Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine

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Critical Evaluation of Water Purifying Methods in Ancient India WSR

to Ayurveda

Waghe S* Review Article

Department of Roganidana, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan College of Ayurveda & Research Center, Volume 7 Issue 2

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan University, India Received Date: April 03, 2023

Published Date: May 29, 2023

*Corresponding author: Subhash Waghe, BAMS, MD (Roganidan), Department of Roganidana, DOI: 10.23880/jonam-16000399

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan College of Ayurveda & Research Center, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

University, Bhopal, Madhya pradesh, India, 462-047, Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Water is essential component of the human body. Impure water contains many impurities. Safe and palatable water drinking
is essential for maintaining the health. Ancient Indian medical science, Ayurveda emphasizes on safe water drinking practices.
Ayurveda had described different types of water sources like well, river, ocean, waterfall, pond etc. Ayurveda had mentioned
the hazards of drinking unclean and unpalatable water. Ayurvedic acharya Sushruta had not only mentioned about the water
purifying process but also about disinfecting the water to avoid the water borne diseases. As per Ayurveda, drinking unsafe
and impure water may lead to diseases like edema, anemia, indigestion, skin diseases, cough, rhinorrhoea, abdominal pain,
abdominal distension, fever, anorexia, conjunctivitis and goitre. Ayurveda had advocated the use of Nirmali seeds, Lotus root,
Spirogyra root, cloth, pearl, Hessonite stone water and alum for purifying the water. Similarly, the ancient methods to disinfect
the water include keeping the water in sunlight, boiling the water under heat, immersing the hot iron ball in the water etc.
For making the water palatable and removing the bad odour from the water, Ayurveda had suggested to make it scented with
lotus, pandamus (Ketaki), Mesua ferrea (Nagakeshar), Michelia (Champa), Stereospermum suuaveolens (Patala). In ancient
water purifying process, water was used to stirred with Alum primarily. Alum is well known for settling the dust to the bottom.
Cloth was used to arrest the impurities in water by straining. Later water was used to get treated with Strychnus potatorum
seeds to make it clean. Later water was heated to boiling point to make it germ free. It is observed that drinking impurified
water leads to water borne diseases. It is concluded that water purifying and disinfecting methods are very well described in
ancient Indian medical science, Ayurveda.

Keywords: Dushita Jala; Nirmalikarana; Prasadana; Purification; Disinfection

Introduction emphasizes on safe water drinking practices. Ayurveda had

described different types of water sources like well, river,
Water is essential component of the human body. Safe ocean, waterfall, pond etc. Ayurveda had mentioned the
and palatable water drinking is essential for maintaining hazards of drinking unclean and unpalatable water. Acharya
the health. Ancient Indian medical science, Ayurveda Sushruta, had given the detail account of water purifying

Critical Evaluation of Water Purifying Methods in Ancient India WSR to Ayurveda Nat Ayurvedic Med
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Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine

and disinfecting process in 46th chapter of Sutrasthana of drawbacks (Sparsha doshas).

