Efficacy of Rasayan in the prevention of communicable diseases (Janapadhodhwamsa)

Ayurved is a holistic science which mainly emphasizes on the preventive aspect of diseases and ill-health The concept of communicable disease is mentioned under the concept of “Janapadhodhwamsa” Rasayan therapy plays a very key role in the prevention of communicable diseases An attempt has been made to establish a co-relation between the Ayurvedic concept and the current most prevelant communicable diseases and their categorization under the pranavaha srotas, Annavaha srotas, Udakvaha srotas, Rasa and Rak-tavaha srotas In the present scenario, increased urbanization and modified lifestyle has led to derangement of agni This deranged agni has led to compromised immunity, which itself serves as a cause and provoking factor for many infectious diseases In today’s context, the whole world is facing the communicable and infectious pandemic, termed Covid-19 No any specific treatment modality is been established till date In the view of lack of any treatment modality and vaccine availability, focus is been given on enhancing the immunity and maintaining good health status is been laid By maintaining good immunity and health, we can protect ourselves from this infectious disease and also prognosis of the patients will also be good, who are with co-morbid conditions Thus now emphasis is laid to improve the immunity by techniques such as Rasayan Chikitsa


INTRODUCTION
An extreme related pestilence severe intense respiratory condition Covid 2 (SARS-CoV-2), World-wide called as Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization (WHO) rose in India. "In December 2019, Wuhan City, China's capital of Hubei Province, turned into the focal point of an unexplained reason for destructive pneumonia illness (Nisargandha and DadaraoParwe, 2020) Communicable diseases are the infectious conditions which arise due to speci ic infectious conditions, which arise due to speci ic infectious agents or its toxic products which under certain conditions tends to spread among individuals in the community. The production of such infectious agents is the outcome of the toxicity resulting due to various types of pollutants. This toxic pollution and pollutants are the resultant factors of the modi ied lifestyle and increasing urbanization. All these factors have contributed to the pollution of the basic entities of life like air, water and soil. (Shukla et al., 2019).
These factors are common to the entire population. Thus air, water, habitat and time period forms the responsible factors for the manifestation of communicable diseases.

AYURVEDIC CONCEPT OF RASAYAN
The Dravyas which advances the Dhatus are known as Rasayana. Rasayana treatment is one which delays the Jara (mature age) and serves to Cures the illnesses. Subsequently Rasayana is utilized for advancement of solidarity in the solid, for Prevention just as Curative reason of the illnesses. Ayurvedic compositions have investigated the idea of transferable infections under the heading of "Janapadhodhawamsa". Janapadodhwamsa is characterized as" Samanya Tat Vaigunyat Samankala Samanalinghacha Vyadhyor Abhi Nirvritta Mana Jana Padam Udwamsayati." Due to the vitiation of the elements which are basic to the populace, produces same clinical highlights, which bring about the appearance of same malady making demise a network can be named as Janapadodhwamsa.
Ayurvedic classics have mentioned various bene icial effects of Rasayan Chikitsa on the human body.

