11. Sadrasas or Six tastes

Tastes of substances, according to Ayurveda, are six in number, they are: Swadu (madhura) or sweet, Amla or sour (i.e., acid), Lavana or saltish (i.e., saline), Tikta or bitter, Usna (Katu) or punget i.e., acrid, Kasaya or astringent. " rasa svadamlalavanatiktosnakasayakah | sad dravyamasritaste ca yathapurvam balavahah | | " i.e., usna is stronger than kasaya. Tikta is stronger than usna. Lavana is stronger than tikta. Amla is stronger than lavana. Swadu is stronger than amla. 160

Of these six rasas, the first three viz., swadu, amla, and lavana are anti-vatic, the last three viz., tikta, usna, and kasaya are anti-kapha, and kasaya, tikta and madhu are anti-pitta. Three varieties of Dravyas or substances Substances are classified into three categories from the point of view their therapeutics. I. Samana or palliative. Substances belong in to this group alleviate the disturbed dosas and restore them to their normalcy. II. Kopana or provocation: Substances belonging to this group provokes the dosas. III. Swasthabita: Substances belonging to this group are beneficial for the maintenance of health. " samanam kopanam dravyamiti tridha || " 161

Virya According to Ayurveda there are two Viryas, namely usna or hot and sita or cold. "usnasitagunotkarsattatra virya dvidhasmrtam | " The term virya means 'power', 'potency' etc. But, in the context of science or vijnana, Caraka's definition of it will hold good. He defines virya as "the power which performs work or action." "There is no action" says Caraka "which is not due to virya, all actions take place only because of virya". "... virya tukriyate yena ya kriya | na viryam kurute kimyit sarkavikrta kriya || " (Caraka Samhita Sutrasthana , 26-64) Vipaka The term paka generally means 'to prepare' 'to render gift', 'to cook', 'to digest' etc. The term 'vipaka', means Visesa or Visista-paka. According to the Nyaya-Vaisesika system, the 162

term paka signifies chemical reaction of different kinds. In the context of Ayurveda or biological science, this term comprehends various chemical reactions to which food and medicinal substances are subjected in the amasaya-pakvasaya, during the process of digestion and absorption, and in the tissues (dhatus) all over the body in the course of metabolism in which various kinds of powerful chemical substances such as enzymes, hormones, oxygen etc., take part. The above mentioned theories of Nyaya-Vaisesika and Ayurveda are logically proved one. Because these science, which try to explained all the theories are phenomenon of universe, which is natural one, not artificial. So its scientific tradition is from the times of immemorial, and it is everlasting. 163

NOTES 1 tadbhinnam jnanamanubhavah | sa dvividha yathartho'yatharthasceti | Tarka Samgraha 2 3 yatharthanubhavascaturvidhah -- pratyaksa'numityupamitiा sabdabhedat | Ibid. ayatharthanubhavastrividhah samsayaviparyayatarkabhedat | Ibid. 4 indriyarthasannikarsotpannam jnanam 5 jnanakaranakam jnanam pratyaksam | Nyaya Siddhanta Muktavali 6 pratyaksam | Nyaya Sutra , I.1.4 indriyarthasannikarsajanyam jnanam pratyaksam (jnanakaranakam jnanam pratyaksam ) tadvividham nirvikalpakm savikalpakam ceti | Tarka Samgraha 7 evam pratyaksam laukikalaukikabhedena dvividham | Nyaya Siddhanta Muktavali 8 alaukikastu vyaparastrividhah parikirtitah samanyalaksano jnanalaksano yogajastatha | Nyaya Siddhanta Muktavali 9 yogajo dvividhah prokto yuktayunjanebhetah yuktasya bharvada bhanam cintasahakrto'parah | Tarka Samgraha 10 anumanam dvividham svartham pararthasya | Tarka Samgraha I , 11 Nyaya Sutra , I.1.5 12 13 14 tatra svartham svanumitihetuh tatha hi svayameva bhuyodarsanena yatra yatra dhumastatra tatragniriti svarthanumanam | Tarka Samgraha vyaptivisistapaksadharmatajnanam paramarsah | Tarka Samgraha .. tadetat yattu svayam dhumadagnimanumaya param pratipatyartham pancavayavavakyam prayujyate, tatpararthanumanam | Tarka Samgraha 15 sadhyanirdesah pratijna | Nyaya Sutra , I.1.33 sadhyavattaya paksavacanam pratijna | Tarka Samgraha Deepika 16 udaharanasadharmyat sadhyasadhanam hetuh | Nyaya Sutra , I.1.34 pancamyantam lingapratipadakam hetuh | Tarka Samgraha Deepika 17 sadhyasadharmyattaddharmabhavi drstanta udaharanam | Nyaya Sutra ,I.1.36. 18 vyaptipratipadakam udaharanam | Tarka Samgraha Deepika | udaharanapeksastathetyupasamharo na tatheti va sadhyasyopanayah | Nyaya Sutra , I.1.38 vyapti visistalimgapratipadakam vacanam upanayah | Tarka Samgraha Deepika I 164

19 hetvapadesat pratijnayah punarvacana nigamanam | Nyaya Sutra ,I.1.39. 20 hetusadhyavattaya paksapratipadakam vacanam nigamanam | Tarka Samgraha Deepika Nyaya Sutra I.1.4,5,6,7. savyabhicaraviruddha satpratipaksa'siddhabadhita pancahetvabhasah 21 prasiddhasadharmyat sadhyasadhanamupamanam | Nyaya Sutra , I.1.6 22 upamitikaranam upamanam samjna -samjnisambandha jnanamupamitih, Tarka Samgraha Deepika 23 aptopadesah sabdah | Nyaya Sutra , I.1.7. ... | Tarka Samgraha gavayasabdavacyamityupamitirutpadyate | 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 30 31 32 vakyam dvividham - vaidikam, laukikam ca vaidikamisvaroktatvat sarvameva pramanam laukikam tvaptoktam pramanam, anyadapramanam | vakyarthajnanam sabdajnanam tatkaranam tu sabdah | Tarka Samgraha akamksa-yogyata- sannidhisca vakyarthajnanam hetuh ....sannidhyabhavat | Tarka Samgraha asattiyogyatakamksatatparyajnanamisyate || Nyaya Siddhanta Muktavali ,p.302-317. Tarka Samgraha , p.103-113. Nyaya Siddhanta Muktavali , p.366-386. This phenomenon is modern physics is called as endothermic (denoting a chemical reaction that takes heat from its surroundings) and exothermic denoting a chemical reaction that gives out energy. See Pancamahabhuta Theory Caraka Samhita Sutrasthana , VIII.9, 10. Ref. A.H.Su., I. Ref. Caraka Samhita Sutrasthana , XII, 4. History of Indian Philosophy , Das Gupta, Vol. II. p. 337-38 33 Ibid., p.336-337. 34 Ibid., p.332-333 35 Ibid., p.330-331 165