Drāvya-prakṛti (the nature of a substance)
Drāvya (substance) is essentially the substratum in which guṇa (substantial qualities/properties) and karma (action) are inherently associated (samavāya). Guṇa (propriety) is the virtue of their own nature by which the material acts; and karma (action) is the effect produced.
Substances are classified in:
– animal,
– plants;
– fungi;
– bacteria;
– minerals;
– protists (any eukaryotic1
an organism consisting of a cell or cells in which the genetic material is DNA in the form of chromosomes contained within a distinct nucleus organism which does not fit in any of the above like algae).
According to their use are classified into two groups:
– food (āhāra)
– medical drug (auṣadha)
Substances (dravya) are of three categories:
– alleviate doṣa (śamana or pacifying)
– vitiate dhātus (kopana – aggravating)
– maintain good health or svasthahita (lit. self-placed) which maintains normalcy or homeostasis).
The substratum of substance
Drāvya (substance) is constituted of: gurvādiguṇa (proprieties), karma (action), rasa (taste), vīrya (inherent power), vipāka (final conversion), prabhāva (specific potency) and tri-guṇa.
– gurvādiguṇa (proprieties of matter) is the virtue of their own nature by which the material acts;
– karma (action) is the effect produced;
– rasa (taste) is the object of gustatory sense organ;
– vīrya (inherent power) is the factor (potency) responsible for manifestation of the effect on agni (digestive fire)
– vipāka (conversion) is the final transformation (or taste / action exhibited after digestion) which affects mala and dhātus.
– prabhāva (specific potency) is the specific inherent active principle (specific action of drug that cannot be defined through their properties);
– tri–guṇa (psychosomatic effects) is the dominant substratum of substance (i.e. sattva, rajas, tamas)2
I have included the triguṇa as essential substratum of drāvya indeed as far as I know the triguṇa-s have never be discuss in any āyurveda saṃhitā in this context of drāvya. The concept of triguṇa was theorised in Sāṃkya system in the context of cosmology of prakṛti. Ref: Sāṃkhyakārikā 12: the three guṇas dominate, support and active one another and interact among themselves to create the world.
Thus, in order to understand a substance form its pharmacological effect on our organism one should consider the cumulative effect of all the constituents of that specie drāvya. When drāvya are processed and/or combined should be also know the results of processing and combining of their constituents. A Navakaraṇi should study and get acquainted with Drāvya-guṇa-vijñāna (i.e. compendiums which provide the complete pharmacological profile of most important drugs and food).
Gurvādi-guṇa
Gurvādi guṇas (also referred as śārīraka-guṇa) are substance proprieties. Gurvādi guṇas
are equivalent to the qualities which make up:
– five elements (pañcabhūta-s)
– tridoṣa-s,
– dhātus
– srotas
Gurvādi guṇas are twenty in number (ten guṇas and their respective opposite).
heaviness (guru) | lightness (laghu), |
coldness (śita) | heat (uṣṇā) |
unctuousness (snigdha) | roughness (rūkṣa) |
dullness (manda) | sharpness (tīkṣṇa) |
smoothness (ślakṣṇa) | coarseness (khara) |
density (sāndra) | liquidity (drava) |
softness (mṛdu) | hardness (kaṭhina) |
immobility (sthira) | mobility (sara) |
subtlety (sūkṣma) | grossness (sthūla) |
non slimness (viṣada) | slimness (picchila) |
Drāvya karma
Drāvya karma refers to the therapeutical effect of a substance. A list of most important therapeutical actions (karma) of herbs is given below:
Alterative: purifying blood.
Anti-diarrhoea: check bowels’ discharge.
Anti-parasitical and anthelmintic: used to destroy parasitic worms.
Antipyretic: used to prevent or reduce fever.
Aphrodisiacs:increase vitality and sexual power.
Astringent: causing the contraction of skin cells and other body tissues.
Carminative: relieving flatulence.
Coagulant: a substance that causes blood or another liquid to coagulate.
Demulcent: relieving inflammation.
Diaphoretic: inducing perspiration.
Digestive: promoting the process of digestion.
Diuretic: causing increased passing of urine.
Emmenagogue: a substance that stimulates or increases menstrual flow.
Expectorant: promotes the secretion of sputum by the air passages.
