Shalakya Tantra
Shalakya tantra is one among the ashtangas of Ayurveda which mainly deals with diseases related to eye, nose, ear, head, and oral cavity/diseases which occurs above the clavicle.
In our department, every day we treat more than 20 patients on OPD basis and 6 to 8 patients on IPD basis.
As departmental activities, regular camps are conducted in nearby villages and arranging school camps concentrating more on maintaining the ocular and oral hygiene.
As we know the eye is considered as the supreme sense organ, the utmost care must be taken to preserve the vision. We have a certain group of ocular therapies called kriyakalpas to treat the diseases of the eye and to prevent dreadful challenging ocular diseases.
The seven kriyakalpas: Tarpana, Putapaka, Anjana, Aschyotana, Pindi, Bidalaka, Seka.
- Tarpana- It is the local procedure where the eyes are made to blink in medicated ghee for a specified time, thereby the eyes are made to get tripti (satisfaction).
- Putapaka-The procedure of putapaka is like tarpana, but the ingredients, preparation of medicine, and durations are different.
- Aschyotana- Instillation of medicines in the form of drops.
- Seka-Is the procedure of pouring the liquid medicines over the eyes. It is indicated in diseases manifested in severe form.
- Anjana-Is a procedure of applying medicinal pastes or powders to the inner side of the lower lid, either by fingertip or with an applicator.
- Vidalaka-Is the application of medicated paste to the outer surface of the eyelids.
- Pindi-Is the modification of vidalaka. Instead of directly applying the pastes to the eyelid, they are packed in thick cotton cloth and are kept tightly over the eyelids.
Procedures related to ear, nose, face, head, and oral cavity are:
- Karnapurana: The procedure of dropping the swarasa (juice extract), taila (oil), ghrita (ghee) into the external auditory canal is known as karnapurana. This procedure is done in ear diseases
- Karnadhupana: Medicated fumes are given to the ear canal in conditions like ear discharge, tinnitus. Example – Guggulu dhuma
- Karnaprakshalana - Ear syringing using specific Kashaya cures many ear diseases like ear discharge. Example – Karna prakshalana using Triphala Kashaya
- Kavala – gandusha: Holding the medicated fluids in the mouth in full quantity for a specific time and then spitting out is gandusha. Medicated fluids are taken into the oral cavity and advised for the movement for a specific time is kavala
- Mukhalepa– The topical application of the herbal paste to the face and keeping it undisturbed for a certain period is known as mukhalepa – Face pack. This therapy is used to clear the morbidity of dosha or any toxic substances in facial skin, as well as to improve the colour and complexion of the skin.
- Shiroabhyanga – Smearing the oil followed by massage by a specific method refers to shiroabhyanga. This procedure is most ideal for routine practice, especially in healthy persons. It is both preventive and curative therapy
- Nasya – Administration of the medicines through nasal route is known as nasya. As the nasal route is considered as the nearest route for the diseases of the head and neck, nasya acts at its best to cure these diseases
Importance of the department:
- ‘Drushtishcha nastaa vividham jagaccha tamomayam jaayat ekaroopam’ - if vision is lost everything will be invisible as if covered by darkness because of tama. Sarvendriyam nayanam pradhanam – among all the sense organs, the eye is considered as the most important one and hence one must take utmost care.
- From modern point of view many of the ophthalmic diseases have no treatment where the ophthalmologists are advising patients to undergo ayurvedic treatments. Few such diseases are Diabetic retinopathy, Cystoid macular odema, Stargardt’s disease, ARMD, etc.,
- Other areas of disease, where our department has succeeded in treating are tinnitus, deafness, otitis media, ear foreign body, deviated nasal septum, nasal bleeding, rhinitis, tonsilitis, mouth ulcers, etc.,
Shalakya tantra is one among the ashtangas of Ayurveda which mainly deals with diseases related to eye, nose, ear, head, and oral cavity/diseases which occurs above the clavicle.
As it is a clinical subject, regular theory classes will be conducted along with practical demonstration of procedures related to the subject. Regular case presentation will be done by the students and the classes are more oriented to practical exposure.
The departmental museum consists of the models, charts prepared with the help of students and also the drugs which are commonly used in treating the diseases related to shalakya tantra.
From the department, regular research activities are conducted. Students and faculties are encouraged to publish the articles in various journals. Recently, a research grant was awardedfor a project under the RGUHS UG research grant division.
The students are taken to rural camps on regular basis in the vision to expose themselves to serve society in a better way.
