Chapter 2. Trividhakukshiya Vimana (Chapter on the Principles of Dietary Intake)
अथातस्त्रिविधकुक्षीयं विमानं व्याख्यास्यामः||१||
इति ह स्माह भगवानात्रेयः||२||
We shall now describe the chapter on the “3 divisions of stomach based on the Capacity of the Stomach”. Thus said Lord Atreya. [1-2]
Three divisions of stomach
त्रिविधं कुक्षौ स्थापयेदवकाशांशमाहारस्याहारमुपयुञ्जानः; तद्यथा- एकमवकाशांशं मूर्तानामाहारविकाराणाम्, एकं द्रवाणाम्, एकं पुनर्वातपित्तश्लेष्मणाम्; एतावतीं ह्याहारमात्रामुपयुञ्जानो नामात्राहारजं किञ्चिदशुभं प्राप्नोति||३||
The consumer of the food should divide the total capacity of his stomach into three parts –
- a third of the portion of the space should be allocated to solid food articles,
- a third to liquid food substances and
- the remaining third should be left for the (movement of) vata, pitta and kapha.
- One who keeps this basic thumb-rule during dietary intake, does not get affected by any adverse effect arising out of improper amount of diet. [3]
न च केवलं मात्रावत्त्वादेवाहारस्य कृत्स्नमाहारफलसौष्ठवमवाप्तुं शक्यं, प्रकृत्यादीनामष्टानामाहारविधिविशेषायतनानां प्रविभक्तफलत्वात्||४||
It is not possible to derive all the beneficial effects of any diet only on the basis of the quantity of food consumed because the other seven factors (discussed in the preceding chapter, such as prakriti (nature of food) etc.) have their own individual role to play.[4]
तत्रायं तावदाहारराशिमधिकृत्य मात्रामात्राफलविनिश्चयार्थः प्रकृतः| एतावानेव ह्याहारराशिविधिविकल्पो यावन्मात्रावत्त्वममात्रावत्त्वं च||५||
However, the focus of this chapter is only to analyze the effect of the quantum of food (rashi) ingested, with the objective of determining appropriate and inappropriate quantities. This is the only consideration to decide how much is the proper and improper amount of food. [5]
Signs after consuming proper amount of food
तत्र मात्रावत्त्वं पूर्वमुद्दिष्टं कुक्ष्यंशविभागेन, तद्भूयो विस्तरेणानुव्याख्यास्यामः| तद्यथा- कुक्षेरप्रणीडनमाहारेण, हृदयस्यानवरोधः, पार्श्वयोरविपाटनम्, अनतिगौरवमुदरस्य, प्रीणनमिन्द्रियाणां, क्षुत्पिपासोपरमः स्थानासनशयनगमनोच्छ्वासप्रश्वास -हास्यसङ्कथासु सुखानुवृत्तिः, सायं प्रातश्च सुखेन परिणमनं, बलवर्णोपचयकरत्वं च; इति मात्रावतो लक्षणमाहारस्य भवति||६||
Whether the amount of food to be consumed is appropriate or not is determined on the basis of the capacity of the stomach and its division into three parts, as mentioned earlier. This will again be described here in detail.
Any quantity of food to be consumed can be considered appropriate
- if it does not exert undue pressure on the abdomen,
- does not cause obstruction in the proper functioning of the heart,
- does not exert any pressure on the sides of the chest,
- does not leave a feeling of excessive heaviness in the abdomen,
- properly nourishes(satisfies) the sense organs,
- subsides hunger and thirst,
- after consuming which the person is able to perform activities such as standing, sitting, walking, exhaling, inhaling, laughing, and talking with ease, and
- is easy to digest when taken in the morning and evening hours.
- Food consumed in the appropriate quantity enhances strength, complexion, and nourishment of tissues. [6]
Signs after consuming improper amount of food
अमात्रावत्त्वं पुनर्द्विविधमाचक्षते- हीनम्, अधिकं च|
Amatra / Inappropriate quantity is of two types -
- deficient / hinam or
- excessive in quantity / adhikam – as briefly mentioned earlier.
