Rasahrdaya by Govinda Bhagavat, Rasaratnakara by Siddha Nagarjuna, Rasarnava (author unknown), Rasaratnasamuccya by Vagbhata, Rasaratnakara by Nityanatha Siddha, etc.

There are also some tantrik texts, which deal with alchemical ideas as part of their psycho-experimental-symbolic treatment for the tantrik goals and related practice. These texts are not only in Sanskrit language but also in other languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc. About two hundred works in Tamil on the Siddha medicine having alchemical ideas. Of special importance are Amudakalaijnanam, Muppu, Muppuvaippu, Muppucunnam, Carakku, Guruseynir, Paccaivettusutram and Pannir-kandam by Agastya; Kadaikandam, Valalai-sutram and Nadukandam by Konganavar; Karagappa, Purva, Muppu-sutram and Dravakam by Nandisvar; Karpam and Valai-sutram by Bogar etc.

The name of Agasty

Answered by Yogeshwar at 4:41 PM on November 03, 2008

Siddha medicine is a form of medical treatment of diseases using substances of all possible origins in a way that balances the possible harmful effect of each substance. This form of medicine was professed and practised by siddhars who wrote their recipes on palm-leaves for the use of future generations. Siddha medicine was developed by Dravidians (ancient Tamils), locally called Cittars. Preparations are made mainly out of the parts of the plants and trees such as leaves, bark, stem, root etc, but include also mineral and some animal substances. This form of medicine is still today well known in South India. The use of metals like gold, silver and iron powders (Sanskrit bhasma) in some preparations is a special feature of siddha medicine, which claims it can detoxify metals to enable them to be used for stubborn diseases. This claim is especially relevant in the case of the highly toxic metal mercury which is relatively often used in the system; that means medicine containing purified mercury should only be received from a highly qualified practitioner of the art.

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Answered by Dinesh at 2:25 PM on November 03, 2008

The principle doctrines of Siddha, both theoretical and applied are quite similar to the ones Ayurveda instructs. Siddha medicine invigorates and revives internal organs completely, curing the dysfunctions that cause the problem\disease. After applying treatment, normal functioning of organs occurs that result in a healthy state of the body and mind! Because the medicine is totally natural i.e. no artificial chemicals are part of the ingredients, treatment hardly ever causes any side-effects.

Akin to Ayurveda, Siddha too believes that the body is composed of five basic elements from nature namely earth, water, fire, air and sky. The food that is consumed by the body helps in making or constructing these elements. Siddha staunchly considers that food is the fundamental building material of the human body which slowly converts in tumors, body tissues and waste matter. Thus, it is essential that nourishing food be taken. Additionally, Siddha also states that the body is capable of healing itself and has confidence in its resisting powers. For example, it is amazing how Siddha medicine tackles the problem of diabetes. It corrects the functioning of the pancreas which encourages the production of Insulin, the natural way! Not just this, but various other methods too are applied to make sure the root cause of the problem is eliminated fully.

Answered by Alok at 12:18 PM on November 03, 2008

Siddha system is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India . The term Siddha means achievements and Siddhars were saintly persons who achieved results in medicine.
This principles and doctrines of this system, both fundamental and applied, have a close similarity to Ayurveda, with specialization in Iatro-chemistry. According to this system the human body is the replica of the universe and so are the food and drugs irrespective of their origin.

Like Ayurveda, this system believes that all objects in the universe including human body are composed of five basic elements namely, earth, water, fire, air and sky. The food, which the human body takes and the drugs it uses are all, made of these five elements. The proportion of the elements present in the drugs vary and their preponderance or otherwise is responsible for certain actions and therapeutic results.

As in Ayurveda, This system also considers the human body as a conglomeration of three humours, seven basic tissues and the waste products of the body such as faeces, urine and sweat. The food is considered to be basic building material of human body which gets processed into humours, body tissues and waste products. The equilibrium of humours is considered as health and its disturbance or imbalance leads to disease or sickness.

Answered by SESHAN at 11:44 AM on November 03, 2008