Haemostatic: stopping blood-flow.
Laxative: facilitate evacuation of the bowels.
Nerving: used to calm the nerves and Antispasmodic: used to relieve spasm.
Purgative: strong laxative.
Rejuvenative: promote intelligence and vitality.
Spermatogenic: increase semen and breast milk.
Stimulant: raise level of physiological activity.
Tonic: nourishing , promoting vigour or well-being.
Vulnerary: healing of wounds.
Rasa (taste)
Taste (rasa) is the object of gustatory sense organ which indicates a distinct mahābhautika (or element dominant). There six primary tastes:
– madhura (sweet),
– amla (sour),
– lavaṇa (salty),
– kaṭu (pungent),
– tikta (bitter)
– kaṣaya (astringent).
Each rasa arises from the combination of two mahābhūta.
Taste (rasa) | Elements (mahābhūta) |
sweet (madhura) | water (jala) + earth (pṛthivī) |
sour (amla) | earth (pṛthivī ) + fire (agni) |
saline (lavaṇa) | water (jala) + fire (agni) |
pungent (kaṭu) | air (vāyu) + fire (agni) |
bitter (tikta) | air (vāyu) + ether (ākāśa) |
astringent (kaṣāya) | earth (pṛthivī) + air (vāyu) |
Vīrya
Vīrya refers to potency or active components of a substance through which a substance can manifest its therapeutical effect (karma).
Substances (dravya) are basically classified according to potency (vīrya) into two types:
– rasa pradhāna (dominated by rasa) i.e food (āhāra)
– vīrya pradhāna (dominated by vīrya) i.e. drug (auṣadha)3
[Cakrapāṇi on CS. Sū.S II.17]. i.e. Cakrapāṇi (चक्रपाणि) is the author of the Viśvavallabha-Vṛkṣāyurveda (1580 CE)
Based on their degree of effectiveness vīrya are classified in:
mild (mṛdu-vīrya),
moderate (mādhyama-vīra)
sharp (tīkṣṇa-vīra) 4Cakrapāṇī –
According to their nature potency is classified in two (dvividha-vīrya-vāda):5 dvividha-vīrya-vāda (lit. two-type potency theory) is the most accepted theory on vīrya.[\mfn]
– uṣṇa (hot)
– śīta (cold)5[A.H. CS. Sū.S. IX.17]
Vipāka (conversion)
Vipāka i.e. vi (specific or different) + pāka (digestion, assimilation of food) is the final transformation (or taste / action exhibited after digestion) which affects doṣa-s, dhātus and mala. Any ingested substance is digested and metabolised through a long process involving agni (fire) at different levels (viz. the thirteen types of agni-s: jaṭharāgni or dehagni which metabolise the essence of food (āhāra-rasa); the 5 bhūtāgni which nourishes the pañcamahābhuta-s; the 7 dhātvāgni which nourishes the dhatu-s and upadhatu-s having homologous qualities). The ingested substances have dominance of particular mahābhūta which is perceived in our tongue in form of taste (or rasa: sweet (madhura), sour (amla), saline (lavaṇa), pungent (kaṭu), bitter (tikta) and astringent (kaṣāya). Yet, the final transformation of a substance processed by agni and metabolised in the body may not produce the same effect than when is digested. In fact only of three type of rasa (tri-rasa) are consider after digestion: sweet (madhura), sour (amla) and pungent (kaṭu). Thus when ingesting a particular substance we should not only consider the rasa (taste-effect) but also the vipāka (conversion-effect). Vipāka (conversion-effect) may change according nature of the substance and combination. Thus vipāka is generally referred as the “post-digestive effect” or the final bio-transformation of a digested substance (food/drug).
General guidelines of vipāka (conversion or Post-digestive effect of a substance) in relation to the six rasa (taste) :
Rasa taste | Vipāka final transformation |
sweet (madhura) | sweet (madhura) |
saline (lavaṇa) | |
sour (amla) | sour (amla) |
pungent (kaṭu) | pungent (kaṭu) |
bitter (tikta) | |
astringent (kaṣāya) |
The final conversion of specific substance in accordance to their rasa-s do not alwasy produce similar outcome. One should always refer to a drāvyaguṇavijñāna-s.
