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Line 3,095: − + + + − + − Rasa: A colorless fluid that gets ejected out of the heart and nourishes the entire body. + − Rakta: The red colored fraction that is formed in liver and spleen after the action of rañjaka pitta on rasa. It is essential for life and its function is to supply the life principle (jīva).+ − Rasa and rakta together form what is generally known as blood: rakta being the red fraction (red blood corpuscles) and rasa being the colorless fluid (plasma). + − Māṃsa: The correct translation of this term would be ‘flesh’. Flesh generally means all kinds of muscles and also the parenchyma of the different viscera such as thyroid, liver, spleen, kidneys etc. + − Medas: This generally stands for fatty tissue, however, it is to be noted that it is of two types: Baddha (bound, stable, fixed, stored) and abaddha (free, unbound). The baddha form, therefore, must include the stored fat in the form of adipose tissue; and the abaddha form must include the circulating lipids such as cholesterol, LDL, HDL etc.+ − Asthi: Though the term asthi generally stands for bony tissue, it may in some contexts, include all such relatively hard structures that resist easy decaying, viz., teeth, nails and hair.+ − Majjā: Generally, the substance that fills all the bony cavities is called majjā. However, the brain substance that fills the cranial cavity too, must be included in majjā. Therefore, majjā is of two types: asthigata (bony) and mastakagata (cranial).+ − + −
→Formation of the seven dhātus
The portion that reaches the colon is the one that is designated as ''kitta''. During the third stage of digestion, there occurs the solidification of fecal matter and formation of certain pungent gases such as ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide etc. The term ''pakva'' in this context indicates ''pakva mala''; not ''pakva ahara'' (Verse 9-11).
The portion that reaches the colon is the one that is designated as ''kitta''. During the third stage of digestion, there occurs the solidification of fecal matter and formation of certain pungent gases such as ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide etc. The term ''pakva'' in this context indicates ''pakva mala''; not ''pakva ahara'' (Verse 9-11).
==== Formation of the seven dhātus ====
==== Formation of the seven ''dhatus'' ====
''
Rasa, rakta, mamsa, meda, asthi, majja'' and ''shukra'' are the seven fundamental entities that sustain the human body. These can be called ‘tissues’ for the sake of convenience, though some of them are not tissues in a strict sense. It will be pertinent to look into these individual entities at this stage to understand what they really are in terms of anatomy. [ ]
Rasa, rakta, māṃsa, meda, asthi, majjā and shukra are the seven fundamental entities that sustain the human body. These can be called ‘tissues’ for the sake of convenience, though some of them are not tissues in a strict sense. It will be pertinent to look into these individual entities at this stage to understand what they really are in terms of anatomy. [ ]
''Rasa'': A colorless fluid that gets ejected out of the heart and nourishes the entire body.
''Rakta'': The red colored fraction that is formed in liver and spleen after the action of ''ranjaka pitta'' on ''rasa''. It is essential for life and its function is to supply the life principle (''jeeva'').
''Rasa'' and ''rakta'' together form what is generally known as blood: ''rakta'' being the red fraction (red blood corpuscles) and ''rasa'' being the colorless fluid (plasma).
''Mamsa'': The correct translation of this term would be ‘flesh’. Flesh generally means all kinds of muscles and also the parenchyma of the different viscera such as thyroid, liver, spleen, kidneys etc.
''Medas'': This generally stands for fatty tissue, however, it is to be noted that it is of two types: ''Baddha'' (bound, stable, fixed, stored) and ''abaddha'' (free, unbound). The ''baddha'' form, therefore, must include the stored fat in the form of adipose tissue; and the ''abaddha'' form must include the circulating lipids such as cholesterol, LDL, HDL etc.
''Asthi'': Though the term ''asthi'' generally stands for bony tissue, it may in some contexts, include all such relatively hard structures that resist easy decaying, viz., teeth, nails and hair.
''Majja'': Generally, the substance that fills all the bony cavities is called ''majja''. However, the brain substance that fills the cranial cavity too, must be included in ''majja''. Therefore, ''majja'' is of two types: ''asthigata'' (bony) and ''mastakagata'' (cranial).
''Shukra'': The term ''shukra'' has been described to be of two forms in Ayurveda textbooks:
#The one that is ejaculated during the process of mating, which is responsible for fertilization of ovum and thus embryogenesis, #The one that is formed from ''majja'' (the tissue that fills the bony cavities) which in turn circulates all over the body both in males and females. Reproduction is the function of this second form of ''shukra'' too. Therefore, on careful examination, it seems that the first form of ''shukra'' stands for the semen in general and for sperms in particular; and, the second form of ''shukra'' stands for hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis of hormones that circulate all over the body.
Shukra: The term ‘shukra’ has been described to be of two forms in Ayurveda textbooks: 1. The one that is ejaculated during the process of mating, which is responsible for fertilization of ovum and thus embryogenesis, 2. The one that is formed from majjā (the tissue that fills the bony cavities) which in turn circulates all over the body both in males and females. Reproduction is the function of this second form of shukra too. Therefore, on careful examination, it seems that the first form of shukra stands for the semen in general and for sperms in particular; and, the second form of shukra stands for hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis of hormones that circulate all over the body.
==== The process of nourishment of dhatu ====
==== The process of nourishment of dhatu ====