Dr. Mrs. Uma Vaidya
Reader Designate
Head Dept. of Sanskrit, Wilson College, Mumbai

The library-catalogue includes many branches of studies under the word 'diet' in its classification and coding manual. Elementary education, Health, Diet-cooking,
Dietary laws, Judaism and Dietotherapy medicines are included under the word Diet. However, this paper concentrates on Food-Diet, more specifically on 'dietary-water intake'.

The word food-diet is explained as the food habits of a person to suit his health and therefore it is a subjective concept. The water is an equally important part of the food diet. The seeds of the thoughts on Dietary-water-intake are found in Vedic and Brahmanic literature in ancient India but it is noteworthy that a special science of Health is framed in ancient India, somewhere three to five thousand years back in which the sick disciples of sage Atri (or the Lord Atreya ) played a vital role. They were agnivesh, bhel, jatukarna, parashar, harit and seerpagi. They have different texts to their credit. In this healing system which they evolved, the universe is perceived as being made up of five elements : ether, air, water, fire and earth, the manifestations of the divine. These five elements form the basis of the material creation even in every individual's constitution and therefore balancing individual's constitution and therefore balancing of these five elements is the key to maintain health. One must remember here that every element is directly and intimately connected with the energy flow of the body.

The use of water to the body is multifold. The smooth-functioning of the respiratory system depends upon the thin water film in which O2 and CO2 are dissolved to pass in and out which are inhaled or exhaled. The digestion of food also requires water and thus it is advised to fill up the stomach ¼ with water.

Jatharam purayedardhamalerbagam jalena cha Vayoh sancharanarthaya chaturthamavasheshayeta

Water is the 'Transportation system' of the body. The water dilutes the thickness of blood and makes its flow easy. It carries the chemical wastes from the cells to be eliminated through the kidneys by way of Urine and therefore the daily water intake is the topic of vital concern.

The pure water, water present in food, the water in beverages are the main sources of water intake. The body -storage of water generally 38 to 40 litres. The loss of body-water is through the kidneys, through skin - perspiration, from the moistened breath and from the colon as water moistened stool. Thus imbalance of water percentage causes dehydration or the other way round. Thus, quantity and timings of water intakes are to be scrupulously followed. The abundance of water is useful. Therefore the ancient Indian treatise like yogaratnakaraha, ashtam yogahridayaha; charak-sushruta-sanhita.
Record ample information about water-intake. The qualities of cold, hot or warm water are invariably mentioned by all these text.

Conclusion- such being the major role of water in healthy body, the fish i.e. matsya is designated as the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu which suggests that no creature can live and sustain without water.