Langhana

The word ‘langhana’ represents therapeutic fasting, hunger or intentional starving. In broader perspective, it includes the therapies intended for reducing or depleting or lightening the body components. This is one among the six basic treatment protocols in Ayurveda. [Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 22/4] This therapy is applied to reduce any abnormally increased body component and bring it back to normal level to maintain equilibrium. It is indicated in the abnormal accumulation of dosha (pitta/kapha/rakta), any waste product, state of dosha associated with ama, and indigestion. Langhana therapy can be advised with or without any medication. [Chakrapani on Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 22/12-13]

Langhana therapy is highly effective and increasingly popular in management of diseases due to overnutrition. The most popular forms of langhana therapy are fasting (upavasa) and exercise (vyayama). This article deals with various forms of langhana therapy in broader perspectives.

Contributors

Section/Chapter/topic	Chikitsa / Langhana
Authors	Dr.Aneesh E.G., Dr.Sujata Chaudhary, Dr.Yogesh S.Deole
Reviewed and Edited by	Basisht G.
Affiliations	Charak Samhita Research, Training and Development Centre, I.P.G.T.& R.A., Jamnagar
Correspondence email:	carakasamhita@gmail.com
Date of first publication:	April 1, 2021

Contextual and literal meanings

Etymology and derivation

Langhana is derived from the root word ‘langha’ by adding ‘lyut’ suffix to it. It means fasting (upavasa). [Shabdakalpadruma]

Definition

The procedures which produce lightness or reduction in the body components are called ‘langhana’. [Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 22/10]

Synonym and other meaning

Apatarpana (restricted nutrition) is often used as synonymous to langhana. [A.Hr. Sutra Sthana 14/2] The word ‘langhana’ also denotes act of jumping, stepping across, leaping, or mounting. [Cha.Sa.Nidana Sthana 8/11] [Cha.Sa.Vimana Sthana 6/18]

Properties

The lightening therapy can be administered by diet, actions, medicines, procedures having following properties:

• Lightness (laghu): This is the essential property of any eatable substance by which it becomes easily digestible. These are usually low energy dense foods having a low satiety index.
• Hot (ushna): Substances bearing hot potency are suitable for pacifying kapha, vata and undigested biological waste (amadosha).This property stimulates digestion and metabolism.
• Sharpness/ intense (tikshna): With this quality, the therapeutic substances can quickly cross biological barriers and penetrate the subtler body channels to show strong effect.
• Clearing (vishada): This property is applied forremoving the accumulated body waste to cleanse up body channels.
• Dryness(ruksha): By this property, the moisture and unctuousness is absorbed leading to lightness.
• Subtleness (sukshma): This property helps the drugs to reach into the minute body channels.
• Roughness (khara): Roughness promotes movement of obstructed sticky body components to cleanse up channels.
• Unstable/flowing (sara): Sara property improves flow and proper channelization of body waste for excretion.
• Hard (kathina): Substances without water or unctuousness are hard in consistency. These are applied in langhana therapy to reduce fat and moisture components.[Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 22/12-13]