AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ABOUT AROHANA ANUVASANA BASTI MATRA FROM CLASSICS: A REVIEW

Panchakarma is a unique treatment modality with five specially designed procedures, vamana, virechana, asthapana vasti, anuvasana vasti and nasya where the body is purified internally through the nearest possible pathway. Out of these shodhana therapies, vasti is the most important constituent of panchakarma due to its multidimensional properties. The administration of either medicated oil (anuvasana) or herbal decoction (niruha) through the anal route with the help of vastiyanthra is generally termed vasti karma. Anuvasana vasti mainly contains sneha (unctuous substances) and does not produce any side effects. It can be done daily after taking food, hence the name anuvasana. According to Sushruta and Kashyapa, anuvasana is classified into three types, sneha vasti, anuvasana vasti and matra vasti based on the sneha matra used. It is indicated when Kapha and Pitta dosha are diminished when there is Vata prakopa and the pathology is localized in the pelvic region associated with malabandha. Arohana matra of anuvasana vasti mentioned in classics is studied in detail here.