Ayurveda - The Three Doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha)Dr Veenus Jain

‘Ayurveda’ is generally understood as ‘Science of life’ translating ‘Ayuh (r)’as life and ‘Veda’ as science. Ayurveda is an ancient system of life and also the oldest surviving medical system in the world. It is considered to be an ancient science of healing that enhances longevity. Ayurveda embraces all living things, human and Non-human. Ayurveda believes that healthy body is the basis for attaining four cherished goals of life (chaturvidh purushartha) viz., Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. Positive health is defined as a combination of - (a) Dosha Dhatu samya (b) Prasanna Atma, Indriya, Manah (happy state of the soul, senses and the mind). Senses here mean the five organs of perception Gyanendriya viz., smell, taste, sight, touch, and hearing coupled with the organs of action - Karmendriya viz., mouth, hands, foot and organs of excretion and reproduction. According to Ayurveda, each one of us has a unique mix of three body principals that constitutes our mental, physical and spiritual well-being. These three principals are known as doshas, which are further classified as Vata (air-ether), Kapha (water-earth) and Pitta (water). According to ayurveda, the human body is composed of tissues (dhatus), waste (malas), and biomaterials (doshas). The seven dhatus are plasma (rasa), blood (rakta), muscles (māmsa), fat (meda), bone (asthi), marrow (majja), and semen (shukra). Like the medicine of classical antiquity, Ayurveda has historically divided bodily substances into five classical elements, (Sanskrit) panchamahabhuta, viz. earth, water, fire, air and ether.