Welcome to our simple guide to Ashtanga Hridyam Chapter 10, called Dosha Bhediya (दोष भेदीय). In the wise world of Ayurveda, this important chapter acts as a clear roadmap to help you understand how the three Doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—work and change in the body. While earlier chapters just introduce these life energies, Dosha Bhediya goes much deeper. It carefully explains their exact Sthana (homes or locations), their smaller sub-types, and the natural Gunas (qualities) that rule them.
Beyond just body parts, it gives great insights into how daily life affects us. You will learn how things like Kala (time and age), Ritu (seasons), Artha (what we see, hear, and feel), and Rogamargas (the paths diseases take) change our internal balance. Whether you are studying Ayurveda or just want to live a healthier life, learning about dosha bhediya on Sanskrit Gurukul is your first step to natural, personalized healing.
Where Do the Doshas Live? (Sthana of Tridosha)
Have you ever wondered exactly where Vata, Pitta, and Kapha live inside your body? In this part of dosha bhediya, Acharya Vagbhat explains that while all three Doshas flow everywhere through our system, they each have a special “home base.” Knowing these primary locations helps us understand why we feel certain symptoms in specific parts of our body.
- Kapha’s Home (Upper Body): Kapha mainly lives in the chest, throat, head, and joints. Because its home is in the upper part of the body, a Kapha imbalance often shows up as chest congestion, a heavy head, or excess mucus.
- Pitta’s Home (Middle Body): Pitta rules the middle section, sitting primarily in the stomach, small intestine, sweat glands, and blood. Since it controls the fire in our middle body, a Pitta imbalance usually causes heartburn, acidity, or skin rashes.
- Vata’s Home (Lower Body): Vata resides in the lower part of the body, especially the large intestine (colon), hips, thighs, and bones. When Vata gets out of balance, it often leads to issues like bloating, gas, or lower back and joint pain.
The 5 Sub-types of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha
To make things even clearer, dosha bhediya breaks down each of the three main Doshas into five smaller sub-types. Think of the main Doshas as managers, and these sub-types as workers with specific jobs and areas to look after in the body.
1. The 5 Types of Vata (The Energies of Movement)
Since Vata controls all movement, its five sub-types manage everything from breathing to elimination:
- Prana Vayu: Lives in the head and chest. It rules your breathing, swallowing, and mind.
- Udana Vayu: Sits in the throat and chest. It controls your speech, memory, and physical strength.
- Samana Vayu: Stays in the stomach and digestive tract. It helps light your digestive fire and break down food.
- Vyana Vayu: Travels through the whole body via the heart. It keeps your blood flowing and moves your limbs.
- Apana Vayu: Rules the lower abdomen. It is responsible for downward movements like going to the bathroom, menstruation, and childbirth.
2. The 5 Types of Pitta (The Energies of Transformation)
Pitta is all about heat and digestion. Its sub-types control how we digest both food and emotions:
- Pachaka Pitta: Located in the stomach and small intestine. It is the main force behind digesting food.
- Ranjaka Pitta: Lives in the liver and spleen. It gives color to your blood, bile, and stool.
- Sadhaka Pitta: Sits in the heart. It processes your emotions, intelligence, and memory.
- Alochaka Pitta: Located in the eyes. It is responsible for your vision and how you perceive light.
- Bhrajaka Pitta: Lives in the skin. It maintains your skin color, texture, and absorbs creams or oils.
3. The 5 Types of Kapha (The Energies of Structure and Fluid)
Kapha provides lubrication and strength. Its five sub-types keep the body hydrated and stable:
- Kledaka Kapha: Resides in the stomach. It moistens food so it is easier to digest and protects the stomach lining from harsh acids.
- Avalambaka Kapha: Lives in the chest and heart. It provides strength to your back and protects your vital organs.
- Bodhaka Kapha: Sits on the tongue and mouth. It allows you to taste food and keeps your mouth moist.
- Tarpaka Kapha: Located in the head and brain. It nourishes your sense organs and keeps your mind calm.
- Shleshaka Kapha: Found in all your bone joints. It acts like lubricating oil, keeping your joints moving smoothly without pain.
How Chaya, Kopa, and Shamana Affect Each Dosha
In dosha bhediya, Ayurveda shows us that our body goes through a natural cycle of building up, overflowing, and calming down. Let’s look at how these three specific stages—Chaya (Accumulation), Kopa (Aggravation), and Shamana (Pacification)—show up for each individual Dosha.
1. The Three Stages of Vata
Vata is ruled by cold, dry, and windy qualities. Its cycle moves through these three steps:
- Vata Chaya (Accumulation): Vata slowly starts to collect in its home base (the lower abdomen/colon). This usually happens during the dry, dehydrated summer heat. You might feel a tiny bit of gas or a mild instinct to avoid cold drinks and dry foods.
- Vata Kopa (Aggravation): If not managed, Vata overflows during the rainy season or cold autumn. It spreads through the body, causing clear symptoms like severe bloating, constipation, cracking joints, body aches, and high anxiety or insomnia.
- Vata Shamana (Pacification): Vata naturally calms down during the early winter. You can actively help this stage by treating your body to warm, heavy, well-cooked meals, healthy fats like ghee, and deep, grounding rest.
2. The Three Stages of Pitta
Pitta is ruled by hot, sharp, and fiery qualities. Its cycle moves through these three steps:
- Pitta Chaya (Accumulation): Pitta slowly builds up its heat in its home base (the stomach and small intestine) during the rainy season, when the water inside the body becomes more acidic. You might notice your digestion feels unusually sharp or a bit acidic.
- Pitta Kopa (Aggravation): The fire completely boils over during the intense heat of the autumn season. This results in vivid symptoms like painful heartburn, sour burps, skin rashes, acne, excessive sweating, and a very short, angry temper.
- Pitta Shamana (Pacification): Pitta naturally cools down during the cold winter months. You can speed up this healing stage by enjoying cool fluids, sweet fruits (like melons and grapes), coconut water, and practicing calming, stress-free activities.
3. The Three Stages of Kapha
Kapha is ruled by heavy, cold, and slow qualities. Its cycle moves through these three steps:
- Kapha Chaya (Accumulation): Kapha slowly packs on weight and freezes up in its home base (the chest and head) during the freezing cold winter. You might start to feel a little heavy, sluggish, or notice a slight drop in your regular appetite.
- Kapha Kopa (Aggravation): When the warm spring sun arrives, it melts that frozen, heavy Kapha, causing it to flood the system. This triggers classic spring symptoms like thick chest congestion, a runny nose, seasonal allergies, and deep, unshakeable laziness.
- Kapha Shamana (Pacification): Kapha naturally dries up and calms down as the hot, dry summer months roll in. You can encourage this balancing stage by switching to light, warm meals, using heating spices like ginger and black pepper, and staying highly active with regular exercise.
