Varman Model

By Dr. Mark Phillips
posted by Ganesh

The Dravidian varman model

The Ayurvedic use of the word marman (acupoint) is synonymous with the word varman in South India. Dravidia refers to the regions of South India and includes the spoken languages of Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, and Tulu. There are three subgroups within the Dravidian linguistic family: North Dravidian, Central Dravidian, and South Dravidian, matching for the most part the corresponding regions in the Indian subcontinent.

Dravidian medicine includes much of Ayurvedic theory, but also recognises distinct varman therapeutics. Dravidian practitioners have identified two main groups of varman, supported by classical Dravidian texts on Siddha medicine and varman techniques. This grouping of varman is not found in Ayurvedic theory, although both systems philosophically agree upon a common source of varman.

The two groups of Dravidian varman are:

1. padu varman, and
2. thodu varman.

According to Dravidian theory, these two groups are believed to incorporate the entire nervous system of the human body. “Padu and thodu varman allows the intangible signs of life (such as the mind, desires and intellect) to manifest within the life-centres of the body, and to express action in the world” (Nair, interview, 17/9/98).

Dravidian varman theories

The Dravidian Siddha theory concerning the 12 padu varman and their relationship to the 96 thodu varman demonstrates an important addition to the theories commonly held by Ayurvedic practitioners. This information is significant to Ayurvedic theory when attempting to understand the relationship between groups of marman and their theoretical role in maintaining balance in the human body. The importance of Dravidian varman theories is further highlighted by the opinion of scholars who hold that the Dravidian text Odivu Murivu Sara Suthram by the sage Agastya is likely to predate the records of the Ayurvedic author Susruta.

The Dravidian text Odivu Murivu Sara Suthram holds that the three kalai (primal influences of kundalini – Ida, Pingala and Sushumna) support the 108 varman as three groups of four padu varman and 12 groups of eight thodu varman (see table 1).

According to Dravidian practitioners, the 12 padu are considered to be very important, and of these, three varman are believed to be the most important. They are identified in Sanskrit as basti, hridaya and sthapani marman and are believed to be the three “root” marman associated with the “tripod of life”(See fig.1 left)

Chinese acupuncture similarities to Ayurvedic and Dravidian theories of varman

1. The three marman – basti, hridaya and sthapani – correlate with the Chinese points on Ren and Du mai. These points are guanyuan (Ren4), shangzhong (Ren17) and yintang (Du24.5) respectively (see Figure 1 right). These three points are important energy centres in Chinese theory. They are significant in Daoist health exercises, as well as Chinese martial arts and alchemy, and play an important role in Chinese acupuncture.
2. There appear to be similarities between the Dravidian concept of the three primary channels “supporting the 12 padu channels” and the Chinese idea of the three primary (ancestral) channels of Ren mai, Chong mai and Du mai, “giving rise to the 12 channels of the body”:Chong mai and Ren mai originate from the inside of the uterus, a branch rises up in front of the spine, making the ocean of the twelve meridians (Huang Di Neijing Lingshu, Chapter 65, quoted by Matsumoto and Birch, 1986, p 31).

The Chinese believe that the three channels of Chong mai, Ren mai and Du mai originate from an ancestral (prenatal) source and are interrelated:

This is why we can say the Du mai, Ren mai and Chong mai have different names but are all the same (Wang Bing; quoted from the Nei Jing Jie Po Sheng Li Xue; Matsumoto and Birch, 1986, p 17).

Similarly, the Dravidian view of the 12 padu varman is that they are manifested from the three energies (kalai) (see Table 1), which are believed to have a single origin – universal prana. An apparent correlation between the two systems of Chinese and Indian theory regarding the origin of the channels is presented (see Table 2) and their location on the human body with a comparison to Chinese acupoints (see Table 3).

Kundalini

Practitioners from the state of Tamil Nadu and Kerala believe that the “life centres” (chakras) were the key to understanding the varman effect. These “life centres” are also recognised in Ayurveda but they are mainly used by those practitioners of yoga who develop the kundalini, the essential energy which is said to flow through the region of the spine in the human body. It is believed by Ayurvedic and Dravidian practitioners that the three major energy channels (kalai) which constitute the kundalini, commonly known as the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna, form the main nerve centres (chakras) in the body and are the intermediaries of marman effects. The Sushumna is said to flow up the spine and the Ida and Pingala alternate sides between the chakras, represented by the early Vedic symbol shown in Figure 2.

