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Vol. XXIII, No. 1
29
Kaiyasi bhavetsvedaḥ kampo bhavati madhyame / Uttame sthānamāpnoti vāyuṁ nibandhayet13 1!
Accordingle some Yogis Destiration or sweat is the result of practicing Prānāyāma. obviously because of the increase of the heat of the body. A: this juncture it is interesting to note that prānāyāma is defined in brief as follows:
Prasveda kampanotthāna janakaśca yathäkramam /
This means perspiration is an unavoidable and inevitable part of prāņāyāma.
Svātmārama, further holds that the perspiration or sweat caused by exertion due to prānāyāma, during prānāyāma, should be smeared or rubbed to the body and by doing so, the body attains strength and lightness :
Jalena śramajātena gātra mardanamācaret / drờhată laghută caiva tena gátrasya jāyatela //
The speciality of this couplet of Svātmárāma, is the importance of perspiration or sweat. Here it serves as the result of prānāyāma in the first stage and then as the effect on the budy when smeared or rubbed all over, giving strength, lightness to the body. This perspi. ration or sweat can be described as having medicinal value Like the oil rubbed to the body before bath, the perspiration is to be rubbed to the body by doing which the body becomes sturdy and hence more active and light. Gorakṣa Sataka too supports this view and states:
Angānām mardanam sastam śrama sanjāta vārināl5
The rubbing of the body with the perspiration given out during cxercise i.e. prānāyāma is advisable. By consulting the Yogic texts only, we will not understand as to how this perspiration or sweat rubbed to the body gives sturdiness and lightness to the body. Therefore to know more about the modus oparendi of Perspiration, we are compelled to consult the medical texts which throw light on the functioning of perspirstion or sweat of the body and the results.
The medical science (alopathic), we are surprised to note, considers the sweat that comes out from the body by any means, is a waste product16 and hence has seldom value like urine and stool.16 But at the same time, it is interesting to know that the urine therapy is still in practice and some of the centres are working to cure and heal the diseases and wounds. But when we consult the texts of Ayurveda Sastra, we come to know that the said Šāstra endorses the
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