The Dosha Bhediya Cycle at a Glance
| Dosha | Chaya (Slowly Building Up) | Kopa (Overflowing & Aggravated) | Shamana (Calming Back Down) |
| Vata | Triggered by: Dry, windy, or cold qualities. | Symptoms: Severe bloating, constipation, sharp aches, anxiety. | Balanced by: Warm, heavy, cooked oily foods, and deep rest. |
| Pitta | Triggered by: Hot, sharp, or sour qualities. | Symptoms: Heartburn, skin rashes, fever, intense anger. | Balanced by: Cool fluids, sweet fruits, and calming activities. |
| Kapha | Triggered by: Heavy, cold, or sweet qualities. | Symptoms: Thick mucus, breathing troubles, heavy weight gain. | Balanced by: Warm spices, light meals, and active exercise |
How Changing Seasons Affect the Dosha Bhediya Cycle (Ritucharya)
Nature and our bodies are deeply connected. The external weather directly dictates how our internal energies behave. In this crucial part of dosha bhediya, Ayurveda maps out exactly how the shifting seasons (Ritus) naturally trigger the building up (Chaya), overflowing (Kopa), and calming down (Shamana) of our internal Doshas.
Understanding this seasonal calendar allows you to predict exactly what your body will go through during the year.
1. The Summer Season (Grishma Ritu)
- Vata is in Chaya (Accumulating): The intense heat of the summer dehydrates the earth and dries out our bodies. Because dry and light qualities belong to Vata, it quietly begins to build up in the lower abdomen.
- Kapha is in Shamana (Pacifying): The hot, dry summer sun naturally melts away and dries up any leftover heavy, wet Kapha from the spring, keeping it perfectly calm.
2. The Rainy Season (Varsha Ritu)
- Vata is in Kopa (Aggravating): When the cold, windy, and damp rains arrive, the accumulated Vata completely overflows. This is why many people experience joint pain, cracking bones, gas, and digestive weakness during the monsoons.
- Pitta is in Chaya (Accumulating): As the rain hits the hot earth, it creates an acidic environment. This sour and damp quality causes Pitta to slowly start building up in the stomach.
3. The Autumn Season (Sharad Ritu)
- Pitta is in Kopa (Aggravating): After the rains, the sudden, bright autumn sun beats down on the damp earth, creating a “boiling” heat. This flares up the accumulated Pitta, leading to seasonal skin rashes, acidity, and inflammation.
- Vata is in Shamana (Pacifying): The steady, warm sun and settling weather naturally help the wild, erratic Vata energy calm down and return to its home base.
4. The Winter Season (Hemanta & Shishira Ritu)
- Kapha is in Chaya (Accumulating): The freezing, heavy, and damp winter weather mirrors the qualities of Kapha. As we eat heavier winter foods and move less, Kapha quietly freezes and accumulates in the chest and head.
- Pitta is in Shamana (Pacifying): The cold winter environment acts as a natural ice pack, completely cooling down any leftover fiery Pitta from the autumn.
5. The Spring Season (Vasanta Ritu)
- Kapha is in Kopa (Aggravating): When the warm spring sun comes out, it acts like a microwave on the frozen winter Kapha. The Kapha melts and floods the respiratory system, triggering seasonal allergies, heavy mucus, colds, and sluggishness.
| Season (Ritu) | Vata Status | Pitta Status | Kapha Status |
| Summer | Accumulating (Chaya) | Balanced | Calming (Shamana) |
| Rainy Season | Aggravated (Kopa) | Accumulating (Chaya) | Balanced |
| Autumn | Calming (Shamana) | Aggravated (Kopa) | Balanced |
| Winter | Balanced | Calming (Shamana) | Accumulating (Chaya) |
| Spring | Balanced | Balanced | Aggravated (Kopa) |
The True Root Cause of Every Disease (Roga Karana)
These traditional verses from dosha bhediya reveal a striking truth about how diseases behave and take root in our bodies. The shlokas explain that when an imbalanced Dosha turns toxic, it can instantly flood the entire body, spreading from the crown of your head all the way down to the soles of your feet. However, clearing a deeply rooted illness takes time; much like a massive flood slowly and gradually recedes, an aggravated Dosha recedes very slowly, bit by bit.
Because these troubled energies can manifest as countless, unpredictable symptoms throughout the body, it is impossible to list every single disease one by one. Instead, Ayurveda gives us a simple, universal law: imbalanced Doshas are the single ultimate cause of every single disease.
The text uses two beautiful, timeless examples to make this easy to understand:
- The Bird and its Shadow: No matter how high or fast a bird flies across the sky all day long, it can never escape its own shadow.
- The Material World and the Three Gunas: Everything that exists in the physical universe is permanently bound by the three cosmic qualities of nature (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas).
In exactly the same way, no matter how unique, rare, or complex a disease might look on the outside, it can never exist outside the boundaries of the three Doshas. Every single physical imbalance or tissue disturbance in your body is always rooted in a breakdown of Vata, Pitta, or Kapha.
How Sensory Experiences (Artha) Shape the Dosha Balance
When studying the core principles of dosha bhediya, we learn that health is not just about what we eat—it is also about what we digest through our five senses. In the text of Ashtanga hridyam, the word Artha refers to the objects of our senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. This fascinating section of dosha bhediya reveals that our daily sensory habits can either protect our health or completely throw our internal energies off balance.
According to Acharya Vagbhat, there are three ways our senses interact with the world to create an increase or decrease in our vital energies:
- Atiyoga (Overuse): Pushing your senses too hard. For example, staring at bright screens for hours or listening to incredibly loud music. This overuse directly disturbs the dosha equilibrium, instantly spiking Vata and Pitta.
- Heenayoga (Underuse): Staying in a dark room all day or sitting in absolute silence for too long. Devoid of healthy sensory inputs, the body slips out of the optimal dosha rhythm, causing Kapha to build up excessively.
- Mithyayoga (Wrong Use): Exposing yourself to unnatural or toxic sensory inputs, such as reading in a moving vehicle, smelling chemical poisons, or watching violent, stressful movies. This improper use acts as an immediate trigger for a severe dosha crisis.
Ultimately, mastering dosha bhediya means learning to nourish your five senses with peaceful sounds, soothing sights, clean aromas, and gentle touches to keep your mind and body perfectly centered.
How Sensory Experiences (Artha) Shape Your Dosha Balance
When studying the core principles of dosha bhediya, we learn that health is not just about what we eat—it is also about what we digest through our five senses. In the classical text of dosha bhediya, the word Artha refers specifically to the objects of our senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. This fascinating section of dosha bhediya reveals that our daily sensory habits can either protect our health or completely throw our internal energies off balance.
According to the laws of dosha bhediya, there are three ways our senses interact with the world to create a shift in our health:
- Atiyoga (Overuse): Pushing your senses too hard. For example, staring at bright screens for hours or listening to incredibly loud music. This overuse directly disturbs your internal equilibrium, as explained in the chapters of dosha bhediya.
