• A brief on the founder of Siddha Medicine Maharishi Agasthya. What are its important and Philosophical Foundation? Why Siddha Medicine is not so known and Similarities of the Siddha and Ayurveda.

An earlier article gave Introduction to Siddha Medicine Dr M B Athreya wrote, “Agastya Muni is considered to be the bridge between North and South India.” 

Abstract - Both Ayurveda and Siddha systems sprang from the same source. Yet, while Ayurveda enjoys widespread following across India and global recognition, the Siddha system remains largely confined to Tamil Nadu. This is despite the fact that Siddha was a fully evolved science nearly a thousand years before Ayurveda took its final form. Reflections on this reveal many fascinating aspects—most importantly, the role of Maharishi Agasthya

In his overview “Health Sciences in the Ancient Indian Texts, with Special Reference to the Atharvaveda Saṁhitā,” Dr. Amborish Adhyapok writes:

“Though the system of Indian medicine and its success have been mostly attributed to the credit of Bṛhat Trayī, a thorough study tells us that it is the Vedic texts which are the repository of the original idea of the health system, where Atharvaveda Saṁhitā plays a pivotal role.”

This same foundational idea reverberates throughout the Siddha system, pointing to the shared origin of both traditions.

The Bṛhat Trayī refers to the Sanskrit trilogy—Caraka Saṁhitā, Suśruta Saṃhitā, and Aṣtāṁgahṛdaya Saṁhitā—regarded as the great repositories of Indian medical knowledge that evolved into what we know today as Ayurveda.

In contrast, Maharishi Agasthya compiled, codified, and preserved the Siddha knowledge of health and life sciences, transmitting it orally through the Guru–Shishya Parampara (teacher–disciple tradition). It was initially taught through songs, cryptic verses, and mystical symbols.

The Polymathic Civilizer

Agasthya Muni, chief among the 18 Siddhars (perfected beings or enlightened masters), is revered as the first and foremost Siddhar—the originator of Siddha System. The Siddhars deliberately used Tamil poetic meters and coded language so that only the spiritually initiated could grasp their inner meanings.

Interestingly, among the 18 Siddhars we find figures such as Baba Gorakhnath, Sage Patanjali, Dhanvantari, Bogar, and Tirumoolar—reinforcing the deep Vedic connection and the universality of human consciousness.

Between the 3rd century BCE and 10th century CE, Siddha teachings were recorded on palm leaves in ancient Tamil, becoming the chief means of preservation. While the Bṛhat Trayī was being compiled in the North, the Siddha tradition was simultaneously being formalized in the South.

Important texts include Agasthya Vaidhya Ratnavali, Agasthiyar Gunapadam, Bogar 7000 (Bogar Saptha Kandam), Thirumandiram, Theraiyar Thirattu, Theran Karisal, Yugi Vaithya Chinthamani, and Siddha Maruthuvam. Many of these employ symbolic imagery—for instance: “The body is the temple, and the breath its lamp,” illustrating the deep connection between physiology and spirituality.

Sage Agasthya: The Bridge of Civilizations

Several mythological and symbolic legends surround Sage Agasthya or Agathiyar (in Tamil)—literally, “one who has digested or subdued the mountain” (Aga or mountain, Stha or one who stands or subdues). Symbolically, this implies he “digested” the vast knowledge of the universe.

He is mentioned in the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Ramayana, Mahabharata and described as a seer of hymns who brought Vedic knowledge to South India. His stature often appears alongside—and sometimes even above—the Saptarishis. The Rigveda (1.165–1.191) attributes hymns to Agasthya that express profound cosmological and spiritual insight.

A revered figure in both spiritual and medical traditions—especially within the South yogic lineage—Agasthya is seen as the golden bridge between the northern and southern streams of thought. He harmonized yogic, alchemical, medical, and spiritual wisdom into a single holistic philosophy.

Agasthya is believed to have systematized Tamil grammar, medicine, alchemy (Rasavāda), yoga, and tantric sciences. He developed Rasavāda, the science of transforming base metals and purifying the body to attain Kayakalpa—rejuvenation and longevity beyond the ordinary human span.