तत्र हीनमात्रमाहारराशिं बलवर्णोपचयक्षयकरमतृप्तिकरमुदावर्तकरमनायुष्यवृष्यमनौजस्यं शरीरमनोबुद्धीन्द्रियोपघातकरं सारविधमनमलक्ष्म्यावहमशीतेश्च वातविकाराणामायतनमाचक्षते,
The food taken in deficient quantity / hina matra is said to be the cause of
- reduction in strength, complexion and nourishment of body tissues,
- non–satisfaction,
- altered peristalsis and
- misplacement of vayu,
- impairments in life-functions, body tissues (sara), sexual stamina (virility) and ojas (vitality),
- damage to the body, mind, intellect, and sense organs,
- inducing inauspiciousness and
- also making the person home to a variety of disorders of vata.
अतिमात्रं पुनः सर्वदोषप्रकोपणमिच्छन्ति कुशलाः| यो हि मूर्तानामाहारजातानां सौहित्यं गत्वा द्रवैस्तृप्तिमापद्यते भूयस्तस्यामाशयगता वातपित्तश्लेष्माणोऽभ्यवहारेणातिमात्रेणातिप्रपीड्यमानाः सर्वे युगपत् प्रकोपमापद्यन्ते, ते प्रकुपितास्तमेवाहारराशिमपरिणतमाविश्य कुक्ष्येकदेशमन्नाश्रिता विष्टम्भयन्तः सहसा वाऽप्युत्तराधराभ्यां मार्गाभ्यां प्रच्यावयन्तः पृथक् पृथगिमान् विकारानभिनिर्वर्तयन्त्यतिमात्रभोक्तुः|
One who eats solid foods in excess and also drinks beverages beyond satiation / adhika matra will have
- all the three doshas- vata, pitta and kapha - in his stomach vitiated simultaneously due to their getting compressed by all the excess food.
- Thus, vitiated doshas in the undigested food mass get localized into a part of the stomach,
- which then either obstruct the movements in the abdomen or suddenly get eliminated through upper and lower channels of the alimentary tract.
तत्र वातः शूलानाहाङ्गमर्दमुखशोषमूर्च्छाभ्रमाग्निवैषम्यपार्श्वपृष्ठकटिग्रहसिराकुञ्चनस्तम्भना-नि करोति, पित्तं पुनर्ज्वरातीसारान्तर्दाहतृष्णामदभ्रमप्रलपनानि, श्लेष्मा तु छर्द्यरोचकाविपाकशीतज्वरालस्यगात्रगौरवाणि||७||
They produce distinct features in the person as follows:
- Vata causes colic pain, distension of the abdomen, body ache, dryness of the mouth, fainting, giddiness, variability in digestive power, rigidity in flanks, back and waist and contraction (spasm) and hardening of vessels.
- Pitta causes fever, diarrhea, burning sensation inside body, thirst, intoxicated state, giddiness and delirium, and
- Kapha causes vomiting, anorexia, indigestion, fever with cold, laziness and heaviness in the body .[7]
Other causative factors for ama formation
न च खलु केवलमतिमात्रमेवाहारराशिमामप्रदोषकरमिच्छन्ति अपि तु खलु गुरुरूक्षशीतशुष्कद्विष्टविष्टम्भिविदाह्यशुचिविरुद्धानामकाले चान्नपानानामुपसेवनं,कामक्रोधलोभमोहेर्ष्याह्रीशोकमानोद्वेगभयोपतप्तमनसा वा यदन्नपानमुपयुज्यते, तदप्याममेव प्रदूषयति||८||
- The quantum of food is not the only cause of formation of ama (undigested and non-metabolized food) in the body
- but also the use of diet and drinks which are heavy to digest, and
- with properties like dry, cold, dehydrated, disliked by the consumer, constipation-causing, causing a burning sensation, unclean, incompatible, and/or consumed untimely.
