9 qualities you need to shield yourself from diseases

Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S

Master Charaka, in chapter 28 of Charaka Samhita Sutra Sthana section speaks about various kinds of foods and drinks that we take and the significance of following a disciplined regimen of food so as to keep our physical, mental and emotional health in a state of balance. For this to happen, one should be wise in choosing good foods in terms of quality, quantity and time of eating. One should always be indulged in meaningful eating following the rules and regulations laid for consumption of food in Ayurveda texts and also by following food etiquettes with presence of mind and application of consciousness. This is so true because ahara – food is one among the three supporting pillars of our life, the traya upastambhas (nidra – sleep and brahmacharya – celibacy or ideal way of righteous living, being the other two supporting pillars).

Context – Charaka Samhita Sutra Sthana, Chapter 28 – Vividha Ashita Peeteeyam Adhyaya, Verses 36-40

Taking good foods and following good and beneficial lifestyle regimens would help one to keep away from diseases of all sorts. We are from what we eat. Therefore, we should be conscious of what and how and also how much we eat. One should also have a thorough knowledge about the food and everything related to it along with what is suitable and what is not to him or her.

Master Charaka further tells that only a person endowed with Nava Gunas i.e. 9 qualities (which will be mentioned ahead in the article) would take utmost caution about every subtleties of food (and also lifestyle activities) and due to volunteered discipline into these would be capable of avoiding / preventing many or almost diseases, shield himself / herself from them and have a perfect balance of psychosomatic health. On the other hand, a person who does not have these qualities would be highly undisciplined due to his intellect and mind being clouded by rajas and tamas qualities, makes wrong food choices, not follow the food regimens and etiquettes and will become victim of a wide array of diseases. 

In this article we shall see what are those 9 qualities one should have, to make ideal food choices and keep oneself healthy and strong. Indirectly we discuss the benefits of observing proper food regimen and harmful effects of not observing them.

9 qualities you need to shield yourself from diseases

Master Charaka, while differentiating a wise person from an ignorant person in terms of making food choices says that – a wise person always choses wholesome and good foods because he is predominant in sattva attribute while an ignorant person, his mind being dominated by rajas and tamas qualities would always prefer making unhealthy choices and hence are victims of many food-induced and psychosomatic diseases. On the other hand, the wise person who is sattvika in nature will be healthy because he is disciplined in not only making good food choices but also would follow healthy food regimens as a habit, throughout his life.

Related Reading – ‘Rajas and Tamas – Wholesome food choices and prevention of diseases’

Can an intelligent and learned person avoid diseases?

Yes and no. Yes, when the learned and intelligent person is also bestowed with or has inculcated the 9 qualities (which we will discuss ahead) in himself will be devoid of rajas and tamas qualities and hence can avoid diseases of food origin. On the other hand, it is not sufficient for a person to be intelligent and learned, it is important for him or her to conquer their rajas and tamas qualities and inculcate these 9 gunas – qualities. This will enable him to make smart food choices which are also healthy and wholesome.

What are these 9 qualities that one should have so as to shield himself from diseases?

श्रुतं बुद्धिः स्मृतिर्दाक्ष्यं धृतिर्हितनिषेवणम्| वाग्विशुद्धिः शमो धैर्यमाश्रयन्ति परीक्षकम्||३७||
लौकिकं नाश्रयन्त्येते गुणा मोहरजःश्रितम् | तन्मूला बहवो यन्ति रोगाः शारीरमानसाः||३८||

A wise, intelligent, learned and inquisitive person who is bestowed with or who has inculcated the below mentioned 9 qualities will make smart food choices and would follow a wholesome regimen and is hence immune to food induced diseases and also various kinds of diseases of physical, mental and emotional origin.

The 9 qualities are as below explained –

1. Shrutam

A person who is well learned will have sound knowledge of every subtlety of foods and its choices, about the quality, quantity, etiquettes and time and reasoning behind every meal. He would know about good and bad choices and also their consequences. He would know the consequences of making good and bad choices of foods and also about erroneous and unwholesome food combinations. He would make a practice of meaningful eating and follow it every day, throughout his life. Shrutam also means an obedient person. These people follow the instructions given by a wise person or physician religiously and inculcate good practices related to food and lifestyle changes in their life. If shrutam is an obedient student of Ayurveda, he would respect what has been mentioned in the shastras – treatises or taught from his teacher, practice and also advocate the same (shruti is also a synonym of aptopadesha i.e. teachings of great gurus documented in the treatises, so, shruta is also a person who is an ardent follower of shastra, and hence is considered wise and intelligent).

2. Buddhih

An intelligent person is also a well learned person. He will have a presence of mind in everything, the subtleties of food choices and their good and bad consequences in this context. Intelligence backed up by a very good knowledge is a gamechanger in making good food choices which forms a foundation and backdrop for comprehensive health.

