Doshas in Ayurvedic medical system

1. Dr Vinod Kumar

2. “Sama dosha sama agnischa sama dhatu mala
kriya prasanna atma indriya mana swastha iti
abideyate”
Susrutha, Chap 15
 Balanced Doshas (Vata Pitta Kapha), balanced
Agni (digestive fire), balanced Dhatu (body
tissues) and balanced Malas (excretions) and
the proper use of the five sense organs
(indriyas) help keep your Soul (atma), mind
(mana) and body in a happy, pure and clear
healthy state (swasta)

3.  zrIr Ë;[adœ dae;>,
 Ë;yiNt mn> zrIr< c #it dae;a>,
 Ê:yiNt Anen #it dae;>,
 Dosha is that which has potential to vitiate others,
when it get vitiated by others.

4.  ‘Dosha’ because these have tendency to get
vitiated and also to vitiate others.
 Bilateral tendency of Dosha is cause of health
and diseases.
 State of balance of Dosha is health
 State of imbalance of doshas is disease.
 Dosha has definite place/location and
functions in our body.
 Five subtypes for each doshas

5.  Three Doshas
◦ Vata
◦ Pitta
◦ Kapha

6.  Vata: Activity
 Pitta: Transformation
 Kapha: Stability and binding

7.  Vata: Air + Space (Air flows in space)
 Pitta: Fire + Water (Water for protection)
 Kapha: Earth + Water (Water for mobility)

8.  Combination of different pancabhuta
 Possibility of wide numbers of combinations
of these elements to form wide number of
different doshas
 Variation in vata, pitta and kapha can be
indefinite

9.  Vata word comes from “va’ which means
movement
 Vata is air or wind
 Responsible for all types of
activities/movements
 Astringent in taste

10.  Vata Dosha:
tÇ ê]ae l"u> zIt> or> sUúmílae=inl>,
 Vata: Dry, light, cold, rough, subtle,
mobile, clear
 No form or shape in body
 Can be appreciated with its actions
 Leader among three doshas
 Main sites for vata: Colon, rectum, bladder,
pelvis, lower limbs, bone, ears and skin

11.  Prana vayu
 Udana vayu
 Vyana vayu
 Samana vayu
 Apana vayu

12.  Prana means life
 Site for prana: chest, head, throat, tongue,
nose, mouth, sense organs
 Functions: respiration (inspiration), heart
beat, sneezing, deglutition, expectoration
 Diseases: Hikka (Hiccups), swasa (breathing
problem)

13.  Site for Udana: chest, neck, lungs, larynx,
pharynx, nose,
 Functions: Speech, optimum zeal, effort,
memory, color and complexion, maintaining
strength of body by removing waste gases
during expiration
 Diseases: Sneezing, cough, breathing
difficulty, unconsciousness

14.  Site of vyana: Spread throughout the body,
heart
 Functions: Very fast, nerve impulses, blood
supply to all parts of body, sweat secretion,
voluntary and involuntary body movements,
movement of rasa and rakta
 Diseases: Diseases which affect the whole
body

15.  Site of Samana: Gastrointestinal tract, near
digestive fire all over the digestive tract
 Function: Mechanical splitting of food bolus
into smaller parts, peristaltic movements,
expulsion of waste products, strengthens
digestive fire, absorption of nutrients
 Disease: Abdominal disorders

16.  Site of apana: Pelvis, bladder, uterus, penis,
thigh, testes, abdominal muscles, sigmoid
colon, anus
 Functions: ejaculation of semen, expulsion of
menstrual discharge, delivery of fetus,
defecation, micturition
 Disease: Related with anal region and bladder

17.  Pitta word comes from “tapa” which means to
heat
 Represents heat, fire, or energy in body
 Pitta, a combination of energy or heat and
liquid
 Energy in pure form can destroy body (water
component providing protection)
 Pitta has role in transformation.

18.  Pitta Dosha:
ipÄ< sõehtIú[ae:[< l"u ivö< sr< Ô‰vm!,
 Pitta: Hot, sharp (corrosive), slimy, light, mobile,
liquid, clear, penetrating, slightly viscous, katu,
amala, strong and foul smell, moves upward or
downward
 Main sites of pitta: digestive tract, blood, skin,
eyes, body fluids, brain

19. Five types of pitta
◦Pachaka
◦Ranjaka
◦Sadhaka
◦Alochaka
◦Bhrajaka

20.  Site of Pachaka: gastrointestinal tract
 Function: Digests and differntiate food
into sara and kitta, supports other
forms of pitta

21.  Site of Ranjaka: Liver, spleen, stomach.
Represented by bile, intrinsic factors in
food, enzymes in bone marrow
 Function: imparts color to blood, synthesis
of hemoglobin

22.  Site of Sadhaka: Heart, brain
 Function: maintain functions of
mind, ego and intellect,
fulfillment of desires

23. Site of Alochaka: Eyes
Function: Perception of light

24.  Site of Bhrajaka: Skin
 Function: Keeps skin warm,
responsible for complexion &
lusture, digestion of medicaments
applied externally to skin

25.  Kapha which flourishes in presence of water
 Sleshma comes from “Slish” which means “to
embrace”
 Gross form because of viscous and slimy
nature
 Responsible for main body mass
 Kapha is responsible for stability and binding

26.  Kapha Dosha:
iõGx> zItae guémRNd> ðú[ae m&Tõ> iSwr>
k)>,
 Kapha: Cold, slimy, shiny, heavy, dull,
smooth, stable, soft, viscous, moist, white
in color, sweet or salty taste
 Main sites of kapha: Body fluids, chest, fatty
tissues, joints, respiratory organs, nose,
throat, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and
head

27.  Five types of Kapha
◦Kledaka kapha
◦Avalambaka kapha
◦Bodhaka kapha
◦Tarpaka kapha
◦Shleshmaka kapha

28.  Site of Kledaka: Stomach and small intestine,
represented by mucus secretion of
gastrointestinal tract
 Function: Moistens the food, makes digestion
easy, supports other kapha types

29.  Site of Avalambaka: Chest, heart
 Function: Supports and gives strength
to heart, lungs, bony cage. Supports
circulation and respiration. Hence,
supports whole body.

