FEATURES OF VARSHA RUTU
In rainy season rivers are filled with water and by the force of the current, the trees on the banks are uprooted. The lakes look beautiful with blossoming of white and blue lotus. The earth is covered with grass, so the pits cannot be made out. Earth appears beautiful with different types of grains. The rain comes with muffled sound without thunderbolts, sun and stars are covered with clouds in the sky.
EFFECTS ON BODY
In Varsha Rutu, medicines are of less potency, due to excess of water content due to raining and the sky full of clouds. Land is moist with rain, so klinnata (moistness) in the body gets enhanced along with coldness, which produces mandagni leading to improper digestion (vidaha), which leads to accumulation of pitta.
Due to the effect of Adana kala, both body and Agni are weak. Rain, clouds in the sky, ice and cold wind in the atmosphere, along with the water steam, produced due to the contact of cold water and hot earth, produce dosha kopa in the body and weaken the Agni further. The food items with sour taste and unclean water again affect the Agni and vitiate the doshas especially vata gets aggravated.
DIET
One should drink sanskarita (medicated) water and rice (shali) along with honey and should consume sour, salt and unctous food to pacify the aggravated vata in varsha rutu. Consume food which protect the agni like old barley, wheat, rice, prepared meat soup, dal soup (Yusha). One should drink little quantity of alcoholic preparations like madhvika and arishta along with honey.
Agnimandya produces kapha pitta prakopa, due to improper digestion. In varsha rutu, due to improper nourishment of dhatus there is vata vruddhi.
Honey increases vata, but it can be taken in less quantities to reduces the excessive moisture (Klinnata) in the body. One should drink rain water, bolied water, well water or water from reservoir (sarovara).
One can consume supernatent parts of curds (Dadhi mastu) mixed with powder of saurvarchala salt, and panchakola.
AVOID
One should avoid river water and churned preparation having more water.
OTHER REGIMENS
One should avoid day sleep, exposure to mist, excessive exercise, hot sun and sexual intercourse in varsha rutu.
During bath rubbing with thick cloth, powders of unctous drugs, wearing fragrent garland, light, clean cloth and staying in a place devoid of moisture are indicated during varsha rutu.
TREATMENT
After purification of body by vamana and virechana, niruha or asthapana basti should be given.