- Heenayoga (Underuse): Staying in a dark room all day or sitting in absolute silence for too long. Devoid of healthy sensory inputs, the body slips out of its optimal rhythm, which is why dosha bhediya emphasizes balanced sensory exposure.
- Mithyayoga (Wrong Use): Exposing yourself to unnatural or toxic sensory inputs, such as reading in a moving vehicle or watching violent, stressful movies. This improper use acts as an immediate trigger for disease, a core warning highlighted throughout dosha bhediya.
Ultimately, mastering the wisdom of dosha bhediya means learning to nourish your five senses with peaceful sounds, soothing sights, clean aromas, and gentle touches to keep your mind and body perfectly centered.
How Action (Karma) Affects Your Dosha Balance
In the study of dosha bhediya, physical, mental, and vocal actions (Karma) are major factors that dictate our health. The text of dosha bhediya explains that how we use our body and mind on a daily basis directly alters our internal energies. When our daily actions become unbalanced, they disrupt the system through three distinct types of improper use:
- Heenayoga (Under-action): Engaging in too little physical or mental activity, such as living a completely sedentary lifestyle, sleeping all day, or refusing to think or speak. This total lack of movement stalls your internal metabolism, a major cause of stagnation warned about in dosha bhediya, which quickly leads to a heavy buildup of Kapha.
- Atiyoga (Over-action): Pushing your body and mind way past their natural limits. Examples include over-exercising, lifting weights that are too heavy, non-stop working, or excessive talking. According to dosha bhediya principles, this extreme over-exertion severely depletes your bodily tissues and causes a massive spike in Vata and Pitta.
- Mithyayoga (Wrong Action): Performing actions that are unnatural, awkward, or harmful to the body’s design. This includes maintaining bad physical postures, suppressing natural bodily urges (like sneezing or blinking), or engaging in violent and malicious thoughts. This wrong action creates immediate friction in your channels, triggering a chaotic dosha bhediya imbalance.
Ultimately, mastering dosha bhediya requires practicing balanced action—knowing when to move, when to rest, and how to act in harmony with your body’s natural design.
Here is the final section covering Rogamargas (The Pathways of Disease), written in the same concise style with the exact same structured pattern of heavy, strategic keyword placement for your SEO needs.
The Three Pathways of Disease (Rogamargas)
The final piece of understanding the dosha bhediya framework is knowing exactly where diseases travel and hide inside the body. Ayurveda groups the bodily channels and tissues into three distinct highways called Rogamargas. This critical chapter of dosha bhediya explains that by tracking which pathway an imbalanced energy enters, we can determine how deep the illness is and how difficult it will be to treat.
According to the deep clinical insights of dosha bhediya, the three pathways of disease are:
Bahya Rogamarga (The Outer Pathway):
This pathway consists of the skin (Tvacha) and the superficial plasma and blood tissues (Rakta). Diseases moving through this outer track usually manifest as skin rashes, acne, hives, or swelling. Because this pathway sits on the surface, dosha bhediya notes that imbalances here are generally the easiest to access, treat, and clear from the system.
Abhyantara Rogamarga (The Inner Pathway):
This highway refers entirely to the gastrointestinal tract (Kostha), stretching from the mouth to the colon. When imbalanced energies flood this inner pathway, they trigger digestive issues like vomiting, diarrhea, severe constipation, or bloating. The texts of dosha bhediya treat this inner track as a primary zone because correcting digestion here helps flush out toxins before they spread further.
Madhyama Rogamarga (The Middle/Deep Pathway):
This is the deepest and most complex pathway, comprising the vital organs (Marmas like the heart, brain, and kidneys), bones, joints, and deep nerve tissues. Illnesses that take root in this middle track include chronic arthritis, heart disease, or nervous system disorders. As highlighted in dosha bhediya, diseases on this pathway are deep-seated, stubborn, and require highly specialized, long-term care to heal.
By mapping out your health using these three dosha bhediya pathways, you can easily tell whether an imbalance is just skin-deep or if it has traveled into your deeper, vital organs.
Chapter 12 Doshabhediya Dosha Types, Imbalance Symptoms
12th chapter of Ashtanga Hrudaya Sutrasthana describes about location of Tridosha in the body, classification and functions of each type of Tridosha, causes for its increase or decrease etc. It is called as Doshabhediya Adhyaya.
Place of Tridosha–Doshasthana
Place of Vata Dosha –
पक्वाशय-कटी-सक्थि-श्रोत्रास्थि-स्पर्शनेन्द्रियम् ।
स्थानं वातस्य तत्रापि पक्वाधानं विशेषतः ॥ 1 ॥
- Pakavasaya – large intestine,
- Kati – waist
- Sakthi – hip
- Shrotra – ear
- Asthi – bones
- Sparshanendriya – skin
- Special space – large intestine 1
Place of Pitta Dosha –
नाभिर् आमाशयः स्वेदो लसीका रुधिरं रसः ।
दृक् स्पर्शनं च पित्तस्य नाभिर् अत्र विशेषतः ॥ 2 ॥
- Nadhi – Umbilicus,
- Amashaya- stomach and small intestine,
- Sweda – sweat,
- Lasika- lymph,
- Rudhira – blood,
- Rasa- plasma,
- Druk – eye, and
- Sparshanam – skin,
- Special seat – Nabhi- region around the Umbilicus. 2
Place of Kapha –
उरः-कण्ठ-शिरः-क्लोम-पर्वाण्य् आमाशयो रसः ।
मेदो घ्राणं च जिह्वा च कफस्य सु-तराम् उरः ॥ 3 ॥
- Ura – Chest ,
- Kantha – throat ,
- Shira – head,
- Kloma – Pancreas
- Parvani – bone joints,
- Amashaya,- Stomach and small intestine,
- Rasa –plasma,
- Meda – fat
- Ghrana – nose and
- Jihva – tongue are the seats of Kapha,
- Special seat – Ura – chest. 3
5 types of Vata –
प्राणादि-भेदात् पञ्चात्मा वायुः
Vata is of 5 types.
- Prana Vata,
- Udana Vata,
- Vyana Vata,
- Samana Vata and
- Apana Vata,
Prana Vata –
प्राणो ऽत्र मूर्ध-गः ।
उरः-कण्ठ-चरो बुद्धि-हृदयेन्द्रिय-चित्त-धृक् ॥ 4 ॥
ष्ठीवन-क्षवथूद्गार-निःश्वासान्न-प्रवेश-कृत् ।
Prana is located in the head and moves in the chest, throat. It regulates will, heart, sense organs, intellect and vision. It is the cause for expectoration, sneezing, belching, inspiration and swallowing of food. 4
Udana Vata –
उरः स्थानम् उदानस्य नासा-नाभि-गलांश् चरेत् ॥ 5 ॥
वाक्-प्रवृत्ति-प्रयत्नोर्जा-बल-वर्ण-स्मृति-क्रियः ।
The chest is the seat of Udana, it moves in the nose, umbilicus and throat; its functions are initiation of speech (vak), effort (Prayatna), enthusiasm (Urja), strength (bala) , color, complexion (varna) and memory (smruti) 5
Vyana Vata –
व्यानो हृदि स्थितः कृत्स्न-देह-चारी महा-जवः ॥ 6 ॥
गत्य्-अपक्षेपणोत्क्षेप-निमेषोन्मेषणादिकाः ।
प्रायः सर्वाः क्रियास् तस्मिन् प्रतिबद्धाः शरीरिणाम् ॥ 7 ॥
Vyana is located in the heart, moves all over the body in great speed, It attends to functions such as flexion and extension (locomotor action) opening and closing of the eyelids etc. Generally all the body activities are regulated by Vyana Vata. 6-7
Samana Vata –
समानो ऽग्नि-समीप-स्थः कोष्ठे चरति सर्वतः ।
अन्नं गृह्णाति पचति विवेचयति मुञ्चति ॥ 8 ॥
Samana Vata is located near the digestive fire.
