What's Ayurveda? What's to Know?

For those of you have traveled in India, or otherwise have some familiarity with the country and its culture, you have undoubtedly come across the term “Ayurveda” and most likely with reference to Ayurvedic massage. My first experience of an Ayurvedic massage was in Kerala (a part of India where the tradition has its strongest roots), and it was indeed very different than any massage this formerly rather prudish man had ever had – simply more oil, more nudity (only me, mind you), and more hands than my American mind had ever experienced. 

Just as you may be familiar with the field of traditional Chinese medicine, India also has its own ancient and deeply rooted health science and the umbrella term for this scientific discipline is “Ayurveda,” a Sanskrit word often simply translated as "Life Science":

[Ayu (Life) + Veda (Science)].

So, if you’re looking for a nutshell  -  to keep it simple, you can stop reading here. Go no further.

While I don't seek to complicate the definition above, it merits outlining two very important aspects of translation that are both linguistic and cultural/temporal:

Word for word translations from one language to another are, at their core, gross simplifications. While some simple nouns might be somewhat interchangeable, the connotations associated with a word can differ dramatically. "Rain" on your wedding day can be a bad omen for one culture and auspicious on another. Colors can arouse very different feelings across cultures. Further, although a word may have multiple meanings in one language (all conveyed in one word), another language may have to express that idea using a group of words that help clarify the connotation. Let’s take an example:​

Veda = Science/Philosophy/Knowledge/Truth 
 
Veda refers to a concept that combines all four of these separate words/ideas in English. Veda is a methodical approach to learning and understanding reality, i.e. a scientific and philosophical method in the pursuit of such knowledge. A Veda becomes a Veda, i.e. the Truth, when it has passed the test of time and proven its authenticity or otherwise has prima facie value. It is both the pursuit and conveyance of Truth.

Additionally, a language includes within it a history of its culture as expressed through language, and certain abstract concepts are even more difficult to adequately translate. Let’s take another example:
 
Ayu = Life, i.e. Union of Body, Mind and Soul.
 
Here, Ayu means Life but how life is defined derives from a cultural and historical concept. In English “Life” has a very specific meaning to us today – particularly when you think of it in the context of the “search for life” where we define life as having certain characteristics – as opposed to a rock perhaps. But Life in Sanskrit is the combination and balance of the physiological, psychological and spiritual – for that is what it means to live, rather than simply to exist.

So, Ayurveda means Life Science whether you say this simply or venture into complications as I tend to do. In the ancient texts, it’s full definition, roughly translated is:
 
A way of life identifying and promoting that which enables ayu/life, i.e. is good/proper, and discourages that which hinders ayu/life – Charaka Samhita.
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