Chapter 1. Rasa Vimana Taste-based factors for the measurement of diseases and drugs Part 1

Chapter 1.
Rasa Vimana

Taste-based factors for the measurement of diseases and drugs

Part 1

 

अथातो रसविमानं व्याख्यास्यामः||१||

इति ह स्माह भगवानात्रेयः||२||

Now we shall expound the chapter "Rasa Vimana"(Taste-based factors for the measurement of diseases and drugs).

Thus said Lord Atreya. [1-2]

Importance and objective of vimana sthana

इह खलु व्याधीनां निमित्त पूर्वरूपरूपोपशय सङ्ख्याप्राधान्य विधिविकल्प बलकाल विशेषाननुप्रविश्यानन्तरं दोषभेषज देशकालबलशरीरसाराहारसात्म्यसत्त्वप्रकृतिवयसां मानमवहितमनसा यथावज्ज्ञेयं भवति भिषजा, दोषादिमानज्ञानायत्तत्वात् क्रियायाः|

After comprehending the features of a disease in terms of its 

निमित्त etiology, 

पूर्वरूप prodromal features, 

रूपो signs and symptoms, 

उपशय suitability, 

सङ्ख्या number, 

प्राधान्य predominance of morbid factor, 

विधि classification, 

विकल्प proportional variation, 

बलकाल intensity and duration, 

the physician should assess carefully the features of the drugs, agents, and the constitution of the patient (दोष doshas, भेषज drugs, देश place, काल time, बल strength, शरीर body, सारा constitutional dominance of one or the other dhatu, आहार diet, सात्म्य suitability, सत्त्व psyche, प्रकृति constitution and वयसां age) because the therapeutic interventions depend on the knowledge of the features of doshas, etc

न ह्यमानज्ञो दोषादीनां भिषग् व्याधिनिग्रहसमर्थो भवति|

A physician having no knowledge of the features of doshas is incapable of controlling the disease.

तस्माद्दोषादिमानज्ञानार्थं विमानस्थानमुपदेक्ष्यामोऽग्निवेश! ||३||

Hence O Agnivesha! For the knowledge of the features of doshas, etc., we shall describe this section on vimana (specific features) [3]

•Effect of Rasa

 तत्रादौ रसद्रव्यदोषविकारप्रभावान् वक्ष्यामः|

To start with, we shall talk about the effects of rasa,

dravya (substance), 

dosha and 

vikara (disorder).

रसास्तावत् षट्- मधुराम्ललवणकटुतिक्तकषायाः|

Rasas, as we know, are six – sweet, sour, saline, pungent, bitter and astringent. 

ते सम्यगुपयुज्यमानाः शरीरं यापयन्ति, मिथ्योपयुज्यमानास्तु खलु

दोषप्रकोपायोपकल्पन्ते||४||

These maintain the body in harmony if used appropriately otherwise vitiate the doshas. [4]

 

•Effect of rasa on dosha

दोषाः पुनस्त्रयो वातपित्तश्लेष्माणः|

Doshas are three – 

1.vata,

2.pitta and 

3.shleshma (kapha).

ते प्रकृतिभूताः शरीरोपकारका भवन्ति, विकृतिमापन्नास्तु खलु नानाविधैर्विकारैः शरीरमुपतापयन्ति||५||

In their प्रकृति / normal state, these are beneficial to the body while in विकृति / an abnormal state, these afflict the body with various disorders. [5]

तत्र दोषमेकैकं त्रयस्त्रयो रसा जनयन्ति, 

त्रयस्त्रयश्चोपशमयन्ति|

Three rasas aggravate one dosha 

while the other three pacify it. 

तद्यथा- कटुतिक्तकषाया वातं जनयन्ति, 

मधुराम्ललवणास्त्वेनं शमयन्ति; 

For example, katu / pungent, tikta / bitter and Kashaya / astringent (rasa) aggravate vata 

while madhura /sweet, amla /sour and lavana / saline pacify it

कट्वम्ललवणाः पित्तं जनयन्ति, 

मधुरतिक्तकषायास्त्वेनच्छ्मयन्ति; 

Likewise, katu / pungent, amla /sour and lavana/ saline rasas aggravate pitta 

while madhura /sweet, tikta / bitter and kashaya / astringent ones pacify it. 

मधुराम्ललवणाः श्लेष्माणं जनयन्ति, 

कटुतिक्तकषायास्त्वेनं शमयन्ति||६||

Madhura / Sweet, amla / sour and lavana / saline rasa aggravate kapha 

while katu /pungent, tikta / bitter and Kashaya / astringent pacify it. [6]

रसदोषसन्निपाते तु ये रसा यैर्दोषैः समानगुणाः समानगुणभूयिष्ठा वा भवन्ति

ते तानभिवर्धयन्ति, विपरीतगुणा विपरीतगुणभूयिष्ठा वा शमयन्त्यभ्यस्यमाना इति|

In case of the conjunction of rasa and doshas, rasas aggravate those doshas sharing similar properties and pacify those that have opposing or antagonistic properties. 

एतद्व्यवस्थाहेतोः षट्त्वमुपदिश्यते रसानां परस्परेणासंसृष्टानां, त्रित्वं च दोषाणाम्||७||

This mode of action that the 6 rasas and the 3 doshas are described individually unmixed with each other.

This explains six rasas for the three doshas. [7]

संसर्गविकल्पविस्तरो ह्येषामपरिसङ्ख्येयो भवति, विकल्पभेदापरिसङ्ख्येयत्वात्||८||

Details of संसर्ग / mutual combinations and विकल्प / proportional variations with regard to them are अपरिसङ्ख्येयो innumerable because these variations are innumerable. [8]

तत्र खल्वनेकरसेषु द्रव्येष्वनेकदोषात्मकेषु च विकारेषु रसदोषप्रभावमेकैकश्येनाभिसमीक्ष्य ततो द्रव्यविकारयोः प्रभावतत्त्वं व्यवस्येत्||९||

Whether it is an agent (generically termed dravya in Sanskrit) with multiple rasas or a disorder having afflictions of various doshas, one should first critically analyze the role of each rasa or dosha individually and then determine the effect of the dravya and the disorder. [9]

न त्वेवं खलु सर्वत्र|

न हि विकृतिविषमसमवेतानां नानात्मकानां 

परस्परेण चोपहतानामन्यैश्च 

विकल्पनैर्विकल्पितानामवयवप्रभावानुमानेनैव 

समुदायप्रभावतत्त्वमध्यवसातुं शक्यम्||१०||

But this rule is not applicable universally because in case of complex disorders (and dravyas) where the effect is not exactly in accordance with the cause due to multiple causative factors operating, with differing (often conflicting) modes of operation, it is not possible to determine the effect of the dravya or the disease on the basis of the effect of individual rasas or doshas. [10]

तथायुक्ते हि समुदये समुदायप्रभावतत्त्वमेवमेवोपलभ्य ततो द्रव्यविकारप्रभावतत्त्वं व्यवस्येत्||११||

In such cases, the effect of the dravya or the disease is ascertained on the basis of their cumulative action. [11]

तस्माद्रसप्रभावतश्च द्रव्यप्रभावतश्च दोषप्रभावतश्च विकारप्रभावतश्च तत्त्वमुपदेक्ष्यामः||१२||

Hence we shall describe the concept according to the effect of rasa (individual) and dravya (total) on one side and dosha (individual) and disease (total) on the other. [12]