Abstract

Inderjit Kaur*

ABSTRACT

In Ayurveda pulse and body constitution diagnosis have a long historical value. Feeling the pulse is the precious art of Ayurveda. In traditional Pulse Diagnosis (nadi pariksha) three fingers (index, middle, and ring fingers) are placed just below the wrist on the radial artery to observe and understand aspects of the pulse. It is commonly known as Pulse diagnosis. The pulse communicates more than what we can feel. Energy flowing through the various channels (nadis) carries information about the health of the organs connected to them. Inside every human being there is a network of nerves and sensory organs that interprets the physiology of the physical and psychological. I have been diagnosing my patients with this pulse reading since 1995. I was surprised when we were instructed to feel the pulse of a woman from her left hand radial artery and of a man from his right hand radial artery. The anatomy of the male and female body is same as location of heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys etc. except for reproductive organs. The physiology of every system of the body is same in the man and woman, the difference is only of the sex hormones secreted by men and women and their functions. Then what causes the difference in the whole pulse, that we should feel it in left hand of a female? In other Vedic sciences like Palm reading, I have experienced that the left hand of the woman is observed. In Charak Samhita?s “Sharir sthan” it is mentioned that woman should enter the bed with her left foot for Garbhadhaan Sanskar (for conceiving a baby) . After wedding ceremony the bride is advised to come to left side of the groom and while entering her new house she is advised to enter with her left foot first. So if so much importance is given to left part of the body of a female, there should be strong reason behind that. I was always curious to find the answer to this left and right hand pulse theory and with passage of time and experience I was able to find out the reasons behind it. This article of mine is an effort to create awareness among coming generations about the very basic step of pulse diagnosis that why we feel the pulse of woman in her left hand and of men on right hand radial artery.