PK & Dhatu Formation
Dr. Krishna Raju Lecture Transcript ~ The Mechanics of PK; Formation of the Dhatus (tissues); Accumulation and Removal of Toxins:
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Panchakarma is the combination of two words: PANCHA, meaning five, and KARMA, meaning action. They are the five procedures to eliminate the toxins which have accumulated in our body since many years. So first the toxins—how do they accumulate in our body? When an excess of vata, pitta, or kapha qualities (known as too much dosha) builds up in the body, it throws off the natural dosha balance that is required for good health. This happens due to impurities entering the body which it is not able to properly eliminate, or from improper or incomplete transformations within the body itself. [A detailed explanation of this process, and the terminology used to describe it, follows below]
In the Vedic Texts it is said that health is whoever is having the Sama Dosha [evenness of functioning], Sama Graham [evenness of structure] and Samhadi [unity].
These are unusual words for most people, so we have instead:
VATA which is the factor for knowledge, perception and the transformations in the body—the knowledge which is seen, heard, and smelled—all the sensory things. All this knowledge is gained through perception by vata. And also the knowledge of direct transformation from eye to brain, and the transformation of nutrients we eat. ALL the transformations in the body—even the causative factors for disease, and even the ama [blockages from undigested food]. The transformation for all these things is from the vata.
PITTA is the factor for the digestion, and KAPHA is the factor for the coherence—the structural development of the body. With these three—vata, pitta, and kapha together—are all the metabolic activities and all the different functions of the body.
From these doshas, the dhatus [tissues] will be formed. Doshas and dhatus and malas are called as the whole body [comprise the whole body].Dhatus are the seven tissues: rasa is the plasma, rakta is the blood, mamsa is the flesh, medas is the fat, asti is the bone, macha is the bone marrow, and shukra is the semen and ovum.
After we have the food, the food goes into the stomach and there it gets churned and prepared into a thin fluid which can be called ahava rasa, the fluid formed after the food. This is nothing but the rasa (plasma), the first dhatu, and which gets absorbed into the body and circulated all over the body. When it reaches to the liver and spleen, the coloring agent gets added and forms the rakta (blood). Then, from rasa and rakta, after this, the mamsa is formed—nothing but the flesh. While the mamsa is preparing, flesh is getting [on the] muscles, etc. During that period, due to the heat [of metabolism], the fat is formed. To hold these muscles and all [together], the structure must be there from the astis, so through that the bones are formed. When the bones are formed, due to the vata there are some holes [vata is light, airy] and also to give more stability. The holes are filled by the bone marrow, macha, and the seventh dhatu is shukra which is the factor [in the body] for reproduction.
So these are the seven dhatus [tissues] and three doshas [functions]. And then there is the part of the malas. There are only three main malas: mudra (urine), purisha (fecal matter), and sweda, (sweat). So these malas come from whatever particles [the body] can clean up properly. Here the panchakarma is important: to take out the mala (mala is the waste product). When the malas are properly eliminated, then the body is more clear,like when water is flowing and something has obstructed it, that is nothing but a mala. So when we take it away then again the water flows properly.
Similarly, day to day, there is the mala excretion. If it is good, then the body function will be proper. And [when good] body function is happening…the whole system is fit. So for these dosha, dhatus, and malas, proper equilibrium maintenance is called health. If any imbalance is there that is disease. So all these things should be in the equilibrium state. To maintain this state, we need the panchakarms [good purification].
When we eat the food which forms the rasa and flows throughout the body [developing into the dhatus / tissues], sometimes the indigestion or some obstruction or something creates the low agni [digestive fire], then the digestion will not be properly done. When the digestion is not properly done, it is like if you are cooking some food. If the fire is not enough, then it is not cooked well.
Similarly, when the digestion is not properly done, instead of the thin fluid to prepare after digestion it will be thick, and that is nothing but the ama [heaviness]. If it is thin it can flow easily, and it can reach into all the places. When it is thick, it cannot move properly and also it sticks into some places and it stays wherever the gaps are, especially joints, we can say, and lungs—wherever the space is there, it settles. And after settling down, after some time it gets accumulated and accumulated more, and then the disease shows. When we do the regular panchakarma, we can take it away—clean up all these things and make the body fit.
All the doshas [physical factors] when accumulated in excess must be removed. The simple theory in the PK is that in all the extremities and organs the [excess] doshas will be accumulated, so we make the doshas move from the extremities and bring them back into the stomach and intestines. Then, if the doshas are more predominant of kapha, we do the vamana (vomiting). If they are more predominant of pitta, we do the virechena (purge / special sneha). If they are more predominant with vata, then we do basti (elimination therapy).
So, for vata imbalance, basti is there, for kapha vamana, and for pitta virechena. After these three there are two more [paths or actions] in panchakarma. In Ayurveda, head is considered uktamanga—amongst all it is the most important. So, nasya (nasal, head treatment) is one of the other karmas. Also there is rakta mokshana, blood-letting—taking away the vitiated (impure) blood. So blood-letting is also one of the five actions in PK. These are the five which can eliminate all the accumulated doshas [imbalances] successfully.
So for this, the abyhanga and swedana—applying the oil or ghee, any unctuous thing, or giving internally and then giving the proper fomentation (heat), will move the doshas from where they are sitting. Like for an iron rod, when we heat it, we can make it bend. Even for wood, with regular application of oil and heat it can be bent. Similarly like that, we can easily move the doshas which are accumulated and which are vitiated in our body with abhyanga and swedanas [the fomentation or heat application of patra potali, etc.]. So daily abhyanga and some heat treatment will be there.
Then after some time, according to the doshic predominance, we will give some procedures like special sneha or basti…something like that. Among these [accumulated impure doshas] the main predominant one is vata. Even though pitta and kapha are strong without vata, pitta and kapha cannot move [vata governs all movement and flow in the body]. That is why if we treat properly the vata, almost all or 90% of the treatment is done.
If vata is imbalanced, vata is like a leader, so if we control the leader, then all the other things will be managed.
Like if any strike or anything is going on, if the one person who leads that group (like the vata) is handled, all the other things will be subsided. That is why basti is the most important treatment in PK. Even though in the bastis also, according to the level of vata, pitta, or kapha, we create the treatment according to that and administer vata predominance basti, pitta predominance basti, and kapha predominance basti, and take away the problems. This is the overall information about panchakarma in a nutshell!”