his text Sushrut Samhita. Ayurvedic acharya Sushruta had • Mud (Panka), Sand (Sikata), Algae (Shaiwal), multiple
not only mentioned about the water purifying process but colour (Bahu Varnata) are the appearance drawbacks
also about disinfecting the water to avoid the water borne (Rupa doshas).
diseases. Acharya Vagbhata had mentioned the impurities in • Appearance of taste is a Rasa dosha (taste drawback).
uncleaned water, hazards of drinking impurified water and • Lack of natural scent is gandha dosha (olfactory
process of cleaning the water in 6th chapter of Sutrsthana of drawback).
his text Ashtang Samgraha. As per Ayurveda, drinking unsafe • If on consumption individua develops salivation, thirst,
and impure water may lead to diseases like edema, anemia, heaviness, then it indicates Veerya dosha (Potency
indigestion, skin diseases, cough, rhinorrhoea, abdominal related drawback).
pain, abdominal distension, fever, anorexia, conjunctivitis • If on consumption individua develops indigestion,
and goitre. Ayurveda had advocated the use of Nirmali beeja abdominal gurgling then it indicates Vipak dosha.
(Strychnus potatorum seeds), Lotus root, Spirogyra root, (metabolization related drawback) [4].
cloth, pearl, Hessonite stone water and alum for purifying the
water. Similarly, the ancient methods to disinfect the water Hazards of Impure water
include keeping the water in sunlight, boiling the water
under heat, immersing the hot iron ball in the water etc. For Drinking unsafe and impure water may lead to diseases
making the water palatable and removing the bad odour like edema (Shotha), anemia (Pandu), indigestion (Ajirna),
from the water, Ayurveda had suggested to make it scented skin diseases (Twak Vikara), cough (Kasa), rhinorrhoea
with lotus, pandamus (Ketaki), Mesua ferrea (Nagakeshar), (Pratikshyaya), abdominal pain (Udar Shoola), abdominal
Michelia (Champa), Stereospermum suuaveolens (Patala). distension (Udar Addhman), fever (Jwara), anorexia (Agni
Sada), conjunctivitis (Netra Abhisyanda), Itching (Kandu)
Material & Methods and boils (Ganda) [5,6].

Literary analytical method of research is adopted in Purification of water

present study. Classical Ayurvedic texts such as Sushrut
Samhita, Charak Samhita, Ashtang Samgraha have been The water should be made clean with cleaners like grass
referred for literary search. root (Parni moola), Lotus root (Bisa Granthi), Pearl (Moti),
Strychnus potatorum seeds (Katak/Nirmali Beeja) and cloth
Review of Literature (Vastra), Spyrogyra (Shaival), Hessonite water (Gomedaka)
and with precious stones (manis) [7,8].
Impurities & Contamination of water
Disinfection of water
The water which is contaminated with insects, urine,
stool, eggs of flies, dead body, bush, poison, mud, algae The water should be made disinfected by keeping the
and the water which does not get the sunlight is said to be water in sunlight, boiling the water under heat, immersing
contaminated [1]. the hot iron ball in the water etc [9].

Pathological water Scenting of water

The water which develops pathological taste, odour, The water should be made scented with deodorants like
colour, touch and which is full with waste and to which Pandamus (Ketaki), Mesua ferrea (Nagakeshar), Michelia
aquatic animals and birds have left, which had lost its natural (Champa), Stereospermum suuaveolens (Patala) and Neria
qualities is a pathological water [2]. indicum (Karveera) [10,11].

The water which is slimy, with microbes, with waste, Discussion

with algae, with altered odour, taste, and colour, which is
concentrated is Pathological [3]. Acharya Sushruta, had given the detail account of
water purifying and disinfecting process in 45th chapter of
Drawbacks of contaminated water Sutrasthana of his text Sushrut Samhita. Acharya Charaka,
had mentioned about the unsafe and uncleaned water in 27th
The contaminated water develops six drawbacks. chapter of Sutrasthana and 3rd chapter of Vimansthana of
• Roughness (Kharata), Slimyness (Pichhilata), hotness his text Charaka Samhita. Acharya Vagbhata had mentioned
(Aushnya), Sensitiveness (Danta Agrahita) are the tactile the impurities in uncleaned water, hazards of drinking

Waghe S. Critical Evaluation of Water Purifying Methods in Ancient India WSR to Ayurveda. Nat Copyright© Waghe S.
Ayurvedic Med 2023, 7(2): 000399.
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Journal of Natural & Ayurvedic Medicine