It moves in the Kostha – alimentary tract,
It receives the food into stomach, aids in digestion, helps in dividing the food into useful part and waste part, and move these parts in their normal paths. 8
Apana Vata –
अपानो ऽपान-गः श्रोणि-वस्ति-मेढ्रोरु-गो-चरः ।
शुक्रार्तव-शकृन्-मूत्र-गर्भ-निष्क्रमण-क्रियः ॥ 9 ॥
Apana Vata is located in the Apana – large intestine, moves in the waist, bladder, genitals. It attends to the functions such as ejaculation, menstruation, defecation, urination and child birth. 9
Five types of Pitta-
पित्तं पञ्चात्मकं
Pitta is of 5 types.
- Pachaka Pitta
- Ranjaka Pitta
- Sadhaka Pitta
- Alochaka Pitta
- Bhrajaka Pitta
Pachaka Pitta –
तत्र पक्वामाशय-मध्य-गम् ।
पञ्च-भूतात्मक-त्वे ऽपि यत् तैजस-गुणोदयात् ॥ 10 ॥
त्यक्त-द्रव्य-त्वं पाकादि-कर्मणानल-शब्दितम् ।
पचत्य् अन्नं विभजते सार-किट्टौ पृथक् तथा ॥ 11 ॥
तत्र-स्थम् एव पित्तानां शेषाणाम् अप्य् अनुग्रहम् ।
करोति बल-दानेन पाचकं नाम तत् स्मृतम् ॥ 12 ॥
- It is located between the large intestine and stomach. (between Amashaya and pakvashaya)
- It is composed of all the five basic elements (Panchamaha Bhuta), it is predominant with fire element and devoid of water element.
- It is called by the term Anala- fire because of its function of Paka – digestion and transformation of food materials.
- It cooks the food, divides it into essence and waste,
- It bestows grace and influence on other types of Pitta.
Hence, among all the types of Pitta, Pachaka pitta is the dominant one.
Ranjaka Pitta –
आमाशयाश्रयं पित्तं रञ्जकं रस-रञ्जनात् ।
The pitta located in the Amasaya- stomach is known as Ranjaka. It converts the useful part of the digestion into blood. Hence it converts Rasa Dhatu into Rakta Dhatu. 12 ½
Sadhaka Pitta –
बुद्धि-मेधाभिमानाद्यैर् अभिप्रेतार्थ-साधनात् ॥ 13 ॥
साधकं हृद्-गतं पित्तं
The pitta located in the Hrudaya –heart is known as Sadhaka.
It attends to mental functions such as knowledge, intelligence, self- consciousness, etc, thereby helping the purpose – aims of life. 13 1/3
Alochaka Pitta –
रूपालोचनतः स्मृतम् ।
दृक्-स्थम् आलोचकं
It is located in the eyes. It helps in vision.
Bhrajaka Pitta –
त्वक्-स्थं भ्राजकं भ्राजनात् त्वचः ॥ 14 ॥
It resides in skin and helps exhibition of color and complexions. 14
Types of Kapha –
श्लेष्मा तु पञ्चधा
Kapha also is of five types;
Avalambaka Kapha –
उरः-स्थः स त्रिकस्य स्व-वीर्यतः ।
हृदयस्यान्न-वीर्याच् च तत्-स्थ एवाम्बु-कर्मणा ॥ 15 ॥
कफ-धाम्नां च शेषाणां यत् करोत्य् अवलम्बनम् ।
अतो ऽवलम्बकः श्लेष्मा
It is located in the chest and Trika pradesha – the meeting place of shoulder, neck and back;. By its innate strength and by the power of essence of food, it does lubrication, nourishing etc functions that are attributed to water element. It also influences the functioning of other types of Kapha. 15
Kledaka Kapha –
यस् त्व् आमाशय-संस्थितः ॥ 16 ॥
क्लेदकः सो ऽन्न-संघात-क्लेदनाद्
Located in the Amasaya – stomach. It moistens the hard food mass and helps in digestion.
Bodhaka Kapha –
रस-बोधनात् ।
बोधको रसना-स्थायी
It is located in the tongue. It helps in taste perception.
Tarpaka Kapha –
शिरः-संस्थो ऽक्ष-तर्पणात् ॥ 17 ॥
तर्पकः
It is ocated in the head. It nourishes sense organs.
Shleshaka Kapha –
तर्पकः संधि-संश्लेषाच् छ्लेषकः संधिषु स्थितः ।
It is located in the bone joints. It lubricates and strengthens the joint.
इति प्रायेण दोषाणां स्थानान्य् अ-विकृतात्मनाम् ॥ 18 ॥
व्यापिनाम् अपि जानीयात् कर्माणि च पृथक् पृथक् ।
Though Tridosha is present all over the body, they are more dominant in specific areas of the
body, as explained above.
Qualities that influence increase and decrease of Tridosha –
Note: In the description given below,
- Chaya means – first level increase of Dosha in their own place.
- Kopa / Prakopa – means increase and overflow of Doshas from its own place to other place. It has the potential to cause the disease.
- Shama / Prashama – means decrease of increased Dosha and restoration of health.
Qualities that cause Chaya, Kopa and Shama of Vata –
उष्णेन युक्ता रूक्षाद्या वायोः कुर्वन्ति संचयम् ॥ 19 ॥
शीतेन कोपम् उष्णेन शमं स्निग्धादयो गुणाः ।
Hot along with dryness, movement, etc causes Vata Chaya.
Coldness along with dryness causes Kopa.
Snigdha (oilyness, unctuousness) and other qualities- Guru (heavy), Usna (hot) , pichila
(stickiness), sthira (stability) etc. associated with hotness bring about its Shamana of Vata. 19
Qualities that cause Chaya, Kopa and Shama of Pitta –
शीतेन युक्तास् तीक्ष्णाद्याश् चयं पित्तस्य कुर्वते ॥ 20 ॥
उष्णेन कोपं मन्दाद्याः शमं शीतोपसंहिताः ।
Teekshna (piercing, strong) and other qualities- dryness, lightness, etc associated with cold cause Chaya- mild increase of Pitta, the above qualities associated with hot, cause Kopa – profound increase of Pitta.
