Principles

Basic principles of Ayurveda

According to ayurveda, Vatha, pitha and Kapha are the 3 doshas and space, air, fire, water and earth are the pancha mahabhuthas ( elements ). Every substance is made up of 5 elements . A substance quality depends on the element predominant in that substance.

Dosha	Element	Function	Quality of Element	Function
Vatha	Space	Sound	Light, clear, subtle, spreads quickly, empty	Porosity, lightness
	Air	Touch	Dry, subtle, light, rough, cool	Dryness,lightness,transparency
Pitha	Fire	Vision & colour	Sharp, hot, dry, light, clear, subtle	Digestion, complexion, vision, metabolism.
Kapha	Water	Taste	Liquidity, moist ,cool, heavy, soft mobile, slimy	Moisture, lubrication, softness,pleasant.
	Earth	Smell	Heavy, hard, non slimy, solid, static, massive,	Growth,compactness, stability,heaviness.

When vatha, pitha, and kapha are in equilibrium then we are healthy.Sound, auditory, system, lightness, minuteness, discriminative skill, channels, and orifices on the body components derived from the element Akasha (Space). Touch, skin, circulation or movement and respiration are the body components derived from the element Vayu (air) . Sight, ophthalmic apparatus, temperature, colour, metabolism, brightness and metabolic enzymes are the body components derived from the element agni (fire). Taste, coldness, softness, blood, moisture, glyness, fat, seman are the body components derived from the element Jala (water). The sense of smell, nasal function, heaviness, stability, body structure, bones and hair are the body components derived from the element prithvi (earth). The three doshas are present all over the body but vatha is dominant below the naval, pitha is dominant in the middle part of body and kapha is dominant in the chest and upper region. Vatha has the qualities of dryness, lightness, coldness, roughness, subtleness, and mobility. The seats of vatha are the colon, thighs, lumbosacral region, bones, feet, ears, skin, brain, bladder, lungs, heart, and kidney. Pitha is slightly oily, sharp, hot, light, bad smelling, mobile and liquid in nature. The seats of pitha are the small intestine, blood, stomach, liver, spleen, swet glands, eyes and skin. Kapha has the qualities of oiliness coldness, dullness, smoothness, heaviness, shineness and stability .The seats of kapha are the chest, throat, head, plasma, muscles, pleural cavity, fat, bonemarrow, joints, nose, tongue, upper stomach, pancreas and salivary glands.