Introduction to Vata
Vata or air is the most important of the three doshas. Both the words ‘vata’ and ‘vaayu’ are derived from the Sanskrit word ‘va gatigandhanyo:’. According to this, the element which generates movement or enthusiasm in the body is called ‘vata’ or ‘vaayu’. Thus, all types of movements in the body are caused by this vata. Vata itself has also been called ‘Prana’. In the Atharvaveda, the entire universe has been said to be under the control of life by saying ‘Pranaya Namo Yasya Sarvamidam Vashe (11.4.1)’. In Charaka, Vayu has been said to be the motivator of fire, the motivator of all the senses and the source of joy and enthusiasm; because it is Vayu that makes all the metals in the body perform their respective functions and it is Vayu that sustains the body.
This is present in the Panch Mahabhutas in the form of Prana Vayu, is present in Tridosha in the form of Vata. The same air sustains the body in the form of breathing and exhalation and energy, this is called Prana Vayu or Vata.
This word ‘Prana’ signifies the life force. It appoints the mind, the sense organs and the organs of action to their respective subjects and actions. It is this which ignites the digestive fire and the metal fires of the body. It is this Vata (air) which creates the small and big holes (empty spaces) of the various sources in our bodyThis Vata is the reason for the subtle and gross structure of every metal like juice, blood etc. and the relation of one part of the body with another part. Due to this, the development of the foetus in the womb and its shape is formed. All the activities of the nervous system are controlled by this Vata. Without vata, the other two doshas – pitta and kapha also remain inactive like a lame person, because it is vata that keeps these doshas and wastes stable at their places and takes them elsewhere when required. In this way, it is the Vata dosha that takes out the wastes like stool, urine, sweat etc. from the body. When it remains in its balanced state, it keeps all the doshas, dhatu and wastes in balanced state. When it becomes contaminated or irritated, it contaminates all the doshas, dhatu, malas and sources as well, because being mobile it transports any dosha to another place, due to which the dosha already present at that place increases and disease arises.
Thus, according to Ayurveda, the root cause of all types of diseases in the body is the aggravation of this Vata. While in normal conditions, Vata keeps the doshas and impurities (dhatu, malas, sub-dhatu) separate, when it gets aggravated, it mixes them together, which leads to diseases.
Vata has a quality – Yogavahita, which means that it takes on the qualities of other doshas when it is combined with them. Thus, when it combines with Pitta dosha, it acquires the qualities of Pitta like burning, heat, etc., and when it combines with Kapha, it acquires the qualities like coolness, wetting, etc.
Natural Properties of Vata
Vata is dry, cold, small, subtle, mo3256.05801878bile, vast (without stickiness) and rough. These qualities like dryness etc. are natural qualities of Vata.* When Vata is in a balanced state, these qualities cannot be experienced. Rather, the presence of Vata is known only from actions like enthusiasm, inhaling and exhaling etc. When Vata is aggravated, then only symptoms like dryness etc. appear in the body.| Property | Effects on the body |
|---|---|
| Roughness | Dryness in the body, emaciation (thinness), dwarfism, hoarse voice (deformities of the vocal cord), dry, slow, irritated and heavy voice and lack of sleep. |
| Coolness | Not being able to tolerate cold substances, getting easily affected by cold diseases, excessive tremors and stiffness in the body. |
| Brevity | Lightness in the body, shakiness in gait, movement, food intake and speed. |
| versatility | Instability in movement of joints, eyes, eyebrows, chin joint, lips, tongue, head, shoulders, hands and legs |
| Non-viscosity | Cracking sound from joints when stretched or bent, tearing of skin of body parts and fluttering in them. |
| Roughness | Dryness and roughness of the hair, face and other parts of the body (nails, teeth, mouth and hands and feet). |
| Majority | Talking too much, tendons and veins in the body becoming more prominent. |
| Promptness | Quickness in decision making, getting angry and irritated quickly, quick development of disorders and diseases, getting scared quickly, liking and disliking a thing quickly, understanding and forgetting the matter quickly. |