Manda (viscous, mild) and other qualities like stickyness, stability etc, associated with cold bring about Pitta Shama- reduction back to normal. 20
Qualities that cause Chaya, Kopa and Shama of kapha –
शीतेन युक्ताः स्निग्धाद्याः कुर्वते श्लेष्मणश् चयम् ॥ 21 ॥
उष्णेन कोपं तेनैव गुणा रूक्षादयः शमम् ।
Snigdha –(unctuous, oily) and others –heaviness, stickiness, mild, etc along with cold quality causes Kapha chaya. (mild increase) |
Same Snigdha – unctuous, oily etc qualities associated with Usna – hot cause Kapha Kopa
Manda– dull and others- rough, dry, clarity, movement, lightness associated with cold quality bring about Kapha Shama- reduction to normal. 21
Overall,
Vata Dosha –
- Ushna (hot) + Ruksha (dryness) and associated qualities cause Vata Chaya
- Sheeta (cold) + Ruksha (dryness) and associated qualities cause Vata Kopa
- Ushna (hot) + Snigdha (unctuous, oily) and associated qualities cause Vata shama.
Pitta Dosha
- Sheeta (cold) + Teekshna (piercing, strong) etc qualities cause Pitta Chaya
- Ushna (hot) + Teekshna (piercing, strong) etc qualities cause Pitta Kopa
- Sheeta (cold) + Manda (mild, dull) cause Pitta Shama.
Kapha Dosha –
- Sheeta (Cold) + Snigdha (unctuous, oily) cause Kapha Chaya
- Ushna (hot) + Snigdha (unctuous, oily) cause Kapha Kopa
- Ushna (hot) + Rooksha (dryness) cause Kapha Shama
Levels of Dosha Increase and Decrease
Chaya
चयो वृद्धिः स्व-धाम्न्य् एव प्रद्वेषो वृद्धि-हेतुषु ॥ 22 ॥
विपरीत-गुणेच्छा च
Chaya means slight increase of Dosha in its own place. It produces dislike against the things that would cause further increase of particular Dosha. It is a self defense mechanism of the body to avoid further increase of Dosha, which may lead to disease. 22
Kopa
कोपस् तून्-मार्ग-गमि-ता ।
लिङ्गानां दर्शनं स्वेषाम् अ-स्वास्थ्यं रोग-संभवः ॥ 23 ॥
Kopa – suggests further increase of Dosha and overflow of increased Dosha into other body channels. It causes appearance of symptoms of increased Dosha, leading to onset of disease process. The premonitory symptoms of the disease can be observed at this stage.
Sama
स्व-स्थान-स्थस्य सम-ता विकारा-संभवः शमः ।
Sama means normalcy. Restoration / decrease of increased Dosha to its normal levels.
Fluctuation of Dosha in different seasons –
चय-प्रकोप-प्रशमा वायोर् ग्रीष्मादिषु त्रिषु ॥ 24 ॥
वर्षादिषु तु पित्तस्य श्लेष्मणः शिशिरादिषु ।
| Dosha | Chaya | Prakopa | Prasama |
| Vata | Grisma (summer) | Varsha (rainy) | Sharat (Autumn) |
| Pitta | Varsha (rainy) | Sharat (Autumn) | Hemanta (early winter) |
| Kapha | Shishira (winter) | Vasanta (spring) | Grishma (summer) |
चीयते लघु-रूक्षाभिर् ओषधिभिः समीरणः ॥ 25 ॥
तद्-विधस् तद्-विधे देहे कालस्यौष्ण्यान् न कुप्यति ।
अद्भिर् अम्ल-विपाकाभिर् ओषधिभिश् च तादृशम् ॥ 26 ॥
पित्तं याति चयं कोपं न तु कालस्य शैत्यतः ।
चीयते स्निग्ध-शीताभिर् उदकौषधिभिः कफः ॥ 27 ॥
तुल्ये ऽपि काले देहे च स्कन्न-त्वान् न प्रकुप्यति ।
Vata undergoes chaya (mild increase) during summer by the use of Plants possessing such as lightness, dryness etc. It is especially so in the bodies of persons possessing such qualities. But during summer, Vata does not undergo a profound increase due to the heat of the summer. (Remember, cold is a quality of vata). Hot is opposite to Vata, hence there is no increase by a to a large extent.
Similarly, Pitta undergoes chaya in the rainy season, because of production of Amla viplaka (sour taste at the end of digestion) of water and foods. But it does not undergo further increase in the rainy season, because of coldness. (Remember, hot is the quality of Pitta) Coldness checks further increase of Pitta in the rainy season.
Kapha undergoes Chaya in winter by the use of foods with cold and oily qualities. But it does not undergo prakopa because Kapha becomes solidified due to severe cold of the winter 25-27
इति काल-स्व-भावो ऽयम् आहारादि-वशात् पुनः ॥ 28 ॥
चयादीन् यान्ति सद्यो ऽपि दोषाः काले ऽपि वा न तु ।
So, activities and food habits can cause an increase or decrease of Dosha. At the same time, seasonal effects also may cause Dosha to increase or decrease. 28
Action of increased Dhosha –
व्याप्नोति सहसा देहम् आ-पाद-तल-मस्तकम् ॥ 29 ॥
निवर्तते तु कुपितो मलो ऽल्पाल्पं जलौघ-वत् ।
When there is a flood, the water gushes into the cities very fast, but the reversal process is very slow. Similarly, the increased Doshas spread throughout body from foot to head to produce diseases but the decrease of Dosha and restoration of normalcy takes a very long time. 29
Dosha is the main cause for disease –
नाना-रूपैर् अ-संख्येयैर् विकारैः कुपिता मलाः ॥ 30 ॥
तापयन्ति तनुं तस्मात् तद्-धेत्व्-आकृति-साधनम् ।
शक्यं नैकैक-शो वक्तुम् अतः सामान्यम् उच्यते ॥ 31 ॥
The increased malas ( dosas ) produce diseases of various kinds, features of innumerable numbers and torment the body. As it is not possible to describe the causes; symptoms and treatment of every one of them separately, they will only be described generally. 30-31.
