I once wrote an Ayurvedic Diary for Dabur. I don’t remember whether I was paid for it. In those days, in Delhi, very few people were paying me. Partly it was the quality of work, and partly it was the quality of the city. “Why should we pay you,” they often said, “Can you afford a lawyer?”
I’ve learnt over the years that the really small sums and the really large sums are above the process of law. It’s the ones in between where legal assistance can be helpful. I got into the job to recover earlier losses. Originally, I was writing a history of Dabur, something that all business houses beyond a certain age seem to need. Initially, it went well. I met Mr GC Burman, who was very sweet, and patiently answered all my questions. Then I went to meet Mr VC Burman, his brother, and a key architect of the company, accompanied by a senior manager from Dabur.
I am not naming him because he is even more senior now. The manager made me wait outside. He came out after a while, looking sheepish. “You can tell me,” I said, gently. “I went in and told him one gentleman has come who’s writing a history of the company, and he would like to ask you some questions,” he said. “But he said he doesn’t remember anything.” Although some time was wasted, it was worth it. I learnt that day that memory loss is a fabulous technique for preventing wastage of time.
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When they asked me, soon after, to write an Ayurvedic Diary, I agreed immediately. I was hoping to get some returns on the time I had invested so far. I knew nothing about Ayurveda but I was confident. I had scored 84 in Sanskrit in my school finals. My knowledge of Hindi was also quite good, although fluent Hindi speakers often interrupt me mid-sentence, begging me to speak in English. They must find the beauty of my language too much to bear. Ayurveda proved to be very interesting. Apparently, there are these circles inside us, and each has to be kept in good health. A wide combination of roots, berries, minerals and lichen can help us to achieve this.
Their benefits are many and varied. Shilajit puts lead in your pencil. Shrigopal Tail, which includes Ashwagandha and Shatavari, achieves the same result, but it has to be applied manually. Restora helps you fight exhaustion, as well as urinary infections, cardiovascular diseases and oxidative stress. A lot of this is highly scientific. For example, Restora achieves so much by containing anthocyanins and flavonol, and because of its anti-bacterial and free radical-scavenging properties. I personally give more credit to the fact that it contains 7-11% alcohol, and is available at any medicine shop long after the liquor vends have shut.
But that’s just me. I also enjoyed the philosophy a lot. Ayurveda is as much about the mind as the body. For example, medoroga, or obesity, is attributed to lack of affection. The person lacking affection feels the need to eat more, so that he or she is surrounded by fat, which feels like they’re being embraced. It’s a lovely theory, and probably true. So next time you feel a craving for French fries, try to get someone to give you a hug. It’s free, and you’ll feel much healthier.
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Shovon Chowdhury’s most recent novel, Murder With Bengali Characteristics , was written with the help of Chyawanprash