Alathoor Nambi, the Legend of Kerala Ayurveda

There are many families in Kerala who are enjoying a high reputation for their effective Ayurvedic Treatments. Most of them are learning the traditional Indian medical science, Ayurveda from their ancestors, thus keeping the reputation of their family in high esteem. Alathoor Nambi’s family, which is one of the most important families in traditional Ayurveda is located in Alathoor near Ponnani in the Malappuram district of Kerala. Although they were experts and masters in Ayurveda, there are some incidents that made their treatment more effective. The legend about this is as follows.

Nambi is the sir name of the family and all the male members carry this as a suffix. Once a Nambi, who was also an expert Ayurveda doctor lived here. It was his routine to visit the nearby Shiva temple everyday morning. One day he noticed two birds sitting in the branch of a tree on his way. They started chiming “kwaruk… kwaruk…”. He ignored the same.

However, it has become a regular thing. The birds were present in that tree and they repeated the words “kwaruk…kwaruk…” every day when Nambi passes through. One day Nambi stopped hearing this chiming and replied.

“Kale hitha mithabhoji

Krutha chamkramana kramena vamashaya

Avidhrutha moothra poreesh

Sthreeshuyathathma chayonara soruk”

It was a verse which means who is having only limited food on time and who walks regularly, who is sleeping with his left hand, who will not block his urine and stool, and who is not crazy in sex is the person who will never get ill. Suddenly the birds disappeared. It is believed that those birds were Ashwini Devatas, the twin gods related to medical science. What they were asking regularly was “kwaruk or ka aruk” which means who will not suffer from diseases in Sanskrit. Nambi could give a convincing reply and they satisfied with that.

After a few days, two Brahmin boys came to Nambi’s house and requested him to teach them Ayurveda. Nambi agreed and they started learning the subject staying at Nambi’s house. Both of them were brilliant and at the same time very mischievous too. They used to put forth many puzzles in front of Nambi as their doubts. They used to give more versions for a verse when Nambi interpreted the same in his own way. Gradually Nambi came to know that he is learning more by teaching those boys and this increased his interest and he started ignoring all their mischief.

One day they set fire the guest house situated inside the compound. On some other day, they were going along with Nambi to treat one of his patients. On the way, there was a river and no boats were available there. They had to cross the river using a narrow bridge made with the trunk of a coconut tree. When they were in the middle of the river, they pushed Nambi into the river. Although he had to swim half the way and continue the journey with wet clothes, he did not scold them.

Nambi kept on teaching them even after these incidents. One day, when Nambi was out, one of his patients suffering from headache came there. He was a regular patient and whenever he suffers from headaches, he used to visit Nambi. He used to get some relief with the medicines prescribed by Nambi, but could not cure it permanently. On that day when he came there, Nambi was not there. These two boys took the patient inside a room. They went outside the compound and collected some herbs and came back. They closed the door and started squeezing the herbs to make oil. When they applied the oil on his head, the skin covering the skull has come up. After removing the skin, they cleared off the skull of some worms. It was these worms that used to make a headache. After removing them, they replaced the skin and applied the oil again. The patient got a permanent relief and he went out with great joy.

All this time, the children of the Nambi family were watching entire incidents through a small window. When these Brahmin boys came out, they saw the children watching them through a small window. They called them and told not to watch like this as they may develop squint-eye.

Later when Nambi came back children narrated entire incidents. Without telling anything, he went inside for lunch. When he was having lunch, the two Brahmin boys came there and told them that they have learned enough and now planning to leave him. As they did not have anything to pay as guru dakshina (fees for teaching) they will give him a divine book which contains divine remedies. They insisted that only those belonging to that family should see what is written inside the book. As he was having lunch, he received the book with his left hand. He followed them to say goodbye till the gate. There he pleaded them to reveal their right identity. Pleased with his devotion and love they told him that they were Ashwini Devathas the twin gods related to Ayurveda. They blessed him that his medicines will never go in vein and as he received the divine book with left hand, the medicines will be more effective if he gives with left hand. They told that at least one member in the family in all generations will have squint eye. It is happening even today.

There is one more legend behind the practice of giving medicines with the left hand. One day this Nambi was sitting in the portico. Then an old Brahmin came there suffering from some stomach disorder. Nambi asked him to stay there for a few days for treatment. He agreed. However, the diseases did not cured even after applying several courses of medicines. Then Nambi used a tube which he inserted inside the throat of the patient and started applying liquid medicine through that. He used to catch hold of the tube with his right hand and apply the medicine with his left hand. After three days of treatment the patient got cured completely.

When he was about to go back, Nambi requested him to reveal his identity. He told him that he is none other than Thaksha, one of the Ashta Nagas (Eight serpentine gods in Hindu mythology). He blessed Nambi that his treatments will be more effective if he applies the medicines with his left hand. Even now the new generation of this family used to apply medicines with left hand.

There are several stories highlighting the expertise of Nambis in Ayurveda, but due to space availability I am keeping them all for next occasion.