दोषा एव हि सर्वेषां रोगाणाम् एक-कारणम् ।
यथा पक्षी परिपतन् सर्वतः सर्वम् अप्य् अहः ॥ 32 ॥
छायाम् अत्येति नात्मीयां यथा वा कृत्स्नम् अप्य् अदः ।
विकार-जातं विविधं त्रीन् गुणान् नातिवर्तते ॥ 33 ॥
तथा स्व-धातु-वैषम्य-निमित्तम् अपि सर्व-दा ।
विकार-जातं त्रीन् दोषान्
Like a bird flying high in the sky cannot escape from its shadow, the root cause for disease lies in Tridosha. Even the mental qualities such as Satva, Raja and Tama are influenced by Tridosha. Dosha get vitiated, then cause vitiation of body tissues (Dhatu) and waste products (Mala) to cause disease. 32-34 ¼
Three kinds of causes for Dosha increase –
तेषां कोपे तु कारणम् ॥ 34 ॥
अर्थैर् अ-सात्म्यैः संयोगः कालः कर्म च दुष्-कृतम् ।
हीनाति-मिथ्या-योगेन भिद्यते तत् पुनस् त्रि-धा ॥ 35 ॥
The causes of Dosha increase can be categorized as
– Less involvement (heena yoga),
– Wrong involvement (Mithya yoga)
– Over involvement (Atiyoga)
Of
Artha – sense organs
Kala – season
Karma – action .
So, less, wrongful or more involvement of sense organs / seasons / action leads to Dosha imbalance. It is explained further.
Artha – Senses and their correlation:-
हीनो ऽर्थेनेन्द्रियस्याल्पः संयोगः स्वेन नैव वा ।
अति-योगो ऽति-संसर्गः सूक्ष्म-भासुर-भैरवम् ॥ 36 ॥
अत्य्-आसन्नाति-दूर-स्थं वि-प्रियं विकृतादि च ।
यद् अक्ष्णा वीक्ष्यते रूपं मिथ्या-योगः स दारुणः ॥ 37 ॥
एवम् अत्य्-उच्च-पूत्य्-आदीन् इन्द्रियार्थान् यथा-यथम् ।
विद्यात्
Hinayoga – Poor association of sense organs – insufficient, inadequate, contact or non- contact with the objects of senses- sound, touch, sight, taste and smell with their respective sense organs. For example, not at all hearing to sounds, or living in a low lit area etc.
Atiyoga is over indulgence. Seeing objects which are very minute, bright etc, gazing for a very long time, hearing to loud music etc.
Mithya Yoga – wrong indulgence with sense organs – seeing / hearing frightening, very close, very far, disliked and abnormal objects etc. 36-38 ½
Kala – seasons:-
कालस् तु शीतोष्ण-वर्षा-भेदात् त्रि-धा मतः ॥ 38 ॥
स हीनो हीन-शीतादिर् अति-योगो ऽति-लक्षणः ।
मिथ्या-योगस् तु निर्दिष्टो विपरीत-स्व-लक्षणः ॥ 39 ॥
Kala is of three kinds, cold, hot and rainy.
Hinayoga of the Kala is – less cold in winter, less temperature in summer and less rain in rainy season.
Atiyoga is – more rain in the rainy season, more temperature in summer etc.
Mithyayoga is a manifestation of qualities opposite of the natural ones of the season.
Example –rain during summer, cold weather during summer etc. 38 ½ 39
Karma: Activities:-
काय-वाक्-चित्त-भेदेन कर्मापि विभजेत् त्रि-धा ।
कायादि-कर्मणो हीना प्रवृत्तिर् हीन-संज्ञकः ॥ 40 ॥
अति-योगो ऽति-वृत्तिस् तु वेगोदीरण-धारणम् ।
विषमाङ्ग-क्रियारम्भ-पतन-स्खलनादिकम् ॥ 41 ॥
भाषणं सामि-भुक्तस्य राग-द्वेष-भयादि च ।
कर्म प्राणातिपातादि दश-धा यच् च निन्दितम् ॥ 42 ॥
मिथ्या-योगः समस्तो ऽसाव् इह वामु-त्र वा कृतम् ।
Three types of actions pertaining to mind, body and speech lead to Dosha imbalance.
Heenayoga – very less speaking, very little physical activity, very less thought process.
Atiyoga – excessive speaking, excess physical activity and excessive thinking.
Mithyayoga – wrong speaking, wrong physical activities and wrong, evil thinking, suppression of natural urges, improper postures, abrupt jumping and falling, speaking – too much immediately after meals , harboring of desires- attachment, passion, hatred, fear etc. 40-42 ½
निदानम् एतद् दोषाणां कुपितास् तेन नैक-धा ॥ 43 ॥
कुर्वन्ति विविधान् व्याधीन् शाखा-कोष्ठास्थि-संधिषु ।
These are the causes for increase of Doshas, thus increased they produce many kinds of diseases, involving the mind, tissues, viscera, bones and joints. 43-44
Pathways of diseases – Rogamargas:-
The body is divided into three sections to explain different diseases.
- Antarogamarga – internal path – refers to gastro intestinal tract.
- Bahi roga marga – external path – refers to Rakta, Mamsa etc Dhatu (tissues) and skin.
- Madhyama roga marga – it includes vital organs such as brain, heart, blood vessels, joints, nerves etc.
This concept is explained below in detail.
Bahi Koshta / Bahi roga marga – External pathway –
शाखा रक्तादयस् त्वक् च बाह्य-रोगायनं हि तत् ॥ 44 ॥
तद्-आश्रया मष-व्यङ्ग-गण्डालज्य्-अर्बुदादयः ।
बहिर्-भागाश् च दुर्-नाम-गुल्म-शोफादयो गदाः ॥ 45 ॥
Raktha- blood and others tissues (Blood, muscles, bone, fat, bone marrow and sex related secretions) and skin continue the Bahya Rogamarga – external pathway of disease.
It is related with diseases such as moles, discolored patches on face, Gandalaji- goiter, glandular ulcer on the face, malignant tumors, hemorrhoids, abdominal tumor, swelling and other external diseases. 44 ½ -45
Anta Koshta / Anta Rogamarga – Internal path –
अन्तः कोष्ठो महा-स्रोत आम-पक्वाशयाश्रयः ।
तत्-स्थानाः छर्द्य्-अतीसार-कास-श्वासोदर-ज्वराः ॥ 46 ॥
अन्तर्-भागं च शोफार्शो-गुल्म-विसर्प-विद्रधि ।
Amashaya – stomach and small intestine, Pakwashaya – large intestine The two, along with the entire gastrointestinal tract is called as Mahasrota. (The big channel). This constitutes the Anta Koshta.
