Tridosha: Crux of Healthy life
RIGHT from pea to planet, the five great elements can be seen to exist in the universe at all levels. Ayurveda believes that in the body of a living organism, man for example, they acquire a functional form. At this stage these elements are coded into three biological forces and are called tridosha (humours) — vata, pitta and kapha. This Tridosha Theory forms the basis of ayurvedic physiology and decides its approach towards diagnosis and treatment.
Interestingly, in Sanskrit “dosha” means a fault or a defect. This alerts us to the fact that in balance these doshas are life supporting, but when imbalanced, they are the agents of disease and misery. Each of these doshas is composed of two great elements as vata of air and space, pitta of fire and water and kapha of earth and water. Having both philosophical and physiological connotations, this Tridosha Theory in itself is very complex and exhaustive. But still it can be looked upon in a simple and brief manner by studying some of the important characteristics of each of these doshas.
Vata:It has been described as subtle, clear, dry, cold, rough, flickery and dispersing. Vata is the psychosomatic force of initiation and transmission. It supports the mind, heart, sense organs and intelligence and governs the process of respiration. It initiates the thought process and speech, sends impulses and regulates enthusiasm and endurance.
Vata is also responsible for bodily movements, the transportation of food even to the minutest cell and the segregation of the wastes. It regulates the bowels, urination, the expulsion of semen, the menstrual flow and the foetus. Vata gets vitiated due to fasting, irregular dietary habits, erratic daily routine, excessive exercises and stressful conditions like anxiety, fear, worry and grief. Substances having similar properties as vata also intensify it while those having opposing properties pacify it.
Pitta: It has been described as hot, sharp, light penetrating, unctuous and free-flowing. Pitta controls all types of biological energy in the body and the mind. An array of other complex activities like digestion, metabolism and the hormonal system, too, fall under the realm of pitta. It helps in blood formation and regulates the normal temperature of the body besides producing natural urges like hunger and thirst. Pitta provides complexion to the skin, maintains vision and supports mental phenomena like intellectual comprehension, conviction, courage and valour. Pitta is aggravated by substance or activities having similar properties to it including the eating of hot, salty, pungent, sour and spicy and non-vegetarian food and exposure to sun and heat. It gets intensified due to anger, hate and jealousy — and in volatile and competitive situations.
Kapha: It is perceived as static, slow, dense, cold, unctuous and heavy. Kapha represents the somatic stability of the universe and governs the structural integrity of all cellular components in the body. It imparts immunity, maintains cohesion between the organs, and regulates the lympathic system, the sense of taste and all the mucous secretions. Kapha also nourishes the joints and maintains the fluid balance of the body. Psychological phenomena like emotional stability and determination are governed by kapha. Eating heavy and oily food, exposure to cold, excessive sleep and adhering to lethargic and sedentary lifestyle aggravate kapha and opposite conditions pacify it.
Body, the universe; universe, the body
SIX orthodox thought systems existed in ancient India. Of these, Sankhya philosophy (the school of rational thought) postulated by Maharshi Kapil forms the basis of ayurvedic beliefs. It reflects the ideas regarding how things came into being.
The rishis understood the universe in terms of five primordial elements or panchamahabhutas — agni (fire), vayu (air,), prithvi (earth), jala (water) and akasha (ether or space). Everything in the universe is composed of these five elements. In the heavens they appear as the sun, the moon and the air. Fire is the source of energy and is equated with the sun. Water and earth combine to give us the moon, which cools and preserves the universe. And finally the wind, a combination of air and space, is responsible for the propulsion and dynamism of the universe.The theory of the five elements can be explained better in relation to a small atom. Fire, the source of energy in an atom, is equated with the energy needed or generated by its electrons. The dynamism of air is exhibited by the mobility of the electrons. The inter or intra orbital space in an atom represents space. The nucleus depicts the heaviness of earth whereas the cohesion of the atomic structure displays the qualities of water.
Ayurveda makes us understand this complex structural interface in a broader perspective. According to sutras, “Yat pinde tat brahmande” or “Yat brahmande tat pinde”: what we call the universe is our body or what is known as the body is the universe. This primordial cohesion, which is also the subject of each of the five sense organs, can be comprehended better if we look at it right from the level of the cellular structure.
Within a simple single living cell the earth element predominates by giving a structure the cell. The water element is present in the cytoplasm or the liquid within the cell membrane. Fire regulates the metabolic processes in the cell. The air element predominates the gases therein and the space occupied by the cell denotes the last of the elements.
In the case of a composite and multi-cellular organism as a human being, earth manifests itself in the solid structures of the body like flesh, bones, cartilages, teeth, hair etc. Air is responsible for all the bodily movements and fire denotes the functioning of the enzymes and the metabolic process. Plasma, saliva, mucous and all other fluids correspond with water and space is represented by the body channels and the cavities.Ayurveda believes that the plant kingdom too exhibits the presence of these five elements. This is the commonality we share with the herbs and it is this mutuality which makes the basis of our give-and-take with nature. The modern concept of primary plant metabolites and the secondary metabolites fully backs the ayurvedic view point.
Omnipresent, these elements are mixed in an infinite variety of proportion that each form of matter is distinctly unique. Constantly changing and interacting with one another, they create a situation of a dynamic flux that keeps the world going. To perform the physiological functions, these five elements form three vital energies or tridosha — vata, pitta and kapha.