Dravidian practitioners often refer to the theory of a central energy source in the human body. In this theory, the seven major nerve centres (chakras), which act as a plexus for the three primary nerve channels of the kundalini, make possible the effects of the varman. The network of varman is believed to exist because of an indirect connection to the source of the kundalini and its associated chakras. This connection is brought about through a hierarchy of varman which can be summarised in two primary groups, the padu and thodu varman (Nair, interview, 19/9/98). Each of the 12 padu varman collects impulses from, and distributes to, eight thodu varman. In line with Ayurveda, a total of 108 varman may also be found in the Dravidian system, although Dravidian medicine observes many additional varman.

According to Manickavasagam (1993), the Tamil text Odivu Murivu Sara Suthram lists each of the 12 Padu varman and 96 thodu varman. He further claims that there are internal associations between the 96 thodu varman and the 12 padu varman: “Every padu varman point is a collective junction of eight thodu varman. That is, one padu varman contains eight thodu varman” (see table 4).

There is a need for further translation of writings concerned with the Dravidian tradition as many aspects of varman therapeutics are believed to be contained in these texts:

Unfortunately, no systematic attempt has been made so far, either by Tamil savants or by Siddha [Dravidian] medical practitioners, to render with critical evaluation even the major Tamil texts into English. The two main reasons being the enigmatic nature of the texts and the secretive attitude of Siddha practitioners. Nonetheless, an appreciable number of texts in Tamil have been printed, although many of them are still in manuscript form, preserved in libraries in Tamil Nadu. According to Velan, there are over 700 Siddha texts in Tamil, of which 180 have been printed (Subbarayappa, 1997). 

The Dravidian varman model #2

Translation of Varman-adi Shastra

Interviews with varman practitioners in districts of Kerala, South India, revealed other sources of information for varman-adi (action of varman) that presented different locations for the twelve Padu varman on the human body.

According to Balachandran Nair, a Kalaripayattu practitioner in Trivendrum, much of the deeper knowledge of varman has gone “underground”. Issues to do with correct point location and techniques for opening and closing the varman were not openly taught for many reasons. “Modern ideas concerning varman lack the keys for the understanding of their use and their connection to the primal force that maintains life” (Nair, private communication 17/10/98).

In what is believed to be the first English translation of a part of an ancient, privately held text, belonging to a practitioner in Kerala, a different padu varman model has emerged.

The part translation of the unpublished Dravidian (Siddha) text, originally recorded on bamboo, was provided by a Dravidian practitioner. This text, and other bamboo records, were claimed to be over 300 years old (see Figure 1) and provided the location of secret padu (see Figure 2), which differ from the standard locations represented in previous tables (see previous article Dravidian Varman Model #1). This is strong evidence in support of the theory that there are secret varman records in southern India which are not openly taught or revealed.

Master Nair confirmed the above information as correct and provided illustrations of his own family traditional teachings of varman that appears to incorporate varman from models represented in previous tables ie. padu and thodu varman (see Fig 3 & 4).

Dravidian Varman-adi practitioners claim that knowledge of varman is contained in scripture which has been kept intact and secret for thousands of years. These texts support the Dravidian family heritage of martial and therapeutic varman use. The key features of yoga theory and Varman-adi practice lie in the internal connections between varman, underpinning the types of varman and nadi (channels) used in the internal practices of these traditional philosophies. The kundalini, the primal channel which is composed of three pathways, the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna, forms the basis of all channels and varman in the body. According to Dravidian practitioners, the kundalini is the activating principle of life and ascends to the top of the head from its root at the perineum. Chinese medicine recognises three primal channels as Chong mai, Ren mai and Du mai. According to Chinese theory, these three channels are believed to be the first to activate and bring about life in the womb. Originating in the kidneys and then passing to the perineum, their influence ascends to the top of the head along the spine (Matsumoto and Birch, 1986).

According to the marman research by Zarrilli (1992), it is believed that there are physical and subtle marman which “exist in a complimentary and symbiotic relationship”. Zarrilli has cited a set of 32 “yoga” varman which, according to his published interviews with Nair, constitute “the conceptual and practical link between the gross and subtle paradigms of the body” (Zarrilli, 1992, p10). The 32 “yoga” varman listed by Zarrilli in his research are not referenced, but the varman names appear to originate from Sanskrit sources rather than Tamil or Keralan languages, as used by traditional Dravidian or kalaripayattu practitioners. This suggests that the 32 “yoga” varman have a probable link to the Vedic yoga system (see Figure 5).

An additional view of the yoga chakras (see Figure 6) places an emphasis on major and minor varman. It is reported by Tansley (1998) that the major chakras are formed by the intersection of twenty one energy “strands” at the site of the chakra. He further states that the minor chakras are formed by the intersection of forteen energy “strands” and that the marman are locations where seven energy “strands” intersect.

