AH-Su-Chapter 9: Dravyadi Vigyaniya / Medicinal Substance

Importance of the substance - Dravya Pradhanya :

Dravya – (substance / mass of the substance) is the most important factor among Rasa (tastes) and other qualities; because all of these qualities are residing in the substance only.

Dravya/Mass is composed of five basic elements.

It has Kshma – solidity as its substratum, it takes origin from Ambu (Ap Bhuta – water element), Agni (Tejas Bhuta – Fire element), Pavana (Vayu Bhuta – air element) and Nabhas (Akasha Bhuta – ether element), with their intimate and inseparable combination. Its identification/designation is decided by the predominance of particular element in the Dravya (mass / substance). 1-2.

Notes :- Panchabhuta refers to five basic elements – Earth (solid), Water, Fire, Air and Ether. As per a philosophy, called as Sankhya philosophy, every substance on earth is composed of these five basic elements, in different proportions. The dominant part of the basic element decides the nature of the substance.

Five Basic elements –

Prithvi – Earth – Gandha (smell) is the special quality, Guru (heaviness), Khara (roughness), Kathina (hard) etc are its general qualities. 

Ap – Water – Rasa (taste) is its special quality, 

Tejas – Fire – Rupa (appearance) is its special quality

Vayu – Air – Sparsha (touch) is its special quality

Akasha – Ether – Shabda (sound) is its special quality

These elements combine together in an inseparable combination (Samavaya) to become gross objects and give rise to the formation of all the substances of this universe.
Hence the entire universe is Panchabhautik (composed of five elements, hence designated as Prapancha).

The proportion/quantity of each Bhuta (element) varies and hence the existence of variety of substances in this universe, each one very different and unique.

Whichever element is predominant in any substance bestows its name to that substance.
If Prithvi Bhuta (earth element) is more than the other four in a certain combination, then the substance the gets formed is called Parthiva – solid;
If Ap Bhuta (water element) is dominant – then Apya – liquid
If Tejas Bhuta (fire element) is more, it will be Taijasa (Agneya),
if Vayu Bhuta (air element) it will be Vayavya, and
if Akasabhuta (space element) is more, it will be Akasheeya (Nabhasa).

Thus all the substances of the universe are classified into five kinds.

Rasa – Anurasa – (Primary and secondary tastes) :-

Taste in a substance also arises out of Pancha mahabhuta (5 element) combination.  Hence, because of the combination of the elements, there is no substance having only one taste. Similarly, there is no disease arising out of a single Dosha. Any disease will have involvement of more than one Dosha.

Taste (rasa) is of two types.

Primary taste (Rasa) – the taste that is perceived clearly. The one that manifests clearly in a substance.

Secondary taste (Anurasa) – which are not clearly manifest or which are recognized at the end. 3.

Guru (heaviness) etc qualities present in the Prithvi (earth) etc substances of are residing in the taste of the substance); Qualities of a substance are ascribed to the taste because of their intimate co-existence.

Qualities of substances based on the predominance of elements –

Qualities of solid substances – (Parthiva Dravya Laksana)-

Earth has – Guru (heaviness, heavy to digest), Sthula (bulky), Sthira (stable) and Gandha (smell) qualities.

Hence, substances that have Earth as the predominant element (Parthiva Dravya) have Gaurava (heaviness), Sthairya (stability), Samghata (compactness) and well nourished qualities – 5

Qualities of liquid substances (Apya Dravya Laksana) –

Liquid element has Drava (liquidity), Sheeta (cold), Guru (Heavy to digest), Snigdha (unctuous, oily, moisture), Manda (dull), Sandra (thickness, dense) and rasa (taste) qualities.

Substances containing liquid as predominant element (Apya Dravya) have Snehana (lubrication, moistness), Avishyanda (secretion, moisture, production), Kleda (wetness), Prahlada (satiation, contentment, satisfaction) and Bandhakrut (cohesion, binding, holding together) qualities. 6.

Agneya Dravya Laksana – (qualities of Agneya substances) :-

Agni has qualities such as Ruksa (dry), Teekshna (penetrating, sharp), Ushna (hot), Vishada (non-slimy), Sookshma (minute) and Rupa (appearance, showing, from)

Substances that have fire as the main element causes Daha (burning sensation), Bha (luster), Varna (expression of colour) and Pachana ( digestion, process of transformation, putrefaction etc.) 7.

Qualities of airy substances –  Vayaviya Dravya Laksana –

Air has Rooksha (dry), Visada (non-slimy, clear), Laghu (lightness) and Sparsha (touch tactile sensation) qualities

Airy substances posses qualities such as Ruksa (dry), it produces dryness, Laghava (lightness), Vaishadya (transparency, clarity), Vichara (movements, different kinds of activities) and exhaustion 8.

Qualities of ether dominant substances – Nabhasa Dravya Laksana:-

Ether has Sukshma (minuteness), Vishada (transparence, clarity), Laghu (lightness) and Shabda (sound, hearing) qualities.
Substances with ether dominance produce cavitation (hollowness) and lightness (weightlessness) 9

Nothing is non-medicinal:-

There is nothing in this universe, which cannot be used as medicine.Knowledge and purpose of each substance is required to use any substance as medicine. 10.

