Pradhan karma
Consists of five purification therapies

- EMESIS therapy – Vamana
- PURGATION therapy – virechan
- ENEMA therapy – basti
- NASAL therapy – nasya
- BLOOD LETTING – raktmokshan.

Five basic shodhan (purification therapies).

(I) Vaman – The therapeutic vomiting or emesis.
(II) Virechan – Therapeutic Purgation
(III) Basti – Enema
(IV) Nasya – Elimination of toxins through the nose.
(V) Rakta moksha – Detoxification of blood, blood letting.

(I) Vaman (Emesis therapy)
The Ayurvedic Panchkarma treatment for kapha dosha accumulated in the lungs is vaman. This process helps release excess kapha accumulated in the lungs and stomach. By this process the mucus is released, the patient feels instantly relieved. Will be able to breath freely, and appetite will improve a great deal.

(II) Virechan (Purgation therapy)
When pitta dosha is in excess, and as a result gets accumulated in the gall bladder, liver and small intestine, it tends to result in rashes, skin inflammation, fever, biliary vomiting etc. Ayurveda suggests in these conditions the administration of virechan (purgation). Purgatives help to relieve the excess pitta causing the bile disturbance in the body. This therapy can completely cure the problem of excess pitta. During this therapy care should be taken not to eat foods that will aggravate the Doshas.

(III) Basti (Enema therapy)
The colon is the site where vatta dosha gets accumulated. In Basti treatment, medicated Ayurvedic preparations are introduced into the colon in a liquid medium. This is the best measure to cure the body of vatta dosha. It helps to relieve the body of constipation, and other vatta related diseases, such as arthritis.

Vatta is very predominant factor in disease formation if we can control vatta through the use of basti, we can achieve a major step in curing any disease that has accumulated in the body.

(IV) Nasya (nasal administration)
The nose is a very important doorway to the brain and consciousness. The nasal administration of medication is called nasya. Excess accumulation of Doshas in the sinus, throat, nose or head areas is eliminated by means of nasya administration.

Prana, life force is governed by breath entering the body through the nose. Prana is a very vital factor in the human body and is responsible for maintaining overall health. Prana governs mental activity, memory, concentration and intellectual activities. Defective or improper functioning of prana causes headaches, convulsions, loss of memory and reduced sensory perception. Thus nasya is given for prana disorders.

In this method medicated ghee is applied on the inside of the nose. By this method the blocked respiratory passage will open up and the prana functioning will improve a great deal.

(V) Rakta mokshan – (Blood letting)
Toxins accumulated through improper digestion are accumulated in the gastro-intestinal tract, and subsequently are absorbed in the blood stream, resulting in aggravation of disease. In this case along with other measures of purification Rakta-Mokshan is advised. It is also useful in many disorders of liver and gall-bladder created through accumulation of pitta dosha.

This process involves extracting a certain amount of blood from particular veins to relieve tensions created by pitta-genic disorders. Blood-letting also stimulates the spleen to generate anti-toxins to help the immune system. However this method is very rarely advised due to fear of infections.

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(Prepared by Divyajyot Ayurvedic Research foundation India. We are conducting research and treatment in Ayurvedic herbal cure of cancer since last 25 years. The data and information contained on this site is based on Ayurvedic herbal wisdom and our research.)