7. Salient features of Pancamahabhutas

114 Salient features of Pancamahabhutas and the theory of tridosa prarabdham yat svayam karyam daivad yadi na sidhyati | na sidati ca tat kartumutsahi ca punahpunah || 2.10.723 In the Manasollasa more importance is given to utsahasakti utsahi will not stop, if he experiences loss or fails in his efforts. It says, "The good work begins by the person, if he does not succeed in that work, he must not give up his efforts. He should continue that work with confidence and then he will succeed." According to Manasollasa, a physician must study salient features of Pancha-mahabhutas and the theory of Tridosa before the treatment. Earth, water, fire, air and ether are the five elements oras. The continuation of these five elements is known as for unmanifested nature. prakrti evolves from the intellect which is known as mahat, ego - ahamkara and the five elements are produced by the Pancatanmatras. karmendriya and manas form the five elements. prthivi, ap, agni, vayu and akasa are the five Mahabhutas. 57 The gross human body or for that matter, the body of any living being, is also composed of five Mahabhutas. The external frame of this universe also has the same material composition. As the source material is the same, there is great similarity between the outer universe and the skeleton or the outer frame of any living being. 57. prakrtipravartiteyam samsrtirakhila, tato mahan jatah | mahatascahamkaro'hankarat pancatanmatram || ekadasendriyani sravanadyarthani catha jayante | tanmatrebhyo bhutani viyadvayvambusaliladharah || 1.25-26 · A - P.V. Sharma.

115 or the five elements are supposed to have their own specific qualities. akasa or ether has no weight. vayu or air is rough. agni or fire is hot. 3/4 or water is cold. or earth is heavy 58 The gross human body is the combination of prakrti and purusa . pamcamahabhuta s form the which is unmanifest. is also the product of the but he is known to have six components, five Mahabhutas and the self or . It is the who is subjected to medical treatment. A student of medicine is expected to know both and minutely for acquainting himself with the structure of human body which forms the study of anatomy and physiology. After carefully examining the structure of the body, one should proceed to find out the cause of disease and disorder and think of preventing or curing the same. After physiology, pathology is the next step in closely observing the cause of disease before undertaking any or medical treatment. It has already been mentioned that it is the , the combination of that is subjected to medical treatment.59 and the self or anatomy and physiology form the foremost basic principle in this science. The meaning of the word is said to be 'decaying', that which sriyate or decays, is known as 'sarira '. Besides this, deha and kaya are also used to denote the physical frame of a living being. is also mentioned as the abode of for soul. The body or is composed of trunk, head and other parts connected with it. or the skin covers the whole body. 3-bones, support the human body. The human skeleton is bound by several bone joints. cor muscles are attached to bones. His are attached to the brain and spinal cord. They are spread over the body 58. kham vayuragnirapah prthivi caitani pancabhutani | laghutarauksyancausnyam saityam guruta gunastesam || - tadeva . 27 59. saddhatvatmakasamjnah pancamahabhutajivasamavayah | puruso vaidyakasastre matascikitsakriyadhikrtah | | tadeva - 28

116 dhamani ww arteries, are causing sensation and controlling movements. channels carrying blood from heart to different organs: - veins bring or capillaries the blood back to heart slowly. Between these two are through which rasa nutrient material or serum, oozes to the tissues. or heart, indicates the three phases receiving, supplying and movement of cardiac cycles. Heart is the main source of life. None can live when it stops. The earliest sages have called it as the seat of consciousness.60 Heart is the receptacle of rasa and rakta . It distributes rasa and rakta to the whole body for nourishment and draws out impurities from the same. This is like a lotus situated in the chest. It is flanked by two lungs. Below on the right side is liver and on the left is spleen. Impure blood is purified in the lungs with the help of oxygen drawn in by respiration. Liver is the root of the channels carrying blood and also of fibile. f digests the food taken in. Food after digestion is separated as essence and mala the excreta. , absorbed from the intestine, goes to heart and is expelled from the body. 61 The urine formed in the kidneys is collected in the urinary bladder. c is seminal vesicle. - female genital tract- is an important seat. Head consists of brain, prana and senses and as an important H-sensitive organ. Any injury caused to head, heart, lungs, etc. may prove fatal. Pancamahabhutas no doubt prepare the frame of living bodies; but by themselves they cannot function. After life enters the body, the three vital principles that are visible in the system, regulate and control its biological functions. vata, pitta and kapha are the three vital 60. sodasangahrdayam ' sariram ' P. V. Sharma pp 180 181. www 61. sodasangahrdayam ' sariram ' P.V. Sharma, Chapter II pp 14-15.