impurified water and process of cleaning the water in 6th Sutrasthana, 45/9-11, hindi translation, 5th edition,
chapter of Sutrsthana of his text Ashtang Samgraha. Acharya published by Motilal Banarasidas, Jawahar Nagar, Banglo
Sushruta not only mentioned about purifying the water but rd, New Delhi – 110 007.
also about disinfecting the water to avoid the water born
diseases. Water was used to stirred with Alum primarily. 2. Charaka, Agnivesha (2019) Charak samhita. In: Shukla
Alum is well known for settling the dust to the bottom. Cloth AV, Tripathi R (Eds.) Vimansthana. 3/2, 1st (Edn.),
was used to arrest the impurities in water by straining. Later Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratishthan, ansari road, New
water was used to get treated with Strychnus potatorum Delhi, India, pp: 569.
seeds Nirmali beeja (Strychnus potatorum) seeds is also
3. Charaka, Agnivesha (2019) Charak samhita. In: Shukla
called as water filter tree in English. It acts as wormicidal.
AV, Tripathi R (Eds.) Sutrasthana. 27/215, 1st (Edn.),
It is also useful in abdominal pain, cough and anemia. Pearl
Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratishthan, ansari road, New
was also used for cleaning process. The ancient disinfection
Delhi, India, pp: 410.
process included procedures like keeping the water in
sunlight, boiling the water under heat, immersing the hot 4. Sushruta (1975) Sushruta Samhita. In: Atrideva (Ed.)
iron ball in the water etc. Heating the water to the boiling Sutrasthana. 45/11, 5th (Edn.), Motilal Banarasidas,
point kills all disease-causing germs. Ancient method of Jawahar Nagar, New Delhi, India, pp: 164.
water disinfection like keeping the water in sunlight, may
be correlated with modern method of solar purification in 5. Sushruta (1975) Sushruta Samhita, In: Atrideva (Ed.)
which the ultraviolet sunrays kill the germs in the water. Sutrasthana. 45/12, 5th (Edn.), Motilal Banarasidas,
Pandamus (Ketaki), Mesua ferrea (Nagakeshar), Michelia Jawahar Nagar, New Delhi, India, pp: 164.
(Champa), Stereospermum suuaveolens (Patala) are the
famous scented drugs (Sugandhi Dravyas) in Ayurveda. 6. Vagbhata A (1981) Ashtangsangraha. In: Lalchandshastri
They were used to remove the bad odour from the water and (Ed.) sutrasthana. 6/24, 2nd (Edn.), Shree Baidynath
thereby to make it palatable. In modern era also alum is used Ayurved Bhavan ltd, Nagpur, India, pp: 210.
for purifying the water. The other modern method of water
7. Sushruta (1975) Sushruta Samhita. Atrideva (Ed.)
purification include Ultra filtration, reverse osmosis Modern
Sutrasthana. 45/12, 5th (Edn.), Motilal Banarasidas,
method of water disinfection include chlorination, iodination
Jawahar Nagar, New Delhi, India, pp: 164.
and boiling of water.
8. Vagbhata (1981) Ashtangsangraha. In: Lalchandshastri
Conclusions (Ed.) sutrasthana. 6/28, 2nd (Edn.), Shree Baidynath
Ayurved Bhavan ltd, Nagpur, India, pp: 210.
• Drinking impurified water leads to water borne diseases.
• Water purifying methods are very well described in 9. Sushruta (1975) Sushruta Samhita. In: Atrideva (Ed.)
Ayurveda. Sutrasthana. 45/12, 5th (Edn.), Motilal Banarasidas,
• Water disinfecting methods are very well described in Jawahar Nagar, New Delhi, India, pp: 164.
Ayurveda.
• Ancient methods of water purification are still used in 10. Sushruta (1975) Sushruta Samhita. In: Atrideva (Ed.)
many parts of the country. Sutrasthana. 45/12, 5th (Edn.), Motilal Banarasidas,
Jawahar Nagar, New Delhi, India, pp: 164.
References 11. Vagbhata (1981) Ashtangsangraha. In: Lalchandshastri
1. Sushruta (1975) Sushruta Samhita. In: Atrideva (Ed.) (Ed.), sutrasthana. 6/28, 2nd (Edn.), Shree Baidynath
Ayurved Bhavan ltd, Nagpur, India, pp: 210.

Waghe S. Critical Evaluation of Water Purifying Methods in Ancient India WSR to Ayurveda. Nat Copyright© Waghe S.
Ayurvedic Med 2023, 7(2): 000399.