Vedic Literature on Health
“व्यायामात् लभते स्वास्थ्यं दीर्घायुष्यं बलं सुखं।
आरोग्यं परमं भाग्यं स्वास्थ्यं सर्वार्थसाधनम्॥”
Translation – Health is the biggest wealth in one’s life. It is the only thing with which all the other things can be achieved in life. With exercise, one can achieve perfect health, happiness, longevity and strength.
“Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayah” -May all be happy, may all be healthy (Sanskrit shloka)
“Suddhah satvikah aaharah, sarvada priyavadi” -Pure and wholesome diet is always pleasant
“Vishavaidya Sarvabhutanam, hari laabhaya sarvada” -The physician of all beings, for the benefit of all
“Arogyam bhaskaraavyasya, sukham iha khalu jeevanasya” -Health is the Sun’s gift, and it is the joy of life.
“Annena sarva bhuteshu, vandhita sukhino bhavantu” -May all beings be happy and healthy with food.
“Satvic annam, shudha aharah” -Pure food, pure diet.
“Ahar shudha, sattva shudhih” -Pure food helps in cleaning the mind (Sanskrit phrase) “Sarvasyah rasasya, virya cha vidya prabhavah” -The food we eat has an effect on our strength, intellect, and vitality.
“Pakvannam hi sudhanyam, madhuram chaiva savoury” -Cooked food is wholesome, and it may be sweet or savoury. “Annam Brahma, bhokta Brahmanaha – Food is God, and the one who eats it is divine
“Vishamitra said: ‘O Rama! The food which satisfies one’s hunger and appeases thirst without causing discomfort or pain, is called healthy food’.” -Valmiki Ramayana.
“When the diet is correct, medicine is of no use. When the diet is incorrect, medicine is of no use.” – Ayurvedic proverb.
“Food is the cause of all living beings, and nourishment is the cause of everything.” – Atharva Veda.
“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” – Charaka Samhita.
“Go organic, go back to the basics”.“Yatha annam tatha manam – What you eat, you become”
“Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayah” – May all beings be happy and healthy.
“Jivana hetu annam, hita hetu jivana” – Food gives life, and life should be lived for the welfare of others.
“Annam na hi visham – Food is not poison”“Shukra dhatu shuddhih, sukham jeevanam” – A pure diet leads to a happy life.
“Hita hridayam, hita jeevanam” – A healthy diet leads to a healthy heart and a healthy life.
prātā ratnaṃ prātaritvā dadhāti English Translation:
An early riser earns good health.
English Translation: May the well-being of all people be protected By the powerful and mighty leaders be with law and justice. May the success be with all divinity and scholars, May all (samastāḥ) the worlds (lokāḥ) become (bhavantu) happy (sukhino).
amṛtatvasya tu nāśāsti vittena।
English translation: Immortality cannot be achieved by wealth.
sarvaṃ paravaśaṃ duḥkhaṃ sarvamātmavaśaṃ sukham। etad vidyāt samāsena lakṣaṇaṃ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ॥ English Translation: Everything that is in other’s control is painful. All that is in self-control is happiness. This is the definition of happiness and pain in short.
English Translation: Uninterrupted practice of discrimination (between real and unreal)is the means to liberation and the cessation of ignorance.
jīveṣu karuṇā cāpi maitrī teṣu vidhīyatām ।
English Translation: Be compassionate & friendly all living beings.
santuṣṭo bhāryayā bhartā bhartrā bhāryā tathaiva ca yasminneva nityaṃ kalyāṇaṃ tatra vai dhruvam ॥
English Translation: In that family, where the husband is pleased with his wife and the wife with her husband,
ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ ।
English Translation: Let noble thoughts come to me from all directions.
English Translation: Not starting tasks is the first characteristic of intelligence. Once started, bringing tasks to completion is the second characteristic of intelligence.
kusuma-sadharmāṇi hi yoṣitaḥ sukumāra-upakramāḥ। tāḥ tu anadhigata-viśvāsaiḥ prasabham upakramyamāṇāḥ saṃprayāga-dveṣiṇyaḥ bhavanti। tasmāt sāmnā eva upacaret॥
English Translation: Women are like flowers; they should be treated very tenderly. No action should be forced unless full faith is instilled in the wife’s heart towards the husband.
English Translation: There is nothing unattainable to the one who has courage and who works hard.
atvarā sarvakāryeṣu tvarā kāryāvināśinī। English Translation: Do not rush in work, haste is a waste of work.
ahiṃsāpratiṣṭhāyāṃ tatsaṃnidhau vairatyāgaḥ।
English Translation: As a Yogi becomes firmly grounded in non-violence (Ahimsa), other people who come near will naturally.
atiroṣaṇaścakṣuṣmānandha eva janaḥ। English Translation: An exceedingly angry person is blind even when possessing eyes.
English Translation: Excess is the cause of the ruin. Hence one should avoid it in any case.
yathā hyalpena yatnena cchidyate taruṇastaruḥ। sa evā’tipravṛdhdastu cchidyate’tiprayatnataḥ॥ evameva vikāro’pi taruṇaḥ sādhyate sukham। vivṛdhdaḥ sādhyate kṛchrādasādhyo vā’pi jāyate॥
English Translation: Just as a tender plant is easy to cut down, the same requires much more effort when fully grown. Likewise, any disease is manageable in the early stage; it becomes almost incurable when it grows.
English Translation: One should not regret what is past. One should only think of the present and future.
yathā cittaṃ tathā vāco yathā vācastathā kriyā । citte vāci kriyāyāṃ ca sādhūnāmekarūpatā ॥
English Translation: As is the mind, so is the speech; as is the speech so is the action. Of the good people there is uniformity in mind, speech and action.
sarve bhavantu sukhinaH , sarve santu nirAmayAH ,sarve bhadrANi pashyantu , mA kashchid_duHkha-bhAg-bhavet.
All should/must be happy, be healthy, see good;may no one have a sorrow in heart