117 principles which are the subtle forms of the pancamahabhutas - a (air), agni - (fire), tejas and ap water. akasa - ether is too subtle and prthivi - earth is too gross. Both of these cannot be involved in any of the above functions.62 Although every material is composed of the pamcamahabhuta s, there is predominance of any one of them.63 vata, pitta and kapha are considered as tridosa s. Wherever there is life, these three cs exist. 64 Every living cell is pervaded by these as. Only then they can function. In all inanimate objects and the dead, there is no function at all. Facts are necessarily connected with c or life. These as cover a wide range of animate groups. It is very interesting to note that vata, pitta and kapha have each five types of dosa s and each has specific functions of their own as shown below : tridosa s Types of dosa Function vata 1. prana Respiration 2. udana Speech 3. samana 4. vyana Stimulating digestive fire. General movements 5. apana pitta 1. pacaka 2. ramjaka 3. bhrajaka Excretion.65 Digestion Pigmentation Lustre 62. tatrasya kecidangavayava matrjadinavayavan vibhajya purvamukta yathavat | - carakasamhita - sarirasthana 4-12 63. suksmaruksakharasisiralaghuvisadam sparsabahulamisattiktam visesatah ... | -susruta samhita - sutrasthana 41-3. 64. nityah pranabhrtam dehe vatapittakaphastrayah | vikrtah prakrtistha vatan bubhutseta panditah | - carakasamhita - sutrasthana 18-48. 65. tesam tu malaprasadakhyanam dhatunam strotamsyayanamukhani | tani ..... carakasamhita - sutrasthana 28, 5-11 .

4. alocaka 5. sadhaka 118 Vision Energising heart.66 kapha 1. avalambaka Foam in the heart 2. bodhaka Taste-perception 3. tarpaka Saturating Head 4. kledaka Moistening food. 5. slesaka Uniting joints. 67 Although all pervasive dosas manifest in certain particular positions, manifests below the navel; for between heart and the navel and kapha above the head. According to drdhabalam these three - vata, pitta and kapha are influenced by biological and environmental factors and undergo changes. vata, pitta and kapha increase in old age. 68 Variation of seasons also causes accumulation, aggravation and alleviation. vata, pitta and kapha are prone to accumulate in summer, aggravate in rainy season and alleviate in autumn respectively. 9 Dosas caused by vata, pitta and kapha vary according to different seasons. Prevention of these seasonal disorders, requires modification of routine and the physician has to be aware of this fact before starting any treatment. All the biological functions are controlled by the three dosas. These dosas cannot be restricted to any gross substances as they are all-pervasive. It is for this reason that all biological factors are 66. taccadrstahetukena visesena pakvamasayamadhyastham pittam .... - 67. slosma tu pancadha urah sthah sa trikasya svaviryata | .... 68. vayo'hora tribhuktanam te'ntamadhyadigah kramat | susrutasamhita - sutrasthana 21-10. astamgahrdayam - sutrasthana 12-15-18. tairbhavedvisamastiksno mandascagnih samaih samah || - astamgahrdayam sutrasthana 1-8. 69. cayaprakopasamah pittadinam yathakramam | - bhavantyekaikasah satsu kalesvabhragamadisu || - carakasamhita sutrasthana 17-114. -

