Article: A REVIEW ON VIKARA DHATU VAISHAMYAM’: AN APPRAISAL OF THE STATE OF DOSHAS AND DHATUS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF DISEASES IN LIGHT OF CHARAKA SAMHITA

Article Category: Review articles

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.1305136

Pages: 107-115

Author: Bijita Majumder, Sukalyan Ray *

Abstract: As all the dosha, dhatu and mala are responsible for the retention of our body's homeostasis, all these three factors can be referred to as dhatu - ‘the element which holds up our body. Any deviation from the normal qualitative and quantitative state of these three elements can be referred to as dhatu vaishmaya, which is responsible for pathophysiologic changes in our body, which finally leads to the causation of diseases known as vikara. This deviation from the normal state can be in two ways - either in the form of aggravation/increment (known as vriddhi or prakopa) or regression/depletion (known as kshaya). In this article, the authors have tried to evaluate the state of dosha and dhatus during the pathological process of diseases, whether they remain in aggravated condition or depleted condition. From various textual understandings and evaluations of diseases' pathological processes and clinical features, it can be observed that dosha remains in its aggravated state during the pathogenesis of diseases and when it afflicts the dhatu - this results in the depletion of dhatu. Apart from two or three exceptions, in all types of conditions, this phenomenon of dosha vriddhi and dhatu kshaya can be observed conceptually as well as clinically. Thus, it can be concluded that the verse ‘Vikara Dhatu Vaishamyam’ refers to the altered state of dosha vriddhi and dhatu kshaya, which is responsible for the causation of vikara, i.e., diseases.                

Keyword: Vikara, Vaishamya, Dosha, Dhatu, Mala, Charaka Samhita