Abstract

The word ‘Ayurveda’ is made up of ‘Ayu’ (which means ‘Life’) and ‘Veda’ (which means ‘Knowledge’). Together, Ayurveda means ‘Knowledge of Life and Longevity’.
The basic principles of Ayurveda trace their roots to the core of Indian philosophy and highlight a noble concept: that man is the microcosm of the macrocosm that is the universe. In other words, man is the epitome of the universe. Visualising the ‘self’ in the entire universe and the entire universe in the ‘self’ represents the most evolved state of man.