Review on Langhana Karma Mention in Charaka Samhita

Introduction

Charaka Samhita is the purist and oldest text related to the general medicine in Ayurveda medical system. The content of the text is more specific and informative in particular point of view having multiple dimensions. In accordance to critical view, it bares three perspectives in explaining same fact as normal meaning of the word itself, subjective meaning and philosophical or conceptual meaning. The phonetic meaning of the Langhana related to derived root of laṅgha that bares one of the meanings of motion (gati) or stretching out (Abhyankar, 2012 ). The subjective meaning of the langhana is the procedures or a substance which create lightness in the body Ca.Su.22.9. The prominent role of the Langhana is one of the therapeutic measures that was mentioned by the Charakachrya which Brimhana, (nourishing), Rukshana (drying) Snehana (oleation), Swedana (sudation) and Stambhana (styptic) are the rest Ca.Su.22.4 (Dash, 2021 reprint ). In Ayurveda system there are similar meaning words for langhana: Anasana, apatarpaṇa, laghubhojana and upavasa and laṅghana as upavasa is found in another Samhita. There are number of references has found related to the word Langhana in Charaka Samhitha. Fifty-seven (57) and forty- one (41) references found in original (mula) and commentary (vayakya) respectively. On the basis of these reference langahana mostly refers to intermittent fasting. REERENCES: 1.Abhyankar, M. K. (2012 ). A Dictionary of Sanskrit Grammar,. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2FADictionaryOf SanskritGrammarByMahamahopadhyayaKashinathVasudevAbhyankar. 2. Dash, R. K. (2021 reprint ). Caraka Samhita (text with English Translation & Critical Exposition based on Cakraphani Datta's Ayurveda Dipika. Varanasi : Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office. 3. Martin K, J. C. (2016). Ketogenic diet and other dietary treatments for epilepsy. ,. PubMed: 26859528. 4. Raffaghello, L. (2008). Starvation-dependent differential stress resistance protects normal but not cancer cells against high-dose chemotherapy. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., 8215-8220. 5. Urbain, P. (2017). Impact of a 6-week non-energy-restricted ketogenic diet on physical fitness, body composition and biochemical parameters in healthy adults. Nutr. Metab. (Lond.), 14-17. 6. Zhangyuting. (2023). Intermittent fasting and immunomodulatory effects: A systematic review. Frontiers, 1-12.