- Intake of food while the mind being afflicted with passion/desires, anger, greed, infatuation, envy, bashfulness, grief, conceit, excitement and fear are also the cause of formation of ama. [8]
भवति चात्र- मात्रयाऽप्यभ्यवहृतं पथ्यं चान्नं न जीर्यति| चिन्ताशोकभयक्रोधदुःखशय्याप्रजागरैः||९||
Thus it can be said that any wholesome food, even if taken in the right amount, does not get digested if the mental state of the person is riddled with
- anxiety / chintha
- grief / sokha
- fear / bhaya
- anger/ krodha or
- restless / dukha and
- irritable due to lack of sleep / shayya prajagara.[9]
Two types of ama disorders
तं द्विविधमामप्रदोषमाचक्षते भिषजः- विसूचिकाम्, अलसकं च||१०||
Physicians describe two types of diseases caused by ama dosha –
- visuchika (cholera) and
- alasaka (sluggish bowels). [10]
Visuchika(cholera)
तत्र विसूचिकामूर्ध्वं चाधश्च प्रवृत्तामदोषां यथोक्तरूपां विद्यात्||११||
The expulsion of ama dosha (undigested food) through both upper and lower passages of the gastrointestinal tract with the features already described above is visuchika (cholera).[11]
Alasaka(sluggish bowel)
अलसकमुपदेक्ष्यामः- दुर्बलस्याल्पाग्नेर्बहुश्लेष्मणो वातमूत्रपुरीषवेगविधारिणः स्थिरगुरुबहुरूक्षशीतशुष्कान्नसेविनस्तदन्नपानमनिलप्रपीडितं श्लेष्मणा च विबद्धमार्गमतिमात्रप्रलीनमलसत्वान्न बहिर्मुखीभवति,
If a weak person
- having weak digestive power and
- excess of kapha in the body,
- habitually suppresses the urges of passing flatulence, micturition and bowel movement and
- at the same time consumes solid, heavy, excessively dry, and cold, dehydrated foods in excessive quantities,
- his ingested food gets afflicted by vayu.
- Even exerting pressure does not push the undigested food out of the passage since it is obstructed by kapha, by excreta accumulated already, and also because of sluggishness caused by all these factors.
- This condition is called alasaka.
ततश्छर्द्यतीसारवर्ज्यान्यामप्रदोषलिङ्गान्यभिदर्शयत्यतिमात्राणि
- All the characteristic features of ama dosha, devoid of vomiting and diarrhea, are manifested severely in alasaka.
Dandalasaka
अतिमात्रप्रदुष्टाश्च दोषाः प्रदुष्टामबद्धमार्गास्तिर्यग्गच्छन्तः कदाचिदेव केवलमस्य शरीरं दण्डवत् स्तम्भयन्ति, ततस्तं दण्डालसकमसाध्यं ब्रुवते|
- The extremely vitiated doshas move towards oblique passages as the other passages are blocked by aggravated ama.
- This will sometimes cause the body to become rigid, like a wooden rod/staff.
- This incurable clinical condition is known as dandaalasaka.
Ama Visha
विरुद्धाध्यशनाजीर्णाशनशीलिनः पुनरामदोषमामविषमित्याचक्षते भिषजः, विषसदृशलिङ्गत्वात्; तत् परमसाध्यम्, आशुकारित्वाद्विरुद्धोपक्रमत्वाच्चेति||१२||
The ama dosha of an individual who regularly consumes incompatible diet, multiple heavy meals (in short intervals) and eats even before the previous meal is digested is called ama visha (clinical state of indigestion characterized by manifestation of toxic symptoms)
- because of resemblance of manifested symptoms to that of poisoning.
- It is considered incurable because of its acute presentation and
- also because of its contradictory line of management .[12]
Management of ama disorders
तत्र साध्यमामं प्रदुष्टमलसीभूतमुल्लेखयेदादौ पाययित्वा सलवणमुष्णं वारि,
ततः स्वेदनवर्तिप्रणिधानाभ्यामुपाचरेदुपवासयेच्चैनम्|
The curable variety of ama dosha should be eliminated through
- emesis,
- by administering warm saline water and
- thereafter fomentation / swedanam and
- application of suppositories / varti
- while the patient is kept on fasting.
विसूचिकायां लङ्घनमेवाग्रे विरिक्तवच्चानुपूर्वी|
In case of visuchika,
- treatment should start with langhana measures (therapy that reduces heaviness in the body) and
- purgation therapies followed by specific dietary regimens.
