Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
We all know the affiliation between the morbid doshas and manifestation of illnesses. Ayurveda says that no illness can manifest with out the involvement of the doshas – vata, pitta and kapha (and likewise rakta based on Acharya Sushruta, who considers rakta or blood as fourth dosha).
The aggravated doshas assault the weak tissues, get lodged therein, trigger tissue injury and produce many illnesses.
However an vital query about this dosha-vyadhi relationship arises within the 24th chapter of Sushruta Samhita Sutra Sthana.
Is the affiliation between the doshas and illnesses a everlasting one or a short lived one? Is it a separable one or an inseparable one?
Acharya provides a exact reply for this debatable question on the finish of the dialogue.
On this article we will contact upon this context and attempt to discover solutions for this query.
Are doshas and illnesses related completely or briefly?
1. The context or preamble for this query
कुपितानां हि दोषाणां शरीरे परिधावताम् ॥
यत्र सङ्गः खगैगुण्याद्व्चधिस्तत्रोपजायते॥१०॥
The aggravated doshas preserve circulating all around the physique. Whereas circulating, as a result of kha vaigunya – abnormality of the channels (within the tissues), these doshas get obstructed. In consequence, in addition they get stagnated therein, on the level or space of obstruction. The illnesses get manifested at that place of dosha aggravation or the place aggravated doshas are obstructed and stagnated.
This a part of dialogue turns into a preamble for the query to come up.
2. Query associated to the connection between doshas and vyadhi (illness)
भृयोऽत्र जुज्ञास्यं, किं वातादीनां ज्वरादीनां च नित्यः संश्लेषः परिच्छेदो वा?इति ; यदि नित्यह् संश्लेषः स्यात्तार्हि नित्यातुराः सर्व एव प्रणिनः स्युः; अथाप्यन्य्हथ वातदीनां ज्वरादीनं मूलानीति तन्न। अत्रोच्यते-दोषान् प्रत्याख्याय ज्वरादयो नभवन्ति;अब च न नित्यः संबन्धः;यथाहि विद्युद्वाताशनिर्षाण्याकाशं प्रत्याख्याय न, भवन्ति, सत्यप्याकाशे कदाचित्र भवन्ति, अथ च निमित्ततस्तत एवोत्पत्तिरितिः तरङ्गबुद्वुदायश्चोदकविशेषा एव, वातादीनां ज्वरादीनां च नाप्येवं संश्लेषो न परिच्छेदः शाच्छेद :, अथ च निमित्तत एवोत्पत्तिरिति ॥११॥
On this context, an incredible debatable level is in regards to the relationship between the doshas (vata, pitta, kapha, rakta) and illnesses like jwara and so forth. Is that this relationship a samshlesha – everlasting, ongoing and inseparable one or is it a parichcheda – momentary and separable relationship?
Case 1 – Nitya, Samshlesha – The doshas and illness all the time holds a everlasting and inseparable relationship
If we take the speculation that the doshas and illnesses have a everlasting relationship all the time, then all of the dwelling beings on the planet ought to develop into sick and diseased on the identical time and always.
However that is inconceivable. All dwelling beings will not be all the time diseased and all dwelling beings on the planet don’t fall sick on the identical time. So, the connection isn’t a everlasting one and ought to be in any other case.
Case 2 – Anitya, Vishlesha, Parichcheda – The doshas and illness all the time holds a short lived and separable relationship
If the connection between the doshas and the illnesses is taken into account to be all the time a short lived one and likewise a separable one, the signs of vata and so forth doshas and jwara and so forth illnesses can’t be manifested in a single / identical place, as a result of presence of those doshas and illnesses at completely different locations. It’s because, logically the options (signs) of one thing current at some place is not going to seem elsewhere (at another place). Subsequently, on this case, the vata and so forth doshas is not going to be the basis causes of jwara and so forth illnesses.
Contradicting the opinions above, Acharya says that ‘illnesses like jwara and so forth is not going to happen with out the involvement of the doshas’. On the identical time, the connection between the doshas and illnesses can also be not a everlasting, inseparable and fixed one.
Analogy – ‘Lightening, wind, thunderbolt and rain can not happen with out the sky i.e. they all the time happen within the sky. However, regardless of the sky being current in any respect the occasions, the lightning, wind and so forth don’t occur always. However the identical lightning, wind and so forth would manifest in the identical sky when there’s presence of present causes (for them to manifest) and appropriate time for his or her manifestation (and don’t happen always). Equally, the water bubbles and the water waves additionally don’t get manifested elsewhere, they manifest within the water solely. We will see that the water bubbles and waves too, like lightning and so forth defined above, don’t happen always within the water. They manifest solely within the water at appropriate occasions and in presence of appropriate causes.’
The identical logic must be utilized to know the connection between the doshas and illnesses additionally. The connection between doshas and the illnesses is neither of everlasting affiliation nor of everlasting dissociation. The illnesses get manifested solely by these doshas which endure aggravation as a result of causes / etiological components equivalent to improper meals and actions, within the time of their incidence i.e. when the pathogenesis has been accomplished.