The minor chakras illustrated in Figure 6 appear to be disassociated from the major chakras which have a strong resemblance to the Chinese Daoist tien (energy collection) centres, as used in Tai ji Chuan exercises (see Figure 7). In addition to the 108 varman, Pillai, a Siddha practitioner, claimed that a further 720 varman points are recorded in Dravidian texts and make up a vast network of nadis (Pillai, private communication, 26/11/99).

SOURCE

http://www.markphillips.com.au/

REFERENCES

• Akkalkotkar P, private communication, Pune, 24/8/98.

• Ames R, Thomas P, Kasulis T and Dissanayake W; 1998, Self as Image in Asian Theory and Practice, State University of New York Press, New York, USA.

• Bhide D; private communication, Pune, 4/9/98.

• Blakney RB; (trans) 1983, The Way Of Life, Lao Tzu, Penguin Group, UK.

• Bhaktivedanta AC; 1983, Bhagavad Gita As It Is, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, West Germany.

• Bhaktivedanta AC; 1987, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto One, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Singapore.

• Bhishagrantna KL; (trans) 1981, Susruta Samhita, Chowkhamba Series, Varanasi, India.

• Chen J; 1990, Anatomical Atlas of Chinese Acupuncture Points (2nd ed), Shandong Science and Technology Press, Jinana, China.

• Date B; private communication, Pune, 26/8/98 to 29/8/98

• Dahanukar S and Thatte U; 1989, Ayurveda Revisited, Popular Prakashan, Bombay, India.

• Diophode V; private communication, Pune, 2/11/98.

• Eckman P; 1996, In The Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor, Cypress Book Company, San Francisco, USA.

• Fedorova M; 1990, Die Marmantheorie in der Klassischen Indian Medizen, Munchin University, Germany, 1990.

• Garg AK; 1996, The Manowaha Srotas, Lucknow University, India.

• Garg AK; private communication, Lucknow, 6/10/98.

• Hariprapanna VP; (trans) 1983, Rasayogasagara, Krishnadas Ayurveda Series Vol. 1, Varanasi Press, Varanasi, India.

• Kasulis TP; 1993, Self as body in Asian theory and practice, Suny Press, New York, USA.

• Kulkarni PH; 1998, Ayurveda Chikitsa, Ayurveda Education Series, Pune, India.

• Kulkarni PH; private communication, Pune, 4/9/98.

• Kuti G, private communication, Trivandrum, 21/9/98 to 14/10/98.

• Lad V; 1985, Ayurveda, The Science of Self Healing (2nd ed), Lotus Press, USA.

• Larre C and Rochat de la Vallee E; 1995, Rooted In Spirit, Stanton Hill Press, USA.

• Lee M; (trans) 1992, Master Tong’s Acupuncture, Blue Poppy Press, Boulder, USA.

• Liu ZC and Hua K; 1999, A Study of Daoist Acupuncture, Blue Poppy Press, USA.

• Lo V; 1998, The Influence of Yangsheng Culture on Early Chinese Medical Theory, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of London, Department of History, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, UK.

• Lu HC; (trans) 1978, A Complete Translation Of The Yellow Emperor’s Classic Of Internal Medicine and The Difficult Classic, The Academy of Oriental Heritage, Vancouver, Canada.

• McDonald J; private communication, Brisbane. 3/8/00.

• Macdonnell AA and Keith AB; 1989, Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, Motilal Banarsidass, Varanasi, India.

• Majumdar A; 1998, Ayurveda, The Ancient Science of Healing, Wheeler Publishing, New Delhi, India.

• Mallison T; private communication, Histmed@yahoo.groups, 24/10/99.

• Manickavasagam M; 1993, The Art Of Varmam, A Historical Study, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Madras University, Madras, India.

• Manohara R; private communication, Ayur@yahoo.groups, 3/3/00 to 14/3/00.

• Matsumoto K and Birch S; 1986, Extraordinary Vessels, Paradigm Publications, USA.

• Meulenbeld GJ; 1991, Medical Literature from India, Sri Lanka and Tibet, EJ Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands.

• Nair B; private communication, Trivandrum, 26/8/98 to 19/10/98.

• Olson S; 1992, Cultivating the Qi, Dragon Door Publications, USA.

• Pandit SV; private communication, Pune, 5/9/98.

• Pillai SC; 1994, Vital Life Centres in Thanuology, International Institute of Thanuology, Madras, India.

• Pillai SC; 1995, Medium Life Centres in Thanuology, International Institute of Thanuology, Madras, India.

