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SIDDHA – Legacy of Ancient Sages (Article from Heritage Healing, August 2001 by Dr T Thirunarayanan and Dr J David Sathyakumar) Any medical system is an evolution and not an overnight invention. The traditional system of the Tamils, called the Siddha is one such that seems to have existed since the beginning of time. The earliest practice of this system can be graced to the Dravidians, the oldest, native race in India. It aimed at perfect physical, psychological and spiritual health of the human being. The excavations of the Indus valley civilization, renamed as the Harappan civilization, also support the antiquity of the Dravidians, and their practice of medicine. Many instruments found in south India were believed to be of the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. The horns of deer antelopes, corals and leaves of neem, were used as medicines. The worship of the male God Shiva and the female Goddess Uma is of Dravidian cult and not of the Aryans, who were worshippers of Brahma. According to some researchers, Ayurveda, considered an upaveda of Atharvaveda, is itself a non – Aryan veda, and it is probable that during the later stages of vedic period, it might have incorporated the practices of the Dravidians into it. Dhanvantri, the creator of Ayurveda is also listed among the Siddhars and a few books written by him are in Tamil. Among the several groups of Tamils of the ancient time, Siddhars were highly spiritual people with extra sensory perception and powers of transmutation. They believed to have gained awareness of all the natural objects and of all times – past, present. The Siddha medicine practiced by them, is said to have originated from Shiva, which is known from the following poem from Yugi Chintamani-800,
“Thus revealed Sadashivam to Devi The Goddess passed it onto Nandi Nandi exposed it to Dhanvantri Dhanvantri thought it to Ashwini Agasthiya received the knowledge from him To be passed on to Pulathiyar Pulathiyar conveyed it to Theraiyar” Though there were thousands of Siddhars, the most prominent among them were 18 Siddhars, though their names contained and their period is still a controversy. Apart from them, Navanadha Siddhars and Navakodi Siddhars were also prominent. The father of Tamil medicine and literature, however, is Agasthiya, who is said to have come to the southern tip to create a balance between the north and the south. According to the science of Siddhars. The first sound “AUM” (Pranava Mantra) originated from the creator, identified itself with the space or ether. From this ether, air came into existence, which in turn created the fire. Water was created when the fire melted and cooled down. The residue formed the earth matter. These five elements, which are in a subtle state (Sukuma Nilai) manifest into a gross state (Sthula Nilai) and become visible. The manifestation of these five elements from the subtle state to the gross state is called as “Pancheekarana”. The matters get attributed with the property of the element that is predominant in it. For example, the “Sthula Panchabootha” of earth consists of one half of earth and oneeighth of each of the rest. The human body is a small world in itself. Thus, bone, flesh, nerves, skin and hair are made of earth. Blood, semen, secretion and sweat are made from water.