Signi icance of Rasayana Chikitsa
Ayurved has laid a lot of emphasis on the Rasayan chikitsa. This is a treatment modality, which emphasizes on maintaining proper and balanced nourishment of the Saptadhatus by the Poshaka Rasa . According to Acharya Sushruta, Rasayana tantra elaborates different steps of delaying aging process, increases longevity, and intelligence and enhances the immunity of the individual.
Acharya Charakh opines that Rasayan Chikitsa is a method of maintaining proper Poshaka Ahar rasa. According to Sharangadhara, Rasayana treatment is one which plays a key role in the prevention of diseases due to old age. In today's context, 80% of the human population is suffering with the co-morbid conditions like hypertension, cardiac problems, type 2 DM etc.
All these conditions result in immuno-compromised state. Rasayan therapy improves the immunity of the person, by improving the quality of the poshaka ahar -ras and thereby improving the quality of the Saptadhatus. (Tiwari et al., 2015) probable mode of action of the rasayan mentioned (Soni and Sharma, 2018) (Table 3).
It has emerged as a rapidly spreading communicable disease. This new Covid -19 has emerged out to be a 'Global Health Emergency'. This dreaded disease has engulfed many lives of the individuals. Population of all age groups is prone to this disease but geriatric age group and people with co-morbid conditions are more prone.
Till date no any speci ic treatment modality in the form of vaccine or any effective medication has not emerged, which will be helpful in this bio-medical war. It is said that each indicative and asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 can play a work in illness transmission through airborne and physical contact. This inding has prompted an impeccable dif iculty roughly the counteraction of de ilement unfurls .
It is considered that prevention is always better than cure. In this pandemic condition, as there is no any known effective medication, so prevention and precautionary measures serve as good media for protecting ourselves from this disease. In the prevention aspect, Rasayan Chikitsa plays a very important role along with lifestyle modi ication. (Joshi and Bedekar, 2017).
Rasayan is a composition of many herbal as well as mineral ingredients, which play vital role in maintaining the proper Dhatwagni as well as Dhatuposhan. Derangement of Jatharagni, Dhatwagni is the major contributing factor for production of Ama, immuno-compromised conditions as well as emergence of diseases. (Sn et al., 2017). Rasayan brings about Dhatupushti and srotoshuddhi, which plays a key role in maintaining health and immunity.

DISCUSSION
In today's context, the whole world is dealing with the pandemic of Covid-19. This is a new infectious communicable disease encroaching the humanity. No any speci ic treatment modality has been established for the treatment of Covid-19. Also on any speci ic effective vaccine has been established (Deshpande and Parwe, 2020). This infectious pandemic affects all age group people but geriatric group and people with co-morbid conditions are more prone to it.
These co-morbid conditions include hypertension, Type-2 DM, heart diseases etc, which leads the individual to a immune-compromised condition. Thus the individual becomes more prone to the disease and leads to complications and poor prognosis. To overcome such pandemic hazards, it becomes very essential to enhance the immunity of the individual, as in this case prevention is serving as a better media than cure.
Ayurved emphasizes mainly on the preventive aspect of the health. In ancient Ayurvedic treatises, there are many preventive and immuno-boosting modalities. Rasayan Chikitsa is one of the treatment modality. Long life (great), memory, incredible insight, lawless wellbeing, energy, splendid composition and shading intense voice and unsel ishness, increment quality, of the body and receptor, lawlessness in discourse, sexual force and splendor are completely gotten from appropriate Rasayana treatment (Masram et al., 2014). The classi ication of Rasayan is elaborated in Table 1.
Rasayan underscores on the improvement of the Poshakh ras and Dhatu pushti. Ayurved considers upkeep of appropriate jatharagni and dhatwagni for the correct wellbeing just as working of resistance. Rasayan maintains the quality of Poshak-ras, enhances and maintains the agni of the individual in proper condition. Thereby there is proper dhatuposhan and Oja of the individual is good. The probable mechanism of action of Rasayan and health bene its is mentioned in Tables 2 and 3. As per Ayurveda, Oja is the Saar of all dhatus and the general insusceptibility of the person. Rasayan ills in as a decent media for invulnerability boosting. Thus when the immunity of the person is increased, the person becomes less prone to any disease. Also the disease tolerating capacity and prognosis of the disease is also good in cases of good immunity.

CONCLUSION
Rasayan chikitsa is a ancient preventive and immuno-enhancing technique of ancient times. It certain works by improving the agni of the individual, enhancing the quality of the ahar-rasa, Poshakh Ras and Dhatupushti. Adopting this technique, during this infectious pandemic condition, can enhance the disease ighting capacity of the individual as well as can bring good prognosis in the immuno-compromised individuals. These preventive modalities along with a good lifestyle modi ication can surely enhance the health of the individual as well as protect him from other diseases.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Minkashi Urkude and Dr.
Akshay Pargaonkar for their generous support.