His numerous writings describe metallic preparations, calcination, and mercury purification, paralleling early forms of chemistry and metallurgy. Remarkably, he also proposed the concept of atomism—the idea that matter is composed of infinitesimal particles—centuries before modern science.

Agasthya Muni was not merely a sage; he was a polymathic civilizer—a scientist, healer, linguist, yogi, and mystic whose vision harmonized body, breath, and consciousness into one continuum. He viewed the human body as a microcosm of the universe, composed of the same five elements (Panchabhuta). His integration of medicine, alchemy, yoga, and philosophy stands as one continuous science of transformation.

Philosophical Foundation: The 96 Tattvas

One of Agasthya’s greatest contributions was mapping human existence. 

He mapped this into 96 Tattvas (principles or building blocks). According to him, the human being is a microcosm of the macrocosm—everything that exists in the universe exists within us. These Tattvas represent the subtle layers of existence, from the physical body to pure consciousness. Tattva means “that-ness” or “principle of reality.” Agasthya declared: “The universe is within you. If you master your 96 Tattvas, you master the cosmos itself.”

Health, he taught, is the harmonious functioning of these Tattvas—physical, mental, and spiritual. Disease arises when this harmony is disturbed by improper diet, lifestyle, emotions, or loss of self-awareness. 

“Perfect health is not the silence of disease, but the song of harmony among body, mind, and soul,” he put it beautifully, emphasizing that disease originates in the mind, disturbs the pranic flow, and finally manifests in the body. Therefore, healing must begin at the subtle (mental and pranic) level.

The following verses describe the essence of his teachings:

“The human body is the temple of God.

The breath is the key to divinity.

The mind is the doorway to immortality.” - Agasthiyar Gnana Sutram

“When breath moves, mind moves.

When breath is still, mind is still.

The still mind reveals the immortal within.” - Agathiyar Vasi Yoga Sutram

The Siddha Way: Why It Remained Hidden

Given its completeness and shared origins with Ayurveda, one wonders why the Siddha system remained relatively unknown. Several factors explain this:

1. Language and Accessibility

Siddha literature was composed in classical Tamil, limiting its reach. The Siddhars used cryptic poetic Tamil to conceal esoteric knowledge, accessible only to initiates. Ayurveda, by contrast, was written in Sanskrit—the pan-Indian language of scholarship—enabling its transmission across India and beyond.

When colonial and modern scholars translated Indian texts into European languages, they naturally focused on Sanskrit sources, leaving Tamil manuscripts largely untouched.

2. Royal and Institutional Patronage

Ayurveda enjoyed strong royal and institutional patronage through successive empires, Buddhist and Jain monasteries, and universities like Nalanda and Takshashila. Colonial institutions later preserved and systematized Ayurvedic knowledge. Siddha, meanwhile, remained in the hands of village vaidyars and ascetic yogis who maintained oral and palm-leaf traditions.

3. Colonial Influence and Modernization

During British rule, the colonial medical establishment selectively engaged with indigenous systems. Ayurveda, already structured and codified, was easier to study and incorporate into medical curricula. Siddha, being esoteric and regionally bound was officially recognized as a distinct medical system only in the 1950s.

4. Cultural and Philosophical Orientation

Siddha medicine integrates alchemy (Rasavāda), yoga, and spiritual transformation, aiming for Siddhi (perfection) and even immortality. Its ultimate goal transcends physical health—it seeks liberation through mastery of matter and consciousness.

Ayurveda, while also rooted in spirituality, evolved into a more structured medical science focused on diagnosis and therapy—making it more adaptable to modern healthcare and research frameworks.

Conclusion

Ayurveda became global not because it was inherently superior but because it benefited from linguistic accessibility, institutional continuity, and early modernization. Siddha, by contrast, remained veiled in the sacred symbolism of the Tamil Siddhars, preserving its profound synthesis of science and spirituality.

Thus, while Ayurveda evolved into a medical system with a curative approach, Siddha endures as a health system—a holistic discipline uniting physiology and spirituality. Sage Agasthya and the Siddhars ensured this timeless legacy.

Similarities of the Siddha and Ayurveda systems

Format is Aspect, how in Siddha (SID) and Ayurveda (AYU).

