आन्तरिक्षमुदकानां
Translation: Rain water of Antariksha kind is the best for health.
Commentary (Vishnu)
In this part of this chapter we will be dealing with many classes of food and the best candidate from the group is stated.
In most cases we will consider a few alternatives and discuss why the candidate selected by Atreya is best.
It will be virtually impossible to cover every aspect on this platform and therefore I have decided to limit the discussion to a few pertinent points.
Various varieties of water are described in Ayurvedic classics. Most healthy of them is Antariksha. Here we should take a review of types of water in the classics. We are not just dealing with H2O but we are dealing with water as it is consumed by organisms. Pure rainwater, dew or snow is termed as Antariksha i.e. falling from the skies. Detailed review of all water types is in chapter 27 of sutrasthan but here we will review the factors which were considered while arriving at health profiles of them.
Rasa is imparted to water due to contamination or solutes in it. When an organism consumes water it is usually not pure but is a solution and for consideration of its health effects an algorithm was devised by Ancient Gurus. In fact the same algorithm is used for all substances. It is one of the basic principles of Ayurved called as Rasa-Veerya-Vipak-Prabhava Siddhant.
Those who are familiar with this theory need not read next few paragraphs.
Immediate effects of consumption of any substance are categorized as Rasa. Veerya is the intensity and direction of effect. Vipak is the residual effect after digestion of any substance is complete and Prabhava is the observed effect which cannot be explained by the previous three.
The subtle variations in all the above give any substance its unique position in the spectrum of healthy curative or toxic effects. (Apart from consideration of quantity.)
Water which is without any Rasa is best while slight sweet or astringent taste is also acceptable.
Other desirable properties in water are Laghu (lightweight) Vishad (non adhesive) Aruksha (non drying) and Anabhishyandi (does not cause exudation).
It will be very interesting to compare these with norms of potable drinking water currently advised by regulatory agencies.
Detailed standards can be found at http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm
Translation: Rain water of Antariksha kind is the best for health.
Commentary (Vishnu)
In this part of this chapter we will be dealing with many classes of food and the best candidate from the group is stated.
In most cases we will consider a few alternatives and discuss why the candidate selected by Atreya is best.
It will be virtually impossible to cover every aspect on this platform and therefore I have decided to limit the discussion to a few pertinent points.
Various varieties of water are described in Ayurvedic classics. Most healthy of them is Antariksha. Here we should take a review of types of water in the classics. We are not just dealing with H2O but we are dealing with water as it is consumed by organisms. Pure rainwater, dew or snow is termed as Antariksha i.e. falling from the skies. Detailed review of all water types is in chapter 27 of sutrasthan but here we will review the factors which were considered while arriving at health profiles of them.
Rasa is imparted to water due to contamination or solutes in it. When an organism consumes water it is usually not pure but is a solution and for consideration of its health effects an algorithm was devised by Ancient Gurus. In fact the same algorithm is used for all substances. It is one of the basic principles of Ayurved called as Rasa-Veerya-Vipak-Prabhava Siddhant.
Those who are familiar with this theory need not read next few paragraphs.
Immediate effects of consumption of any substance are categorized as Rasa. Veerya is the intensity and direction of effect. Vipak is the residual effect after digestion of any substance is complete and Prabhava is the observed effect which cannot be explained by the previous three.
The subtle variations in all the above give any substance its unique position in the spectrum of healthy curative or toxic effects. (Apart from consideration of quantity.)
Water which is without any Rasa is best while slight sweet or astringent taste is also acceptable.
Other desirable properties in water are Laghu (lightweight) Vishad (non adhesive) Aruksha (non drying) and Anabhishyandi (does not cause exudation).
It will be very interesting to compare these with norms of potable drinking water currently advised by regulatory agencies.
Parameters for drinking water quality typically fall under two categories: chemical/physical and microbiological. Chemical/physical parameters include heavy metals, trace organic compounds, total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity. Microbiological parameters include Coliform bacteria, E. coli, and specific pathogenic species of bacteria (such as cholera-causing Vibrio cholerae), viruses, and protozoan parasites.
Chemical parameters tend to pose more of a chronic health risk through buildup of heavy metals although some components like nitrates/nitrites and arsenic can have a more immediate impact. Physical parameters affect the aesthetics and taste of the drinking water and may complicate the removal of microbial pathogens.
Detailed standards can be found at http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm
