Gems or precious stones are called so because they provide the mind with a feeling of heavenly happiness owing to their beauty and a particular effect, which they bestow over our life and health. As in the Indian jyotish shastra or astrology, it is believed that the rays that come after passing through these gems have a calming effect on the sun, graha’s, etc.
According to Ayurveda, nine gems—or the navratanas—find their importance as they particularly affect the mind and enhance the mental powers of an individual.
Mainly the gems have been used since ages therapeutically for strengthening the heart and the brain as a general body tonic and to increase the vitality and vigor.
Navratanas or the 9 Healing Gems
Manakya: This is the ruby. This gem is the colour of a red lotus and it shines like the seeds of pomegranate. Chemically, it is a combination of aluminum and oxygen. It has been used in Ayurveda therapy as a heart tonic, to increase the memory, and also as an aphrodisiac. Some Ayurvedic preparations of this gem are also used in the treatment of brain diseases like epilepsy, depressive psychosis, and anxiety.- Mukta: This is popularly known as the pearl. This gem is white in colour and shiny, and is procured from the oyster in the sea or the ocean. This contains the finest form of calcium. Mukta or moti ratna is believed to create a balance between the aggravated body humors or doshas viz. vatta, pitta, and kapha. Mukta is cold in action and is believed to be favourable for the eyesight. Its anti-toxic properties help to lower the undue increase in body heat. This gem is particularly useful in disorders like insomnia, mental fatigue, palpitations, and persistent fevers of mixed origin.
- Praval: This is the red coral bead. This gem is also formed at the base of the sea by a specific type of worm called Anthazoan Polyps. It is reddish in colour—like the colour of a rose flower—round and shiny. Praval is used in a number of diseases like vomiting, asthma, and diseases of the heart and the brain. It also contains some anti-toxic properties which are useful in curing fevers (both chronic and acute).
- Panna: This is the emerald, a green coloured, transparent and shiny gem stone. It has proved useful in vomiting, fever, piles, anemia, poisoning of the body system, and also in liver disorders.
- Pukhraja: Pukhraja or the topaz is a gem of cream, white, or light yellow colour, and is square-shaped and slightly transparent. In therapeutic doses, it has been used in skin related ailments, digestive problems, and in the diseases of blood oozing from body in piles and nosebleeds.
Heera: This is the diamond gem which contains pure carbon and is white and transparent, exceedingly shiny, and appears in hexagonal or octagonal shaped stones. As Ayurveda medicine, the refined ash produced from this gem is recommended to be taken in dosage of 3 to 8 milligrams under medical supervision. Diamond is immensely precious and beautiful, and is known to be the hardest stone on the earth. The pure gem reflects the rays of rainbow colours. In Ayurveda, the heera is further believed to be differentiated into male and female types and is so found suitable for the particular sex. When taken with milk, honey, or butter, the gem acts as an aphrodisiac and provides energy. It is regarded as an excellent rasayana: it enhances the properties of the ingredients with which it is taken. It is used in a number of ailments due to its properties of subsiding all the aggravated doshas in the body. Furthermore, this gem is believed to act like amrit or nectar, as it provides satiety and also cures chronic ailments.- Neelam: This gem is the sapphire which is formed from aluminum and oxygen, and is a blue colored, shiny, transparent, and clear stone. This gem is hot in action, and therefore finds its use in reviving the gastric fire in the disorder of anorexia. It is also useful in the diseases of the brain like depression, epilepsy, and mental strain. It is believed to provide happiness and satisfaction to the heart and increase the powers of the brain.
- Gomed: This is the cinnamon stone, or agate. As the name suggests, “go” means cow and “med” means fat. The colour of this gem resembles the fat of the cow and thus its name. This stone of light yellow colour is used more in skin related ailments, as well as to enhance one’s complexion.
- Vaidurya: This is cat’s eye. As the name suggests, this stone is bluish in colour with a central streak of white colour, just like the eye of the cat. This gem finds its use in Ayurveda therapy for treating ailments of the heart, brain, and body tissues. Also, this is believed to provide stamina and is recommended in ailments like anemia and loss of hunger.
Manakya: This is the ruby. This gem is the colour of a red lotus and it shines like the seeds of pomegranate. Chemically, it is a combination of aluminum and oxygen. It has been used in Ayurveda therapy as a heart tonic, to increase the memory, and also as an aphrodisiac. Some Ayurvedic preparations of this gem are also used in the treatment of brain diseases like epilepsy, depressive psychosis, and anxiety.
Heera: This is the diamond gem which contains pure carbon and is white and transparent, exceedingly shiny, and appears in hexagonal or octagonal shaped stones. As Ayurveda medicine, the refined ash produced from this gem is recommended to be taken in dosage of 3 to 8 milligrams under medical supervision. Diamond is immensely precious and beautiful, and is known to be the hardest stone on the earth. The pure gem reflects the rays of rainbow colours. In Ayurveda, the heera is further believed to be differentiated into male and female types and is so found suitable for the particular sex. When taken with milk, honey, or butter, the gem acts as an aphrodisiac and provides energy. It is regarded as an excellent rasayana: it enhances the properties of the ingredients with which it is taken. It is used in a number of ailments due to its properties of subsiding all the aggravated doshas in the body. Furthermore, this gem is believed to act like amrit or nectar, as it provides satiety and also cures chronic ailments.Other than these nine ratanas, there are nine up-ratanas used for therapeutic purposes during unavailability of these ratanas. They are comparatively less beautiful, less expensive, and also less effective.
Health Benefits of Ayurveda Gem Therapy
According to Ayurveda therapy, gems or the precious stones provide the virtues of health, beauty, as well as energy to the body. Not only this, gems are recommended in Ayurveda therapy so as to do away with a number of body and mind related maladies.
Precautions in Ayurveda Gem Therapy
It has been specified in Ayurveda texts that these gems can provide fruitful rewards only if they are pure. This is because the right choice of the gem is sure to provide you with the right effect.
Five of the main impurities are listed below :
- There should not be an opacity or a dirty (unclear) spot in any part of the ratana.
- It should not contain small marked dots of different colours.
- No other colour should interfere in the natural colour of the gem.
- The gem should be free from thread like lines.
- Sometimes the stone in its middle part might contain a bubble of water or air. It is again considered as an impurity.
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