30.  Site of bodhaka: oral cavity, tongue,
throat, represented by saliva
 Function: Helps in appreciation of
taste by tongue, moistens food and
helps in appreciating taste

31.  Site of Tarpaka: Cranial cavity, CSF
 Functions: Supports functions of brain
and maintains nutrition for brain

32.  Site of sleshmaka: Joints
 Function: Nutrition to ends of bones,
prevents friction during joint
movement

33.  Vata: Rajas +sattva
 Pitta: Sattva +rajas
 Kapha: Tamas +sattva
(Each soul is potentially divine)

34.  Kapha dominates in children, pitta in adult
age, and vata in elderly.
 After having food: Kapha, pitta and vata
dominance one by one
 Summer and monsoon: vata dominance
Monsoon and autumn: pitta dominance
Winter and spring: kapha dominance

35.  Vata: 2pm to 6pm and 2am to 6am
 Pitta: 10am to 2pm and 10m to 2am
 Kapha: 6am to 10am and 6pm to
10pm

36.  Prakruti is basic nature of an individual
according to doshas
 Prakruti remains constant throughout life
with minor variations
 Significant deviation from prakruti is aristha
lakshana

37.  Combination of different doshas of parents
resulting in final constitution
 Environmental influence also important e.g.
diet, activity, country, climate, age
 Prakruti determined by genetics and karmic
theory

38.  Prakruti determines general health status,
proneness to diseases, likes-dislikes etc.
 Seven body types according to combinations
of doshas
 Single dosha types and combination of three
dosha is not common

39.  Vata (rare)
 Pitta (rare)
 Kapha (rare)
 Vata-kapha (common)
 Vata-pitta (common)
 Pitta-kapha (common)
 Sama dosha (rarest)

40.  Vata-kapha
 Vata-pitta
 Pitta-kapha
 Kapha-vata
 Pitta-vata
 Kapha-pitta

41.  Vata: Vata-pitta, vata-kapha, and vata
 Pitta: Pitta-vata, pitta-kapha, and pitta
 Kapha: Kapha-vata, kapha-pitta, and
kapha
 On affected dosha: Vata-pitta-kapha

42. Vata: Air/space
Pitta: Fire/water
Kapha: Water/earth
Sama: Balance of all three
doshas

43.  Vata/pitta: Air/space main; fire/water
subordinate
 Vata/kapha: Air/space main; water/earth
subordinate
 Pitta/kapha: Fire/water main; water/earth
subordinate
 Pitta/vata: Fire/water main; air/space
subordinate
 Kapha/vata: Water/earth main; air/space
subordinate
 Kapha/pitta: Water/earth main; fire/water
subordinate

44. Prakruti Vata Pitta Kapha
Body frame Thin, irregular,
very short or very
tall
Medium
proportionate,
toned
Heavy, broad,
evenly
proportioned
Weight Hard to gain, easy
to lose
Easy to gain, easy
to lose
Easy to gain, hard
to lose
Skin Cold, dark, and
tans easily
Warm, light,
reddish, sunburns
easily,
Cool, fair, oily,
and tans easily
Hair Dry, thin, dark Straight, fine,
reddish,
premature
balding, or
graying
Oily, wavy, thick,
blonde, black or
dark brown
Eyes Brown, gray,
violet, unusual
color, small
Green, light
brown, almond
shaped
Black, blue, dark
brown, big,
sensual
Nails Dry, grayish Clear, well-
formed, pliable
Square, white,
even

45. Prakruti Vata Pitta Kapha
Appetite Irregular Intense Consistent
Evacuation Constipated,
irregular, small
quantity
Loose, irregular,
large quantity
Slow, regular,
moderate quantity
Sweat Scanty Profuse Moderate
Stamina Poor, exertive Moderate, driven Excellent,
lackadaisical
Sleep Poor, variable Moderate, light Long, deep

46. Prakruti Vata Pitta Kapha
Temperament Fearful, indecisive,
nervous,
perceptive
Angry, intelligent,
arrogant,
successful
Greedy, calm,
stable, stubborn
Memory Learns quickly,
forgets quickly
Learns quickly,
forgets slowly
Learns slowly,
forgets slowly
Speech Erratic, talkative Decisive, articulate Slow, cautious
Spirituality Spiritually
disciplined
Tendency to
material success
Fundamentally
material
Dreams Flying, fearful,
erratic
Fiery, violent,
intense
Watery, sensual,
long sequence
Sexuality Cold, variable Hot, intense Warm, enduring

47.  Fast food
 French fries
 Tea
 Coffee
 Coke
 Ketch up
 Bread
 Pizza
 Ice creams and so on
Thesefoodcontain…….ELEMENTS
andworkon……dosha.