Prof Dr Itikala Sanjeeva Rao’s Inter-disciplinary Research Initiative
Prof Dr Itikala Sanjeeva Rao’s Inter-disciplinary Research Initiative
Varun Herbals Research Laboratories is an independent, non-profit, self supporting R&D; (Research & Development) & Contract Research Organization founded in the year 1998 by late Prof. Dr Itikala Sanjeeva Rao, an internationally renowned Indian Medicine physician with pioneering contribution in the field of Indian Medicine & Natural Product Research.
He has been an illustrious personality in the field of Ayurvedic Medicine and has been a beloved and inspiring teacher for his students, both formal and informal, an able administrator, a clinician par excellence and a brilliant researcher.
After his post-graduate education from esteemed Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU),Dr I.Sanjeeva Rao worked in almost every sphere of Indian medicine like teaching, institutional administration, academic and industrial research, professional consultancy services as well as clinical and patient care services.
He was the former Chairman of the Pharmacopoeia Committee and Technical Advisory Committee of NIMITLI (New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative of CSIR(Council of Scientific & Industrial Research),Government of India. Post retirement, from the government services, he worked with reputed pharmaceutical companies and directed their research programs related to pharmaceuticals and natural products.
Subsequently, he has dedicated his professional experience and personal resources for the cause of inter-disciplinary research through non-profit autonomous research organization, Varun Herbals, based at Hyderabad (India). Through this organization, he continued to inspire the scientists from all walks of Science & Technology and he remains the inspiring spirit behind Varun Herbals Research Laboratories.
He reached his heavenly abode on 28th February 2010, incidentally, a National Science Day!!
1. The root word varun is derived from vring - varane - varaeepsaysm which means desired by all. Varun represents the governing deity of water-varuna (aapo hi praanava-water alone is life!) and the infinite supreme lord (who is the most desired from the philosophical sense,too). And the other semantic meaning of Varun is that which values truth, justice and discipline.
The Rigveda and Atharvaveda portray Varuna as omniscient, catching liars in his snares. The stars are his thousand-eyed spies, watching every movement of men. In the Rigveda, the Ādityas are the seven celestial deities and Varuna is one amongst them and, therefore, imbibes various aspects of solar deity, Aditya. The Adityas have been described in the Rig Veda as bright and pure as streams of water, free from all guile and falsehood, blameless, perfect. These class of deities have been attributed to as upholding the movables and immovable Dharma. Thus, Dr I.Sanjeeva Rao’s research organization, Varun Herbals founded on above tenets upholds ethical righteous research and reflects his desire!
2. Varuna is the sanskrit name of the Indian Medicinal plant, Crataeva nurvala. which holds immense medicinal significance in the Ayurvedic System of Medicine and was dear to Prof Rao. He decoded its therapeutic potential and generated new knowledge, afresh and applicable to the suffering humanity. Dr I.Sanjeeva Rao pioneered experimental and clinical work on this great Indian medicinal plant and established its role in gastric mucosal hydrokinetics and again, his research highlights the therapeutic role of varuna on water/fluid fluxes across gastric mucosa!!!
Crataeva nurvala (Varuna)
Objective:
Varun Herbals Research Laboratories has been established with an objective to undertake scientific investigations in the fields of Pharmaceuticals, AYUSH Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Natural Products and Indian Systems of Medicine/AYUSH/Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM) on a non-profit basis.
Mission:
To promote and facilitate inter-disciplinary research in Pharmaceuticals, AYUSH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology and CAM. To bridge gaps between CAM and Modern Medicine through research, critical enquiry, scholarly exchange.
Vision:
To accomplish interdisciplinary research in Pharmaceuticals, AYUSH Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & CAM through synergistic and complementary partnerships and collaborations with academia and industry. To create stellar learning opportunities for research scholars by creating novel and visionary educational/training and research programmes.