Ayurveda is an ancient science of life and is reckoned as one of the most well accepted holistic treatment procedure with a rich tradition of more than five thousand years. The basic principle of ayurveda is to achieve that state in which the function and structure of an individual operates optimally and the individual is then in a state of mental, physical and spiritual equilibrium. There are quite a lot of aspects of this traditional system of medicine, which discriminates it from other approaches to health care.

The principle of ayurveda is based on the `Five Great Elements` termed as the Panchmahabhoota theory. These five elements are earth (prithvi), water (jal), fire (agni or tej), air (vayu) and ether or space (akash). The principle of ayurveda perceives body, mind and spirit similarly and has designed specific methods for working on each. Ayurveda divides the constitution of people into three humoral categories like the Vata (ether/air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (water/earth). Whilst, Vata rules mental mobility, Pitta, or fire, typically governs the digestion system. Kapha governs the form and substance and is responsible for weight, consistency and solidity. The principle of ayurveda asserts each person as a special blend, responsible for the diversity. Individual according to ayurveda is thus a matchless make up of the three doshas. This is indeed the main principle of ayurveda which offers a scientific explanation as why one person responds differently to a particular diet or treatment whilst the other person with the same disease might require a whole different kind of diet or treatment. Ayurveda describes these three fundamental universal energies as the regulating force of all natural processes on both the macrocosmic and microcosmic levels.

The principle of ayurveda focuses on establishing and maintaining balance of the life energies within the individual rather than focusing on individual symptoms. The whole concept is thus based on the theory of svabhavoparamavada. This states that every living being has that innate inclination and tendency to move in the direction of self-healing and balance. The balance toward one naturally move is known as prakriti whilst the diseased state is known as vikriti, which represents an imbalance in the doshas. The principle of ayurveda is based on the self healing process where the individual`s inherent tendency is to move from vikriti to prakriti that is from the diseased state towards the healthy state and the systems of medicine then are mere schemes to support the inexorable self-healing progression.

The ancient science of life, Ayurveda realizes the deep seated relationship between the nature of the disease as well as the disease process hence the principle of ayurveda has developed a simultaneous approach to diagnosis and pathology and has termed it as rogi-roga pariksha. " In every patient there is a human being; in every disease condition there is also health"- this is the very basic principle of ayurveda which is further elaborated in the varied ayurvedic treatment procedures. Ayurveda believes that when a person has a disease, he has certainly not lost his entire health as the phase of health remains there all along the diseased state. This condition has been termed as the `reservoir of health` and is indeed the very key element of the eventual recovery of the diseased as per the principle of svabhavoparamavada. Quite ideally therefore in the principles of ayurveda, equal importance is given to the Diagnosis of the patient (rogipareeksha) as well as to the Diagnosis of the disease (rogapareeksha) to offer a whole new facet to the very concept of diagnosis and treatment in ayurveda.

As per the principles of ayurveda, rogipareeksha is the true strength of diagnosis. It includes the physician`s judgement regarding the patient as a whole not just the diseased part. His nature, intelligence, discipline, habits, hereditary traits, emotional set, digestive capacity, his desire to heal, and of course his constitutional type are all taken into consideration. The diagnosis of the disease or rogapareeksha however, is aimed toward assessing the nature of the disease and is divided into three main activities like Prasna (Interrogation), Panchendriya pariksha (Physical examination using the five senses) and Ashtavidha pariksha (Specialized "Eight-fold" Ayurvedic examination).

The principles of ayurveda offer the key to good health whilst making one to understand the fundamentals of his body and surroundings.