Diseases which affect this path are – vomiting, diarrhea, cough, dyspnoea, enlargement of the abdomen, fever, dropsy, hemorrhoids, abdominal tumors, Visarpa (herpes), abscess etc. 46
Madhyama Koshta / Madhyama Rogamarga – The middle path
शिरो-हृदय-वस्त्य्-आदि-मर्माण्य् अस्थ्नां च संधयः ॥ 47 ॥
तन्-निबद्धाः सिरा-स्नायु-कण्डराद्याश् च मध्यमः ।
रोग-मार्गः स्थितास् तत्र यक्ष्म-पक्ष-वधार्दिताः ॥ 48 ॥
मूर्धादि-रोगाः संध्य्-अस्थि-त्रिक-शूल-ग्रहादयः ।
The head, heart, urinary bladder and such other vital organs, joints of bones, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, nerves constitute the madhyama rogamarga. From it arise, consumption , hemiplegia, facial paralysis, diseases of the head and other organs, pain, stiffness- loss of movement of the joints, bones, waist etc. 47-48
Different symptoms produced by increased Dosha –
Symptoms of Vata increase:
स्रंस-व्यास-व्यध-स्वाप् अ-साद-रुक्-तोद-भेदनम् ॥ 49 ॥
सङ्गाङ्ग-भङ्ग-संकोच-वर्त-हर्षण-तर्पणम् ।
कम्प-पारुष्य-सौषिर्य-शोष-स्पन्दन-वेष्टनम् ॥ 50 ॥
स्तम्भः कषाय-रस-ता वर्णः श्यावो ऽरुणो ऽपि वा ।
कर्माणि वायोः
- Sramsa – Ptosis- drooping down
- Vyasa – dilation
- Vyadha – cutting pain
- Swapa – loss of sensation
- Sada – weakness, loss of function
- Ruk – pain
- Toda – continuous pain
- Bhedanam – splitting pain
- Sanga – Constriction,
- Angabhanga – bodyache,
- Sankocha – shrinking of the organ, reduction in size
- Varta – twisting,
- Harshana – tingling sensation
- Tarshana – thirst
- Kampa – tremors
- Parushya – roughness
- Saushirya – feeling of empty
- Shosha – dryness
- Spandana – pulsating
- Veshtana – rigidity, as if tied
- Sthambha – stiffness
- Kashaya rasata – astringent taste in mouth
- Aruna, Shyava Varna – appearance of blue or crimson discoloration
– these are the abnormal signs and symptoms of increased Vayu –Vata. 49-50
Symptoms of Pitta increase –
पित्तस्य दाह-रागोष्म-पाकि-ताः ॥ 51 ॥
स्वेदः क्लेदः स्रुतिः कोथः सदनं मूर्छनं मदः ।
कटुकाम्लौ रसौ वर्णः पाण्डुरारुण-वर्जितः ॥ 52 ॥
- Daha – burning sensation
- Raga – reddish discoloration
- Ushmapakita – heat, increase in temperature, formation of pus, ulcers
- Sveda – sweating
- Kleda – inflammation with wetness, moistness
- Sruti – inflammation with pus / oozing / secretions, exudation
- Kotha – putrefaction- decomposition
- Sadana – debility
- Murchana – fainting
- Mada – toxicity
- Katuka Amla Rasa – bitter and sour taste in the mouth
- Pandu Aruna Varjitaha – appearance of color other than yellowish white and crimson. 51- 52 ½
Symptoms of Kapha increase –
श्लेष्मणः स्नेह-काठिन्य-कण्डू-शीत-त्व-गौरवम् ।
बन्धोपलेप-स्तैमित्य-शोफा-पक्त्य्-अति-निद्र-ताः ॥ 53 ॥
वर्णः श्वेतो रसौ स्वादु-लवणौ चिर-कारि-ता ।
- Sneha – unctuousness, oilyness
- Kathinya – hardness
- Kandu – itching
- Sheetatva – coldness
- Gaurava – heavyness
- Bandha – obstruction,
- Upalepa – coating, as if tied with a wet cloth
- Staimitya – stiffness, loss of movement
- Shopha – inflammation
- Apakti – indigestion,
- Atinidrata – excessive sleep
- Shveta varna – white discolouration
- Svadu lavana rasa – sweet, salt taste in mouth
- Chirakarita – delay in all activities. 52 ½ -53.
इत्य् अ-शेषामय-व्यापि यद् उक्तं दोष-लक्षणम् ॥ 54 ॥
दर्शनाद्यैर् अवहितस् तत् सम्यग् उपलक्षयेत् ।
व्याध्य्-अवस्था-विभाग-ज्ञः पश्यन्न् आर्तान् प्रति-क्षणम् ॥ 55 ॥
Thus are enumerated, the features, which appear in diseases, are to be recognized by the physician through inspection and others – methods of examination of patient. 54
Importance of patient observation: To gain the knowledge of the different stages of disease the physician should observe the patient every minute.55
अभ्यासात् प्राप्यते दृष्टिः कर्म-सिद्धि-प्रकाशिनी ।
रत्नादि-सद्-अ-सज्-ज्ञानं न शास्त्राद् एव जायते ॥ 56 ॥
Knowledge of successful treatment is obtained from constant practice just as knowledge of determining the quality of gems is obtained only from- knowing the science. 56
Three kinds of diseases based on cause – Trividha roga-
दृष्टापचार-जः कश्-चित् कश्-चित् पूर्वापराध-जः ।
तत्-संकराद् भवत्य् अन्यो व्याधिर् एवं त्रि-धा स्मृतः ॥ 57 ॥
Diseases are of three kinds viz,
Karmaja Vyadhi – Includes Diseases that originate due to bad deeds of the past lives, or of present life or of both past and present lives. Usually the cause for such disease is not clearly known. 57
Doshaja Vyadhi –
यथा-निदानं दोषोत्थः कर्म-जो हेतुभिर् विना ।
महारम्भो ऽल्पके हेताव् आतङ्को दोष-कर्म-जः ॥ 58 ॥
Diseases which arise from the specific causes, which lead to Dosha increase and then to disease manifestation.
Doshakarmaja – combination of bad deeds and indulgence in causes of disease result in disease. Usually the symptoms are profound in this case. 58
Treatment for such diseases:
विपक्ष-शीलनात् पूर्वः कर्म-जः कर्म-संक्षयात् ।
गच्छत्य् उभय-जन्मा तु दोष-कर्म-क्षयात् क्षयम् ॥ 59 ॥
The Doshaja diseases get cured from indulgence in food, activities and medicine that have opposite qualities to the cause.
Karmaja diseases get cured after the termination of the effects of such acts of previous / current lives.
Dosha-Karmaja diseases get cured after the mitigation of Dosha and nullifying of effects of past deeds. 59
Two kinds of diseases – based on cause – Dvividha roga—
द्वि-धा स्व-पर-तन्त्र-त्वाद् व्याधयो ऽन्त्याः पुनर् द्वि-धा ।
पूर्व-जाः पूर्व-रूपाख्या जाताः पश्चाद् उपद्रवाः ॥ 60 ॥
Svatantra Roga
यथा-स्व-जन्मोपशयाः स्व-तन्त्राः स्पष्ट-लक्षणाः ।
विपरीतास् ततो ऽन्ये तु
Svatantra Roga – independent/ primary – have their own specific causes, comforting methods and clearly manifest features.
Paratantra Roga –
secondary diseases, associated diseases. Those which do not have their own specific cause. It is further of two types.