Action of produced by vipāka-s:
Sweet (madhura)
– increases kapha
– helps in eliminates mala (excreta)
– increases the śukla (semen)
Sour (amla)
– increases pitta
– helps in eliminates mala (excreta)
– decreases the śukla (semen)
Kaṭu vipāka
– increases vāta;
– suppresses mala (excreta);
– decreases the śukla (semen).
Prabhāva (specific potency)
Prabhāva or specific potency is the particular inherent active principle or a specific action of substance that cannot be defined through their properties of rasa, vīrya, and vipāka. For instance the effects of substance might not coherent with its rasa, vīrya, and vipāka. Thus if a substance’s rasa, vīrya and vipāka are functionally corresponding to each other, yet the action is contrary to the expected, that specific potency is called as prabhāva.6[CS. Sū.S. XXVI.67
In this context the specific effects of stones (especially in relation with planets) or frequencies which produce unexplainable effects on body and mind are classified as prabhāva.
Tri-guṇa dominate
Tri-guṇa dominant (or psycho-somatic effects) is the dominant substratum (i.e sattva, rajas, tamas) of a substance i.e food (āhāra) or drug (auṣadha) which make up both mind-complex (manas) and body-complex (śārīra) and which ultimately manifests as feelings-emotion (psychological to somatic outcome) / emotion-feeling (somatic to psychological outcome).
According to their guṇa-s dominance are classified as:
– pleasurable (i.e. sattva-dominant),
– sorrowful (i.e. rajas-dominant)
– and/or dullness (i.e. tamas-dominant).7
Food (āhāra) or drug (auṣadha) as fa as I know as never be discuss in any āyurveda saṃhitā in terms of tri-guṇa. Indeed, a basic classification of food according to triguṇa is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā (Mahābhārata).
Final manifestation into body-mind complex of the guṇa present in a substance (drāvya) | ||
sattva “intelligence-stuff” intelligence and wisdom | rajas “energy-stuff” Energy and movement | tamas “mass-stuff” Mass and obstruction |
wisdom and contentment | passion and sorrow | ignorance and dullness (neither pleasurable nor sorrowful) |
mental health | mānasa-doṣa mental disorders | |
Correlation of gurvādi-guṇa, drāvya-karma and upakrama
Doṣa-s get pacified with food, drugs, regimen, therapies having opposite qualities of the doṣa.
guṇa qualities of substance | karma therapeutical action | upakrama measures | |||
+K | guru – heaviness | add weight nourishes | nourishing dhātus | bṛṃhaṇa nourishing | dhātus tissues |
– K | laghu – lightness | reduce weight bring lightness | reduces K, burns āma | laghana depletion | |
+P | uṣṇa – hotness | alleviates stiffness, heaviness and coldness | pacifies V, K | svedana sudation (sweating) | srotas channels |
– P | śita – coldness | restricts mobility | inhibits P | stambhana astringent | |
+V | rūkṣa – roughness | dryness | nullifies āma | rūkṣana dehydration | doṣa-s |
– V | snigdha – unctuousness | softness and moistness | mitigate V | snehana oleation |
Correlation of rasa, pañcabhūta and tridoṣa
Taste (rasa) | Elements | Aggravates | Pacifies |
sweet (madhura) | water (jala) + earth (pṛthivī) | kapha | vāta-pitta |
sour (amla) | earth (pṛthivī )+ fire (agni) | pitta-kapha | vāta |
saline (lavaṇa) | water (jala)+ fire (agni) | pitta-kapha | vāta |
pungent (kaṭu) | air (vāyu) + fire (agni) | vāta-pitta | kapha |
bitter (tikta) | air (vāyu) + ether (ākāśa) | vāta | kapha-pitta |
astringent (kaṣāya) | earth (pṛthivī) +air (vāyu) | vāta | kapha-pitta |
Correlation of rasa, vipāka and vīrya
Rasa taste | Vipāka final transformation | ||
sweet (madhura) | sweet (madhura) | ||
sour (amla) | sour (amla) | ||
saline (lavaṇa) | sweet (madhura) | ||
pungent (kaṭu) | pungent (kaṭu) | ||
bitter (tikta) | |||
astringent (kaṣāya) | |||
vīrya potency | hot (uṣṇa) | cold (śita) | |