आमप्रदोषेषु त्वन्नकाले जीर्णाहारं पुनर्दोषावलिप्तामाशयं स्तिमितगुरुकोष्ठमनन्नाभिलाषिणमभिसमीक्ष्य आमप्रदोषदुर्बलो च, नत्वेवाजीर्णाशनम्; पाययेद्दोषशेषपाचनार्थमौषधमग्निसन्धुक्षणार्थं ह्यग्निर्नयुगपद्दोषमौषधमाहारजातं च पक्तुम्| शक्तः अपि पुनर्विकाराणामपतर्पणेनैवोपरमो सहसैवातुरमबलमतिपातयेत्|
If in the state of vitiation of ama, the patient has finally digested the previously eaten meal, but while ingesting the present meal, if the doshas still adhere inside the stomach and the feeling in the abdomen is stimita /cold/ inactive, guru koshta /heavy and annanabhilasham / aversion to food,
- then the patient should be advised medicines for digestion of the remaining doshas (pachana drugs) and also for stimulation of digestive fire (deepana drugs).
- The patient should not be given food during indigestion since the agni (digestive power) which is already weak by excessive vitiation of ama is incapable of simultaneously digesting the dosha, the drug and the diet.
- In a patient who is already weak and has low digestive ability, the cumulative effect of excessively morbid ama (ama pradosha), food and drug will further deplete the strength of the patient and could even lead to death.
आमप्रदोषजानां चामप्रदोषाहारौषधविभ्रमोऽतिबलत्वादुपरतकायाग्निं भवति, सति त्वनुबन्धे कृतापतर्पणानां व्याधीनां निग्रहे निमित्तविपरीतमपास्यौषधमातङ्कविपरीतमेवावचारयेद्यथास्वम्|सर्वविकाराणामपि च निग्रहे वा| कुशलाः, तदर्थकारि हेतुव्याधिविपरीतमौषधमिच्छन्ति
- The diseases caused by ama dosha is treated by apatarpana i.e. depletion therapy.
- If the disease further progresses even after depletion therapy, appropriate measures should be adopted to counter the morbid condition.
- Experts recommend the use of measures antagonistic to both the disease as well as its etiological factors, hetu - vyadhi viparitha oushadhi especially medications that could treat them both.
विमुक्तामप्रदोषस्य पुनः परिपक्वदोषस्य दीप्ते चाग्नावभ्यङ्गास्थापनानुवासनं विधिवत् स्नेहपानं च युक्त्या प्रयोज्यं प्रसमीक्ष्य दोषभेषजदेशकालबलशरीराहार सात्म्यसत्त्वप्रकृतिवयसामवस्थान्तराण विकारांश्च सम्यगिति||१३||
When the patient is relieved from excessive vitiation of ama,
- the doshas are in completely digested form and
- once his digestive fire has been rekindled/restored,
- he should be administered, systematically and skillfully, measures such as
- oleation, corrective and unctuous enema (asthapana and anuvasana types of basti), and
- appropriate internal administration of unctuous substances following the specific procedure after careful assessment of the status of doshas, drugs, place, time, strength, body, diet, satmya, psyche, constitution, age etc. and also the diseases .[13]
भवति चात्र-
आहारविध्यायतनानि चाष्टौ सम्यक् परीक्ष्यात्महितं विदध्यात्|
अन्यश्च यः कश्चिदिहास्ति मार्गो हितोपयोगेषु भजेत तं च||१४||
Thus it is said-
The person should promote his wellbeing himself by properly examining the eight factors of dieting which determine the wholesomeness of the food. In addition, other measures which are conducive to health and wellbeing (that are described elsewhere) should also be adopted (per the recommendations of Ayurveda practitioners). [14]
Description of Amashaya(stomach)
अशितं खादितं पीतं लीढं च क्व विपच्यते| एतत्त्वां धीर! पृच्छामस्तन्न आचक्ष्व बुद्धिमन्||१५||
Where all the food that is eaten, masticated, drunk and licked up are digested, O perseverant? We ask this question to you, so please solve our query, O enlightened one! [15]
इत्यग्निवेशप्रमुखैः शिष्यैः पृष्टः पुनर्वसुः|
आचचक्षे ततस्तेभ्यो यत्राहारो विपच्यते||१६||
Thus having been questioned by the disciples led by Agnivesha, Lord Atreya described them the organ where food is digested [16]
Location of amasaya and functions
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