Preface
"Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoh"
अमृतविन्दु उपनिषत्-6
"As the mind, so the individual; bondage or liberation are in the mind." Thus, the truth of entire experience of life is determined by the condition of our mind-Bhagavad Gita, a famous book of psychotherapy and psychological counselling, accepted even by the western intellectuals.
According to Bhagavad Gita, the tendency of the mind is as follows: "For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy." Such an analysis about the mind is used as a sharp weapon in both materialistic and spiritual endeavours. Reshaping the power of will of conquering dualities, being impartial, of rising to great heights by controlling lust, anger, and greed, and having the occult knowledge of that which is not the body but soul, and experiencing the eternal existence and omnipresence are few in depth concepts of psychology explained in Bhagavad Gita. A critical analysis of gunas (modalities), indriyas (senses), buddhi (intelligence), and managing these powerful factors is the essence of Bhagavad Gita.
Marine archaeology, which has proved the existence of the Dwarka and its submergence in the 2nd millennium B.C. referred to in the Mahabharata, Harivamsa, Matsya and Vayu Puranas, is a fact and not fiction shows Bhagavad Gita time period to same (1500-2000 В.С).
Much before that, the Gayatri mantra was composed by Maharshi Viswamitra during Ramayana Kala as- "Tat savitur varen(i)yam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat". It instructs the people to meditate for inspiring the intellect, a faculty of the spirit inside the body, higher towards virtuous aims of life.
The Vedas discussed many aspects of psychology and defined it as 'the means by which, or in which all persons know, acquire mastery' over the Vid-jnane (to perceive) an exclusive concept of psychology. The Vedas also have a hymn to offer to Virat Purusha, "chandrama manaso jaayata" which describes that the Moon has derived from manas of Virat Purusha; it dates back to 10,000 years ago, when Manu lived in ashramas at the banks of the Sarasvati river in Brahmavarta, the ancient home-base of the Aryans.
Ayurveda follows a Samkhya-Vedantic view of psychology in which the mind is just an instrument of consciousness, the real Self, Atman or Purusha. Ayurvedic psychology doesn't end in the mind (manas) but explains four factors-the intellect (buddhi), repository of old imprints (chitta), and factor of I (ahamkara) and the psyche (manas). Sarira sthanas of all samhitas have described in detail about ekadasa indriyas (sensory and motor faculties under monitoring of psyche and consciousness), perception, the four internal factors, sleep, dream, memory, etc. with their practical, medical utility.
Like tridoshas, trigunas were explained not only for the assessment of healthy and unhealthy conditions but also in creating innate psychological trait (manasa prakritis). Thus, directing the psychological condition of parents in a good way imparts an integrated psyche to the offsprings.
The psyche being the connecting link between the soul and physical body, regulates the bodily activities. This view is different from most other schools of thought in which mind and consciousness are usually identified or regarded as the same.
Ayurveda is basically a psychological system as much as it is a physical system of medicine. The mano-doshas are equally important as sharira doshas in producing both psychological and physical disorders.
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