1. Concept of Body Composition

SID - 5 elements (Panchabhuta)

AYU - 5 elements (Panchabhuta)

2. Vital Forces

SID - 3 humours (Vatham, Pittam, Kapham)

AYU - 3 doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha).

3. Holistic view

SID - Integration of body, mind, and spirit

AYU – Integration of body, mind and soul. 

4. Concept of Life Force

SID - Uyir Thathukkal (Vital Life Principles).

AYU – Prana (Life Energy).

5. Aim of Treatment

SID - To maintain balance of humours and attain longevity and spiritual liberation (Mukti).

AYU - To maintain dosha balance, promote health and longevity.

6. Concept of Disease

SID - Imbalance in Mukkuttram.

AYU – Imbalance in Tridosha. 

7. Diagnosis Methods

SID - Examination of urine, tongue, skin, voice, eyes, Naadi Pariksha, observation of prakriti and symptoms.

AYU - Dashavidha Pariksha (tenfold examination), Nadi Pariksha, observation of prakriti and symptoms.

8. Types of Treatment

SID - Herbal, mineral, and alchemical medicines (Rasa Siddha), diet regulation (Pathiyam), yoga, Varmam (energy points), Kayakalpa (rejuvenation therapy).

AYU - Herbal and mineral preparations, Panchakarma (detoxification), diet (Ahara), lifestyle (Vihara), Rasayana and Vajikarana therapy.

9. Materia Medica

SID - Herbs, metals, minerals, salts, animal products; high use of mercury and sulphur.

AYU - Primarily herbs, some minerals and animal products; controlled use of metals.

10. Emphasis on Metals / Akchemy

SID - Very strong - Rasa Siddha tradition (alchemical transformations, mercury processing).

AYU - Present but secondary - Rasa Shastra.

11. Rejuvenation Concept

SID - Kayakalpa – transformation of body cells and reversal of aging. 

AYU - Rasayana – rejuvenation and longevity therapy. 

12. Philosophical Goal

SID - Health for self-realization and spiritual evolution (Mukti).

AYU - Balance for health, harmony, and Dharma–Artha–Kama–Moksha

13. Lifestyle Guidance.

SID - Seasonal and dietary regimen (Pathiyam), ethical conduct (Aram), Varmam practice.

AYU - Daily routine (Dinacharya), seasonal regimen (Ritucharya), moral conduct.

14. View of Mind Body Connection

SID - Mind and consciousness integral to health; disturbance affects humours.

AYU - Mind–body interlinked through Manas Doshas (Rajas, Tamas, Sattva). 

Anuradha Vashisht is a natural health educationist who has been promoting preventive health care through her Health Nectar initiative for over two decades. She guides individuals to restore and enhance their well-being naturally—through the adoption of holistic health concepts, mindful nutrition, and lifestyle transformation. Anuradha is trained under Acharya Seshadri Swaminathan, the foremost and most devoted disciple of Acharya Lakshmana Sarma, revered as the Father of Nature Cure in India.  Her id reach.healthnectar@gmail.com.

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References and Reading

1. Natarajan, V. History of Siddha Medicine. Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy, Chennai, 1994.

2. Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. Official Publications on Siddha and Ayurveda Systems (2020–2024).

3. Adhyapok, A. “Health Sciences in the Ancient Indian Texts with Special Reference to the Atharvaveda Saṁhitā: An Overview.” International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S3), 4988–4992 (2022).

4. Wujastyk, Dagmar & Smith, Frederick M. (Eds.) Modern and Global Ayurveda: Pluralism and Paradigms. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2008.

5. National Institute of Siddha (NIS), Chennai. Publications and archives, including materials on Agathiyar Gunavagadam.

6. Infinity Foundation. “Siddha Medicine: Its Basic Concepts.” Overview of Rasasastra and Siddha practices.

7. Oxford University Press. Recipes for Immortality: Medicine, Religion, and Community in South India. Scholarly chapters on Siddha rejuvenation and Agasthya traditions.

8. PubMed Central (PMC). “Concepts of Body Constitution in Traditional Siddha Texts.” (2019).

9. National Institute of Siddha (NIS). General publications and official materials.

10. Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Siddha Medicine.” 

To read all articles on Ayurveda

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1. The Great Agastya Siddha and his Places of Power