119 classified into three groups vata, pitta and kapha according to their functions. An experienced physician knows that the functions of the three dosas depend upon the diet and its nutritive value. Quantity of food is also another important factor to be kept in mind. Along with diet, drugs also have great effect on the three dosas. These drugs are having composition and are mostly influenced by Rasas or tastes. The effect of Rasas on dosas is indicated by the drugs. Rasavaisesikasutra deals extensively on this point by enumerating the Rasas and their characteristics.70 Rasas are six in number. madhura ( Sweet), amla ( Sour), lavana (Salty), katu (Pungent), (Bitter) and 4 (Astringent). Dosas are influenced by these. - (Sweet), is composed of 3p (water) and (earth). It madhura aggravates kapha and pacifies vata and pitta . amla (Sour) is said to be composed of prthivi and agni aggravating pitta and kapha and pacifying vata . lavana (Salt) is said to be the component of apa and agni aggravating pitta and kapha and pacifying vata . prthivi is a component in amla and ap is a component in lavana . The aggravation and pacification in both are the same. 71 katu (Pungent), is supposed to be composed of vayu and agni aggravating vata and pitta and pacifying kapha . tikta ( Bitter ), is having the components of vayu and akasa aggravating vata and pacifying kapha and pitta . kasaya (Astringent) is said to be the composition of prthivi and vayu aggravating vata and pacifying kapha and pitta . In tikta, akasa is predominant whereas in kasaya, prthivi 70. rasanartho rasasasya dravyamapah ksitistatha | nirvattau ca visese ca pratyamah svadayastrayah || carakasamhita sutrasthana 1-64. 71. vrddhih samanaih sarvesam viparitairviparyayah | rasah svadvamlalavanatiktosanakasayakah | | sad dravyamasritaste ca yathapurvam balavahah | - tatradya marutam ghnanti trastiktadayah kapham || astamgahrdaya sutrasthana 1. 14-15. M -

120 and is is prominent. In the same manner, 34 is a component in a component in g. But in this case, aggravation is fun and whereas, pacification is in vata and lavana . And aggravation in katu is vata and pitta and pacification is in katu . 7 72 On closely observing the effect of Rasas on dosas, one can make out that each Rasa has a positive action, either aggravating or pacifying on two dosas. Each has two predominents in its composition also. It may be noted that aggravation is another name for for increase and pacification is another name for 24 or decrease. 2 and 3 for that matter are based on agni and soma of the scriptures. pitta is increased by usna while sita increases both kapha and vata . 73 • Ayurveda gives description of a (supporting tissues and entities) and mala (excreta) alongside with tridosa . dhatu is concerned with the digested food which in the form of 3 (essence of food) is absorbed and carried into the circulation of blood. There is in the blood which is nourished by these dhatu s. dhatu s are mentioned as seven in number such as rasa, rakta, mamsa, medas, asthi majja and sukra rasa is meant to traverse through arteries which act as irrigating channels through which blood flows. By the essence or ahararasa, dhatu s are sustained. mala or excreta is thrown out or discarded by the system in the forms of mucus, dirt, sweat through eyes and skin.74 Along with tridosa and dhatu, srotas ( arteries or channels) also play an important role in the spread of disorders or disease in the 5 i required for transformation or conversion of digested food into 3/4ER. Similarly, srotas is necessary for a continuous flow of ahararasa . Just as any 72. Ibid. 10.1, 6-21. - 73. netyahuranye, virya pradhanamiti | susrutasamhita - sutrasthana 40-5. 74. tatraharaprasadakhyo rasah kittam ca malakhyamabhirnivartate | - carakasamhita ['sutrasthana ' 28.4], cikitsasthana 15. 18-19.

121 obstruction in the channels dries up a land or field, any hindrance or obstacle in the causes disorder in the system. Thirteen main channels are described by Caraka and he names them as prana (air ), udaka (water), anna (food); rasa, rakta, mamsa, medas, asthi, majja, sukra (which are also referred to as dhatu s); mutra (urine), purisa (faeces) and sveda ( sweat ). Symptoms of their disorder are also stated by him. 75