The Doshas
Doshic Theory.
A brief understanding of the Pancha Mahabhuta.
*Gunas of the Pancha Mahabhuta.
The Senses & The Elements.
Jnanendriya (Sensory Faculties).
|
Sensory Organs |
Karmendriyas (Faculties of Action) |
Motor Organs |
Tanmatras (Objects of the Senses)
|
Maha Bhuta (Elements) |
Hearing |
Ears |
Speech |
Vocal Cords |
Shabdha (Sound) |
Ether
|
Tactile Perception
|
Skin |
Giving & Receiving |
Hands |
Sparsha (Touch) |
Air |
Vision |
Eyes |
Walking |
Legs |
Rupa (Form)
|
Fire |
Taste
|
Tongue |
Procreation |
Genitals |
Rasa (Taste)
|
Water |
Smell |
Nose |
Excretion |
Excretory Organs |
Gandha (Odour or Smell)
|
Earth |
Tri-Dosha
*Attributes of Vata, Pitta & Kapha.
Vata
|
Pitta |
Kapha |
Dry Light Cold Rough Subtle Mobile Clear
|
Hot Sharp Light Liquid Mobile Oily |
Heavy Slow/Dull Cold Oily Liquid Slimy/Smooth Dense Soft Static Sticky/Cloudy Hard Gross
|
Elements of the Tridosha | ||
Space + Air
|
Fire + Water |
Water + Earth |
The Doshas and their Subtypes.
The Subtypes of Vata.
Subtype |
Governing Element |
Primary Sites |
Functions |
Direction |
Prana
|
Ether |
Head, Brain |
Purana: to fill the space |
Downward, Inward |
Udana |
Air |
Diaphragm, Throat |
Udvahana: moves upwards |
Upward |
Samana |
Fire |
Small Intestine, Navel |
Viveka: isolation, separation, splitting |
Linear |
Apana |
Earth |
Colon, Pelvic Cavity |
Dharana: holding |
Downward, Outward |
Vyana |
Water |
Heart, Whole Body |
Praspandanam: pulsation, throbbing |
Circular |
The Subtypes of Pitta.
Subtype
|
Governing Element |
Primary Sites |
Functions |
Pachaka |
Fire |
Small Intestine, Stomach
|
Digestion, absorption and assimilation of foods |
Ranjaka |
Water |
Liver, Spleen, Intrinsic Factor in Stomach
|
Produces bile, liver enzymes; gives colour to blood |
Sadhaka |
Ether |
Brain (grey matter), Heart |
Conscious thinking and emotion; comprehension |
Alochaka
|
Air |
Eyes |
Maintains iris colour, visual perception |
Bhrajaka |
Earth |
Skin | Maintains skin colour, texture, and temperature; stereognosis
|
The Subtypes Of kapha.
Subtype
|
Governing Element |
Primary Sites |
Functions |
Kledaka |
Fire |
Stomach Gastro, Intestinal Tract | Gastric Secretions; Digestion and absorption; nourishes rasa |
Avalambaka |
Air | Lungs, Pleural Cavity; Heart, Respiratory Tract, Spine | Support; Holds emotions; supports all kapha systems |
Bodhaka |
Water |
Oral Cavity | Salivary secretions; taste; swallowing; speech |
Tarpaka |
Earth | Brain (white matter); Myelin Sheath, Cerebrospinal Fluid | Subconscious thinking and emotions; memory |
Shleshaka |
Ether |
Joints | Lubricates joints (synovial fluid); nourishes bones |
The Twenty Attributes.
- COLD/HOT (Shita/Ushna)
- OILY/DRY (Snigdha/Ruksha)
- HEAVY/LIGHT (Guru/Laghu)
- GROSS/SUBTLE (Sthula Suksma)
- DENSE/LIQUID (Sandra/Drava)
- STABLE/MOBILE (Sthira/Chala)
- DULL/SHARP (Manda/Tikshna)
- SOFT/HARD (Mridu/Kathina)
- SLIMY/ROUGH (Slakshna/Khara)
- CLOUDY/CLEAR (Picchila/Vishada)
If one attribute or quality is unlike another it tends to reduce it, for instance black pepper is hot, dry and light and is the opposite of cold, dense or liquid and will therefore reduce the liquid or mucous (Kapha) quality in the body. The elements from which the three doshas arise increase or decrease in the body according to what types of food and environment we subject our selves to and are not limited to the physical elements of the body. The thoughts and emotions have there own qualities and can effect the doshas.
- · HOT. Hot is the primary attribute of Pitta thus attribute increases the Pitta dosha but decreases Vata and Kapha dosha.
- · COLD has the effect of decreasing Pitta but increasing the Kapha and Vata dosha.
- · WET tends to increase Kapha because the Kapha dosha is composed of water and earth. It decreases Vata (air/ether) and mildly decreases Pitta (fire/water).
- · DRY. The attribute of dryness relates to air thus increases the Vata (wind) dosha but decreases the Kapha dosha and mildly decreases Pitta.
- · HEAVY relates to earth and water thus increases Kapha (earth/water) decreases Vata and mildly decreases Pitta.
- · LIGHT is related to air, ether and fire. It greatly increases Vata and increases Pitta moderately and decreases Kapha.
- · GROSS is related to earth and water. Gross increases Kapha, decreases Vata (strongly) and decreases Pitta (moderately).
- · SUBTLE relates to fire air and ether and thus increases Vata (strongly) and Pitta Moderately. It decreases Kapha
- · DENSE has its primary attribute in earth. Dense being related to earth is heavy thus increases Kapha but decreases Vata and Pitta.
- · FLOWING or liquid is related to water and fire. It increases Pitta, decreases Kapha (Moderately) and Vata (strongly).
- · MOBILE or FAST is related to the element of air and also to fire. It increases Vata (strongly), Pitta (moderately) and decreases Kapha.
- · STATIC or SLOW is related to the elements of earth and water. It increases Kapha, decreases Vata (strongly) and Pitta (moderately).
- · DULL or “resistance” is related to the elements of earth and water. It increases Kapha, decreases Vata (strongly) and Pitta (moderately).
- · SHARP is related to the elements of fire, air and ether. The penetrating sharpness of the element of fire increases Pitta (strongly), Vata (moderately) and decreases Kapha.
- · SOFT is related mainly to the element of water. It increases Kapha (strongly), Pitta (moderately) and Vata (strongly).
- · HARD is related to the elements of air (which dries earth and makes it hard) and earth. It increases Vata and decreases pitta (moderately) and Kapha strongly.
- · SMOOTH is related to the element of water. It increases Kapha (strongly), Pitta (mildly) and decreases Vata.
- · ROUGH is related to the elements of air and earth. It increases Vata, decreases Pitta (mildly) and Kapha (strongly).
- · CLEAR and LIGHT is related to the elements of fire, air and ether. It increases Vata (strongly), Pitta (moderately) and decreases Kapha.
- · CLOUDY, DARK is related to the elements of water and earth. It increases Kapha and decreases Vata and Pitta.