REVIEW OF 'NASA HI SHIRASO DVARAM' WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NASYA KARMA IN PRESENT CONTEXT

ABSTRACT

The verse “Nasa hi śiraso dvāram” is a famous Ayurvedic statement that means, “The nose is indeed the gateway to the head.” This principle forms the basis of Nasya Karma, one of the five major Panchakarma therapies. According to Ayurveda, the nose provides direct access to the Sira (head region), which includes the brain, sensory organs, and vital channels located above the clavicle. Therefore, medicines administered through the nasal route can reach and influence these structures more effectively than some other routes of administration. It is really a wonderful way to assess the brain where oral medicaments have restricted entry due to Blood Brain Barrier. When medicated oils, herbal juices, powders, or ghee are instilled into the nostrils during Nasya, they are believed to eliminate accumulated Doshas (especially Kapha) from the head and neck region and nourish and strengthen the organs of the head. Further it improves the functioning of the nose, eyes, ears, throat, and brain and promote mental clarity, memory, and sensory perception. Since the nose is the gateway to the head, medicines administered through it spread throughout the cranial region and help eliminate the morbid Doshas located there. Significance in Nasya is its use for conditions such as Headache, Sinusitis, Allergic rhinitis, Cervical stiffness, Facial paralysis and Certain eye, ear, and throat disorders. Thus, “Nasa hi śiraso dvāram” emphasizes the therapeutic importance of the nasal route in Ayurveda and serves as the fundamental rationale for Nasya therapy.

Key words – Nasa, Nasya, Panchakarma, olfactory nerves, Ayurveda