When we see a great deal of diversity relating to the mind and matter of human beings, it might have occurred to most of us that why an individual is unique in his or her own way. Why does a particular person react to certain things in a characteristic manner and how are all of us different from each other regarding our physical structure, temperament, suitability, habits and manners ? It is the distinct bio-physiological or genetic constitution in modern language or prakriti in the ayurvedic parlance that makes an identity so different from others, while all of us remain the integrated part of the same universe from which we are born.
If literally translated, “pra” refers to before, beginning, commencement or source of origin in different contexts and the word “kriti” denotes creation. Therefore prakriti on the whole means the first formed native or the original form of the being. Ayurvedic texts tell that the prakriti of an individual is determined at the point of conception and it refers to the distinct biological constitution and the innermost nature of an individual. This whole make-up of a person or the prakriti remains constant and unchanged throughout his life.
Originally, ayurveda defined seven body types. The first three types occur in their single form depending upon the predominance of a particular dosha as vatic, paittik and kaphaj. “Sama” prakriti, though a rarity, is said to be the perfect balance of all bodily humors. The more common are three dual prakritis known as vata-kapha, vata-pitta and pitta-kapha. In more recent times, by reversing the two doshas these three dual types of prakritis have been expanded to include six dual types.
Apart from defining physical traits or prakriti of a person, ayurveda has listed out different kinds of mental frames also. Though these classifications are largely attributed to the characteristics of various doshas, mind and its properties are more clearly discussed according to three “gunas”, namely satva, rajas and tamas. These three gunas not only reflect the intellectual proclivities or emotional tendencies but also show the sensitivity of the mind, its reactions and its capacity to perceive and understand situations.
In fact, Acharya Charaka had hinted about chromosomes and genes by using the words “beejbhaga” and “beej avyava”. So, the concept of prakriti propounded by ayurveda is not merely an academic exercise. To be more precise, it is one of the basic principles of this ancient system which, while being appreciated by Westerners nowadays, is also immensely helpful in holistically understanding a patient. Disease and diagnosis form a complex knowledge and sometimes due to lack of in-depth study of a patient’s distinct physical and psychological nature, the desired results of treatment are not achieved.
All of us, while engaging ourselves in the pursuit of gaining knowledge of other sciences and subjects, to some extent have ignored the basic concern of what suits our body and mind. Thoughtfulness of one’s basic nature can be a tool for self-examination and self-development and can also help us to understand people in a better way. Prakriti analysis forms the basis of choosing or modifying our lifestyle, selecting the conducive diet plan besides preparing ourselves to adjust to seasonal variations and meeting situational challenges. The aim of Ayurveda vests not only in treating a patient but also maintaining the health of a healthy person. Analysing and understanding the prakriti of both a patient and a healthy person and to act accordingly is the first step towards achieving this goal.