Purvaja – premonitory symptoms – the symptoms that are seen at the initial stage of a disease
Upadrava – complications of diseases. 60- 61
विद्याद् एवं मलान् अपि ॥ 61 ॥
ताō̃ लक्षयेद् अवहितो विकुर्वाणान् प्रति-ज्वरम् ।
तेषां प्रधान-प्रशमे प्रशमो ऽ-शाम्यतस् तथा ॥ 62 ॥
पश्चाच् चिकित्सेत् तूर्णं वा बल-वन्तम् उपद्रवम् ।
व्याधि-क्लिष्ट-शरीरस्य पीडा-कर-तरो हि सः ॥ 63 ॥
The secondary disease (Paratantra Roga) usually subsides when the primary diseases is treated.
If they do not get subsided then, treatment has to be given- for the secondary diseases as well.
If powerful, secondary affections should be treated soon because these- complication cause more troublers to the body which is already debilitated by the primary disease. 62-63
विकार-नामा-कुशलो न जिह्रीयात् कदा-च-न ।
न हि सर्व-विकाराणां नामतो ऽस्ति ध्रुवा स्थितिः ॥ 64 ॥
The physician should never feel shy for not knowing the nomenclature of the disease, for there is no rule/ custom/ state, that every disease has a name. 64
स एव कुपितो दोषः समुत्थान-विशेषतः ।
स्थानान्तराणि च प्राप्य विकारान् कुरुते बहून् ॥ 65 ॥
तस्माद् विकार-प्रकृतीर् अधिष्ठानान्तराणि च ।
बुद्ध्वा हेतु-विशेषांश् च शीघ्रं कुर्याद् उपक्रमम् ॥ 66 ॥
The very same Doshas, depending upon the nature of the causative factors, travels to many parts of the body and produces many disease, hence treatment of the disease, its abode- site should be judged very quickly with the help of knowledge of the disease. 65-66
Factors to observe in patient –
दूष्यं देशं बलं कालम् अनलं प्रकृतिं वयः ।
सत्-त्वं सात्म्यं तथाहारम् अवस्थाश् च पृथग्-विधाः ॥ 67 ॥
सूक्ष्म-सूक्ष्माः समीक्ष्यैषां दोषौषध-निरूपणे ।
यो वर्तते चिकित्सायां न स स्खलति जातु चित् ॥ 68 ॥
The physician should minutely examine and determine,
Dushya – the Dhatus and Malas involved in a diseases
Desha – the area of the body where disease is manifested, the living place of the patient
Bala – strength of the patient
Kala– season, how old is the disease, age of the person etc.
Anala– digestive power of the patient
Prakriti– Body constitution,
Vayas- age of the patient and disease,
Satva– mind, tolerance capacity of the patient
Satmya– The food and activities to which the patient is accustomed to.
Ahara– food habits and
Avastha– stages of the diseases
The physician should watch for above factors to decide and then only, the physician should decide on the aggravated Dosha and its appropriate treatment. Such a doctor will never commit mistakes in treatment. 67-68
गुर्व्-अल्प-व्याधि-संस्थानं सत्-त्व-देह-बला-बलात् ।
दृश्यते ऽप्य् अन्य-था-कारं तस्मिन्न् अवहितो भवेत् ॥ 69 ॥
The symptoms may be affected by the disease and also by the mental status of the patient. The strength of the disease varies based on strength and weakness of the mind and body of the patient. Hence the physician should be very attentive. 69.
गुरुं लघुम् इति व्याधिं कल्पयंस् तु भिषग्-ब्रुवः ।
अल्प-दोषाकलनया पथ्ये विप्रतिपद्यते ॥ 70 ॥
The unintelligent physician, who determines a grievous disease as a mild one, goes wrong in treatment because of under estimating the condition the Dosha. 70
ततो ऽल्पम् अल्प-वीर्यं वा गुरु-व्याधौ प्रयोजितम् ।
उदीरयेत्-तरां रोगान् संशोधनम् अ-योगतः ॥ 71 ॥
शोधनं त्व् अति-योगेन विपरीतं विपर्यये ।
क्षिणुयान् न मलान् एव केवलं वपुर् अस्यति ॥ 72 ॥
He will administer drugs/ therapies in small doses. Such mild treatment causes worsening of the disease because of ineffective treatment.
On the other hand, if the person over estimates the strength of the disease and over treats with Panchakarma and oral medicines, it will also trouble the health of the patient to a very great extent. 71- 72
अति अतो ऽभियुक्तः सततं सर्वम् आलोच्य सर्व-था ।
तथा युञ्जीत भैषज्यम् आरोग्याय यथा ध्रुवम् ॥ 73 ॥
Hence the physician should constantly study the science, determine the exact condition of all factors, all the time and then administer appropriate medicines and treatments. 73
Number of combination of Dosha – Dosha Samyoga samkhya –
वक्ष्यन्ते ऽतः परं दोषा वृद्धि-क्षय-विभेदतः ।
पृथक् त्रीन् विद्धि संसर्गस् त्रि-धा तत्र तु तान् नव ॥ 74 ॥
त्रीन् एव समया वृद्ध्या षड् एकस्यातिशायने ।
त्रयो-दश समस्तेषु षड् द्व्य्-एकातिशयेन तु ॥ 75 ॥
एकं तुल्याधिकैः षट् च तारतम्य-विकल्पनात् ।
पञ्च-विंशतिम् इत्य् एवं वृद्धैः क्षीणैश् च तावतः ॥ 76 ॥
The number of combinations of Dosha increase and decrease are 62.
In their vriddhi they are – 3 individually, in the combination of two doshas they are 3, and 9 in total- 3 in equal proportion of increase, 6 with preponderance of one dosha; they are 13 in combination of all three together – 6 with preponderance of any one dosha, 1 with equal preponderance of all the three, 6 by disproportionate subdivisions; Thus in respect of vriddhi they are 25; Similarly in respect of kshaya they are 25.
एकैक-वृद्धि-सम-ता-क्षयैः षट् ते पुनश् च षट् ।
एक-क्षय-द्वन्द्व-वृद्ध्या स-विपर्यययापि ते ॥ 77 ॥
In the combination of increase, normal and decrease of one dosha each will make up for 6 numbers. Again they are 6 in the combination of decrease of 1 dosha and increase of 2 doshas
भेदा द्वि-षष्टिर् निर्दिष्टास् त्रि-षष्टिः स्वास्थ्य-कारणम् ॥
The number of combinations of Dosha increase and decrease are 62.
The 63rd is the condition, where all the Doshas are in equilibrium, which is called as the state of health. 78
संसर्गाद् रस-रुधिरादिभिस् तथैषां ॥ 78च् ॥
दोषांस् तु क्षय-सम-ता-विवृद्धि-भेदैः ॥ 78द् ॥
आनन्त्यं तर-तम-योगतश् च यातान् ॥ 78ए ॥
जानीयाद् अवहित-मानसो यथा-स्वम् ॥ 78f ॥
With the association of Rasa, Rakta etc and the level of increase or decrease of Doshas, there can be innumerable permutations and combinations. The physician should understand them by their features – signs and symptoms with an attentive mind.79
Thus ends the chapter known as Dosabhediya Adhyaya. 12th of Sutrasthana of Ashtanga Hridayam.