• Pillai SC; private communication, Madras (Chennai), 22/11/99 to 26/11/99.

• Radhika M; (trans) 1994, Varma Cuttiram, A Tamil Text on Martial Art from Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Hikosaka S, Shimizu N and Subramaniam P (Eds.), Institute of Asian Studies, Madras, India.

• Ranade S; 1993, Natural Healing Through Ayurveda, Passage Press, USA.

• Ranade S; private communication, Pune, 1/11/98 to 2/11/98.

• Rao PVK; 1941, Comparative Study of the Marmas, Govt. India Medical School Hospital, Madras, India.

• Rogers C; 1989, Point Location and Point Dynamics (revised ed), Acupuncture Colleges Australia, Sydney, Australia.

• Rogers C; 1997, The Five Keys (3rd ed), Acupuncture Colleges Australia, Sydney, Australia.

• Ros F; 1994, The Lost Secrets of Ayurvedic Acupuncture, Lotus Press, Wisconsin, USA.

• Ros F; private communication, Adelaide, 5/5/98.

• Roscu A; 1981, Les {marman} et les arts martiaux Indiens, Journal Asiatique, 1981, volume cclxix, pp 417-451.

• Sanjay P; private communication, Trivandrum, 27/8/98.

• Sharma PV; 1992, History of Medicine in India, from antiquity to 1000 AD, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, India.

• Spink MS and Lewis GL; (trans) 1973, Albucasis on Surgery and Instruments, University of California Press, Berkeley, USA.

• Subbarayappa BV; 1997, Siddha medicine: an overview, The Lancet Journal, Volume 350, Number 9094.

• Svoboda RE and Lade A; 1995, Tao and Dharma, Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, Lotus Press, USA.

• Tansley DV; 1998, Radionics and the Subtle Anatomy of Man (9th ed), CW Hilman Co. Ltd, Essex, UK.

• Thakkur CG; 1974, Ayurveda, The Indian Art & Science of Medicine, ASI Publishers, N.Y., USA.

• Thatte DG; 1986, Acupuncture, Marma and Other Asian Therapeutic Techniques, Chaukhambah Orientalia, Delhi, India.

• Thatte DG; (trans) 1994, Susruta Samhita, Chaukhambah Orientalia, Varanasi, India.

• Thatte DG; private communication, Lucknow, 21/9/98 to 7/10/98.

• Trikamji J; (trans) 1981, Carakasamhita, Varanasi Press, Varanasi, India.

• Tsultrim L; private communication, Dharamsala, 1/11/98 to 2/11/98.

• Unschuld PU; 1985, Medicine In China, A History Of Ideas, University of California Press, USA.

• Unschuld PU; 1986, Nan-Ching, The Classic of Difficult Issues, University of California Press, USA.

• Unschuld PU; private communication, Munich, 17/4/00 to 23/4/00.

• Vogel C; (trans) 1965, Vagbhata’s Astangahrdaya Samhita, Wiesbaden, Germany.

• Worsley JR; 1990, Traditional Acupuncture, Volume II: Traditional Diagnosis, The College of Traditional Acupuncture, Warwickshire, England.

• Wujastyk D; 1987, Studies on Indian Medical History, Groningen Press, The Netherlands.

• Wujastyk D; 1998, The Roots of Ayurveda, Penguin, London, UK.

• Wujastyk D; private communication, London, 24/1/00 to 22/2/00.

• Woodroffe J; 1972, The Serpent Power, Ganesh and Co., Chennai, India.

• Yamashita T; private communication, Tokyo, 21/8/00.

• Zarrilli P; 1992, The Vital Spots, Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Vol.1, No.22, April.

• Zarrilli P; 1998, When the Body Becomes All Eyes, OUP Press, Delhi, India.

• Zysk KG; 1998, Asceticism and Healing in Ancient India, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi, India.
  WEB REFERENCES

• Cologn Digital Sanskrit Lexicon: http://www.uni-koeln.de./phil-tak/indology (21/5/00 – 15/9/00)

• Indology Listserve E-group: http://www.listserv.liv.ac.uk/achives/indology.html (4/2/00 – 5/9/00)

• Ayurveda E-group: http://www.egroup.com/group/ayur (1/2/00 – 15/9/00)

• Harappa Research Project: http://www.harappa.com (16/5/00)

• Web illustrations: http://www.spiritweb.com (2/6/00)

• William Harvey (1578-1657): On The Motion Of The Heart And Blood In Ani- mals, 1628, (Trans Robert Willis): http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1628harvey-blood.html (22/2/00)