A CLINICAL UTILITY OF PRAKRITI PARIKSHAN- AN AYURVEDIC DIAGNOSTIC TOOL: A BRIEF REVIEW

Abstract

Ayurveda is science of life. Prevention and cure of disease is the aim of Ayurveda. Prakriti is one of the major Ayurvedic principles derived from the Veda, Purana, Upanishad, and Darshana. Prakriti in Ayurveda refers to an individual’s inherent nature; an inborn inclination that governs consciousness and activity. Prakriti is supposed to be fixed in every person. It is influenced by the status of Tridosha, at the time of union of ovum and sperm. Also, an individual's Prakriti is determined based on the predominance of any single or a combination of two or three Dosha. Every individual, like genetic coding, has a different combination and is thus a distinct entity. In Ayurvedic texts different Acharyas have described different features of Doshaj, Manasa, Bhautika & Jatyadi Prakriti. For fulfilling the aim of Ayurveda and alleviating disorders in diseased states, knowledge of an individual's constitution and status of Dosha is required, and with this knowledge, we can prevent and cure disease stages by managing the diet, physical activities, and psychological conditions of the individual. Prakriti also determine an individual's reaction to environmental circumstances, lifestyle choices, medications, and illness susceptibility, making it one of the earliest known concepts in preventive and personalized or genomic medicine. To understand the pattern of susceptibility of an individual to different diseases, selection of drugs, their dose, drug reaction to the body, disease prognosis, course, and preventive measures, Prakriti analysis is performed first, followed by Vikriti analysis. Hence, Prakriti emphasizes uniqueness and plays a significant role in disease prevention and cure, as well as maintaining a healthy body throughout one's life.