Properties of Dravyas :

Fire (Agni) and Pavana (air) predominant substances generally have the property of moving upwards

Bhumi (earth) and Toya (water) dominant substances generally have the property of moving downwards – 11

Veerya (potency) :-

Master Charaka says that Virya is that property, through which drug action is made possible.  No drug action is possible without Veerya and all actions are possible only by the Virya 13.

Some authors opine that there are 8 types of Veerya (potency of an herb/medicinal substance).

Guru (Heaviness) and Laghu (light to digest)
Snigdha (unctuous, oily) and Rooksha (dryness)
Hima (cold) and Ushna (hot)
Mrdu (soft) and Teekshna (piercing, strong) 12.

Those who designated Guru (Heaviness) etc. eight qualities as Veerya, do so by direct implication.

Out of 20 qualities, these 8 qualities are predominantly seen in any substance, these 8 qualities are stronger than the rest qualities, are important in day - to - day routine, applicable to majority of substances being considered first in scientific procedures. Hence, these 8 have been given importance.  14-15.

Why Rasa and Others are not called as Viryas?

- because these are opposite to the 4 reasons mentioned above, hence gurvadi 8 qualities are the viryas.

Dividha Viryas:

Some other authors consider Ushna (hot) and Sheeta (cold) – only these 2 qualities as Veerya (potency). Because, though substances are of many kinds and qualities, only fire and water (Agni and Soma) are the powerful ones. 17-18.

Action of Hot Potency (Ushna Veerya) :

Hot potency causes-
Bhrama – Delusion, Dizziness
Trut – excessive thirst
Glani – exhaustion,
Sveda – perspiration,
Daha – burning sensation,
Ashupakita – quick cooking (transformation) and
mitigation of Vata and Kapha;

Action of cold potency (Sheeta Veerya) :

Sheeta Virya causes -
Hladana satiation, happiness,
Jivana  – livings, activities of life, enlivening
Sthambha – stoppage, withholding, restraining and
Rakta Pitta Prasada – purification of blood and calming of Pitta. 18-19.

Vipaka – taste after digestion:-

The change in the tastes that a substance undergoes at the end of digestion by the association of Jatharagni (fire in the stomach – digestion power, digestive juice in stomach), is called as Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion). 20.

Types of Vipaka:

There are three types of Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion).
Swadu (sweet) and Patu (salt) tastes undergo Madhura Vipaka (sweet).
Sour remains as sour itself – Amla – Amla Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion)
Tikta (bitter), Ushna (pungent) and Kasaya (astringent) tastes will generally be Katu Vipaka (pungent). 21.

So, generally, sweet and Salt tastes get converted into sweet taste
Sour remains as sour and
Bitter, pungent and astringent convert into pungent.

The effects of the tastes, which are felt in the mouth and of the Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion) are similar.  That means the effect of sweet taste and sweet Vipaka are similar. 21½.

Mechanism of action of substances – Karma Vidhana –

Substances act by the action of taste or by Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion) or by the qualities that they posses (Guna (qualities)) or by Veerya (potency) or by special effects. 22

Which ever the one that is powerful among them (Rasa, Guna, Vipaka, Virya and Prabhava) it suppresses all the other qualities to exhibit special influence and action.

In case of combination of two opposite qualities, the strong one vanquishes the weak. 23½ – 24.

When two opposing qualities are present in equal strength, in that situation, Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion) wins over Rasa (taste);
Veerya (potency) wins over (Rasa (taste) and Vipaka and
Prabhava (special effect) wins over all of them (Rasa, Vipaka and Veerya)

This is the pattern of natural strength. 25.

Prabhava – special effect:-

Special action exhibited by a substance over-ruling Rasa (taste), Guna (qualities), Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion) and Veerya (potency) is Prabhava.

Though Rasa, Guna, Vipaka, and Veerya in a drug may be similar, sometimes the herb may exhibit entirely different action opposite to these qualities. That special effect of the drug over-ruling inherent qualities is called as Prabhava.

Example –

Danti and Chitraka – Though Danti – Baliospermum montanum is identical with Chitraka (plumbago zeylanica) in respect of Rasa (taste) etc, Danti is a purgative while Chitraka is not. Hence, purgation is the Prabhava of Danti.

Similarly so, are Madhuka – Licorice – Glycyrrhiza glabra) and Mrdvika (grapes)
Madhuka and dry grapes – both have similar qualities. But dry grape has mild purgative action, but Madhuka does not.

Milk and ghee – both possess similar qualities. But ghee increases digestion strength but milk does not. Hence increasing digestion strength is the special effect of ghee.  26.

Vichitra Pratyayardha Dravya – extraordinary substances:-

A special category, known as Vichitra Pratyarabda exists. It means – born out of peculiar combination of peculiar factors.

For example: both wheat and barley possess sweat and heaviness qualities yet wheat mitigates Vata but barley aggravates it.
Fish and milk are sweet and heavy but still milk is cool and fish is hot.
Meat of lion and meat of pig both are sweet in taste but still lion meat has Katu Vipaka (pungent taste conversion after digestion) and pig meat has sweet Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion).

Thus ends the ninth chapter called Dravyadi Vijnaniya in Suthrasthana of Ashtang Hridaya composed by Srimad Vaghata, son of Sri Vaidyapati Simhagupta.