Ayurlakshaneeyam of Bhela Samhita- Indriya Sthana: An explorative study

Bhela Samhita is one of the prominent treatises of Ayurveda. Indriya Sthana is one among the eight sections of Bhela Samhita and it comprises 12 chapters. Ayurlakshanam Indriyam (ALI) is the first chapter of B Indriya Sthana. Though it consists of various unique concepts, it is modestly explored or unexplored till date. Previous works have explored various clinical conditions present in “Charaka Indriya Sthana”; these have prognostic significance and clinical applicability in the present era also but such types of studies are lacking in “Bhela Samhita-Indriya Sthana.” The current work is aimed at exploring the contents of ALI of “Indriya Sthana.” ALI deals with the estimation of life expectancy and age-specific mortality based on some anthropometric or phenotypic characteristics. Most of the content is unique and not explained in any other Ayurveda classical texts. Various conditions such as craniofacial anomalies/ disorders, multi-malformed infants, infant/ neonatal mortality, synophrys, mental retardation (MR), congenital, chromosomal, genetic syndromes/ conditions, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) conditions, newborn cry-based diagnostic systems (NCDs), spina bifida (SB), hydrocephalus, congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), hypertrichosis, malnutrition, calculation of life expectancy based on various anthropometric indices (e.g., length and breadth of fingers, palms, ears, nose, forehead, and thighs), and phenotypic biomarkers and personality traits that are positively associated with centenarians have been documented in this chapter. Maharshi Bhela has provided techniques that are inexpensive, simple, noninvasive, highly accurate, and suitable for low- or middle-income countries for estimating life expectancy as well as for diagnosing hidden diseases. Though further research is still required to substantiate the claims made in this chapter, the current study paves the path for future research directions.