3. Smriti

A person who is rich in sattvika guna of the mind and has balanced rajas and tamas qualities will have good memory. This memory backed up with very good intelligence tapped from good knowledge of the concepts from treatises and teachings of masters will help him or her to remember the facts and figures about foods and food choices. If these people or anyone closer to them have suffered from some disease due to wrong food choices in terms of quality or quantity or due to untoward combinations, they would definitely have these experiences stored in their memories. Next time they would not make the same mistake because they are cautioned by the memory files that their system has saved. Good memories of good experiences of food will help one to make healthy choices of foods. Memory of bad experiences with certain foods or food combinations will alert the person from committing the same mistakes again. In this way, he or she will not commit prajnaparadha – conscious mistakes, which is an important causative factor for many diseases.

4. Daksha

A wise person is blessed with skill and discipline. Daksha also means ability, skill, expertise or honesty. When we speak about food choices, a person who is skilled in food sciences will also be self-disciplined in the choices he makes. He will be a person who would share his expertise with others through teachings and talks or write-ups and would inspire the people to eat healthy foods. In the modern era, we can find many diet experts talking sense about foods on social media and creating food awareness through their write ups, including food bloggers and vloggers. At the same time, these people are also committed to do what they teach and preach because they are honest to themselves.

5. Dhruti

Dhriti means determination or firmness. It also means perseverance, patience, steadiness or virtue. A wise person who is also determined will overcome temptations related to food choices. He will be careful, steady and stand firm to his decisions of taking only wholesome foods and follow food regimens since he will have utmost patience and perseverance to do so.       One will have good Dhriti when his rajas and tamas qualities of mind are in a state of balance and when he has conquered his senses.

6. Hita Nishevana

One should be habituated to eating ‘only good foods’ and should have the ability to do it every time and stick to a wholesome regimen. Doing anything repeatedly and not breaking the rules of anything and abiding to a good format needs immense knowledge, intelligence, memory, discipline, expertise, determination and perseverance. One is endowed with this quality only if one has balanced his rajasika and tamasika bhavas.

7. Vak Vishuddhi

Vak Vishuddhi means clarity and purity of speech. A wise and learned person will be bestowed with clarity of speech, which is also pure. So, this person knows what to speak and when. There will be no manipulation in what he tells. These people tell what they do and do what they tell. Vak Shuddhi reflects the sattvika nature of the person. This attribute is needed to follow, teach and preach wholesome regimens.

8. Shama

Shama means quietness, tranquillity or mental balance / quietness. It also means calmness and peace of mind. Wise people are bestowed with the virtue of being quiet, tranquil, calm and composed and would have peace of mind. This state is attainable only when the attributes of the mind are in a state of balance individually and mutually. These people are rich in sattva guna and have control over rajas and tamas qualities. In a state of tranquillity, the person would take proper decisions related to wholesome regimen and would also follow the same.

9. Dhairya

Dhairya means courage. Wise and learned people are courageous and courteous. Dhairya is also said to be a good medicine for the mind. Courage helps one to make strong and stable decisions and control oneself from diverting from the decisions which are made. It needs courage to abstain from unwholesome foods and regimen and also to choose and follow only wholesome foods and regimen.

To Sum up,

The person who is bestowed with the above said 9 features or qualities is considered as a wise person. Since he is wise, he will obviously make conscious choices related to food and as a result would enjoy good health and longevity.

Putting it the other way, to be healthy one should follow a wholesome regimen in relation to food and lifestyle practices. (The above said 9 qualities are not limited to making good choices of food but are applicable for choosing anything good). To follow a wholesome regimen, he or she should be wise. Wisdom and intelligence of a person who is eligible to make wholesome choices is measured on the basis of 9 qualities like shruta etc that he has.

One should be bestowed with the above said 9 qualities to be wise. Such a person would have conquered his rajas and tamas attributes and hence would follow a wholesome regimen. This is a foundation to enjoy good health and longevity.

On the other hand, an ignorant person will not possess these 9 qualities. This is because his mind will be enveloped by moha (tamas) i.e. illusions and rajas i.e. attraction and attachments. These people will not follow a wholesome regimen and hence succumb to various disorders of body, mind, senses and emotions. 

Further on,

प्रज्ञापराधाद्ध्यहितानर्थान् पञ्च निषेवते| सन्धारयति वेगांश्च सेवते साहसानि च||३९||
तदात्वसुखसञ्ज्ञेषु भावेष्वज्ञोऽनुरज्यते| रज्यते न तु विज्ञाता विज्ञाने ह्यमलीकृते||४०||

An ignorant person will be indulged in prajnaparadha i.e. obsessed to do intellectual errors or sins (intellectual blasphemy – doing the wrong things knowingly). He also indulges himself in ahita arthas i.e. unwholesome gratification of five senses and vega dharana i.e. forcibly withholding the natural urges of the body. He will also indulge in excessive sahasa i.e. adventurous activities beyond his or her capacity or in rash behaviours. Doing these things would only yield temporary pleasure. But a wise person will never indulge in such activities since he has clarity of mind and awareness. Therefore, he is always healthy and happy.