Sadhguru explains the difference between the three systems of ayurveda, siddha and allopathy. While allopathy is essentially chemical-based, ayurveda is a herbal-based medical system. Though many ayurvedic practitioners are receiving ayurveda training certificates in a month's time nowadays, the classical Indian systems of medicine need enormous dedication. It is said that ayurveda has over 300,000 prescriptions, which a person has to know and imbibe before he can impart.

Siddha Vaidhya, the classical system from South India, is elemental in nature and comes more from the yogic science. The essential principle involves purifying the five elements in the system, which is the most basic practice in the yogic science.

Full Transcript:

Essentially the difference between Ayurveda and siddha and allopathy is just this - allopathy is purely chemical, chemical manipulation of the system. When it's an emergency, you must use it. But if it's a long… you know if it's a chronic ailment which is going to be with you for a long time and you’re going to take some medicine for a long time, definitely popping pills for long periods of time is not a good thing.

So Ayurveda is herbal; herbs are also chemicals but in natural form. It’s way better than taking it in a synthetic form. Ayurveda needs a certain amount of application and knowledge because (Laughs) there are over three hundred thousand… okay? Three hundred thousand Ayurvedic formulations according to the ancient texts. Three hundred thousand formulations you have to understand if you have to really prescribe Ayurveda

So prescribing or practicing Ayurveda is a… it needs a lifelong involvement. These days I see people come from outside the country; they study Ayurveda for one-and-a-half months and they are certified ayurvedic teachers or doctors, practitioners, which is a very dangerous thing to do. Three hundred thousand formulations, how to give it, to whom to give it, when to give it is not a simple thing to understand, it takes a lot. Above all you need a phenomenal understanding of the body to be able to prescribe this.

Siddha is very different in the sense, siddha is essentially elemental in nature. This… there are herbs but essentially it's elemental in nature. It comes more from the yogic science because the fundamental of yogic science is in Bhuta Shuddhi or in cleansing of one’s elements. This is an evolution from the yogic science and siddha vaidya was essentially formulated by Agastya Muni and they say Adiyogi himself practiced it and Agastya brought it to the south and only in the south, it lived; nowhere else.