Samanya Vishesa
If you associate with substances and activities which have qualities
which are the same as the qualities composing a particular dosha,
that quality will increase;
If you associate with things that have qualities opposite to those which
make up a dosha, that dosha will not accumulate excessively
and will eventually decrease.
This is known as the principle of samanya-vishesa:
Sarvada sarvabhavanam samanyam vriddhikaranam. Hrasahetuvishesasca prevrittrubhayasya tu. (CS. Su. 1:44)
As we have seen from the previous section the humours, when aggravated, become the causative factors in disease. Diseases are nothing but manifestations of aggravated humours. When aggravated the humours give rise to various symptoms and various diseases.
VATA
"In excess, Vata (air) causes emaciation, debility, liking of warmth, tremors, distension and constipation, as well as insomnia, sensory disorientation, incoherent speech, dizziness, confusion and depression".
High Vata (high air) results in the life force and the mind losing their connection with the body, resulting in decay and loss of co ordination. There is hyperactivity at the expense of the vital fluids and the physical body tends to waste away. The life force becomes disconnected from the body, which also causes some degree of mental dissociation. Mind and body separate causing the body to begin to decay. The primary symptom of this is various forms of pain and disorientation.
PITTA
"Pitta (fire) in excess causes yellow color of stool, urine, eyes and skin, as well as hunger, thirst, burning sensation and difficulty sleeping".
High Pitta (high fire) results in the accumulation of internal heat or fever, along with inflammation. We literally begin to burn ourselves up. Various acids or bile accumulate in the tissues causing fermentation, purification and infection. Bleeding and excessive discharges like sweat or urine often occur.
KAPHA
"Kapha (water) causes depression of the digestive fire, nausea, lethargy, heaviness, white color, chills, looseness of the limbs, cough, difficult breathing and excessive sleeping".
High Kapha (high water.) results in the accumulation of weight and gravity in the body, which inhibits normal function and causes hypoactivity through excess tissue accumulation. We become caught in a force of inertia, heaviness, congestion and stagnation and gradually lose the power of movement.
(Ashtanga Hridaya XI. 6 8)
Family: Labiatae
Vernacular names: Sanskrit - Tulasi, Tulssi, Surasa, Krishnamul, Vishnu-priya; Hindi - Kala-tulasi; English - Holy basil; Unani - Tulsi; Bengali - Krishna tulasai; Tamil - Thulasi
Part Used: leaves, seeds, root
Ayurvedic Energetics:
Rasa: pungent, bitter
Veerya: heating
Vipaka: pungent
Guna: light, sharp,
dry
Doshas: VK -; P+
Pharmacological Action: demulcent, expectorant, anticatarrhal, antispasmodic, anthelminthic
Clinical Research: The ethanolic extract of the leaves exhibited a hypoglycemic effect in rats and an antispasmodic effect in isolated guinea pig ileum. Tulsi extract was administered to 20 patients with shortness of breath secondary to tropical eosinophia in an oral dosage of 500 mg TID and an improvement in breathing was noted. The aqueous extract showed a hypotensive effect on anesthetised dogs and cats and negative inotropic and chronotropic activity (reduces the force and rate, respectively) on rabbit's heart. Antibacterial activity has been shown against Staphlococcus aureus and Mycoplasma tuberculosis in vitro as well as against several other species of pathogens including fungi. The plant has had general adaptogenic effects in mice and rats and has been shown to protect against stress-induced ulcers. It has also shown to be protective against histamine-induced bronchospasm in animals.
Traditional Uses: The leaf infusion or fresh leaf juice is commonly used in cough, mild upper respiratory infections, bronchospasm, stress-related skin disorders and indigestion. It is combined with ginger and maricha (black pepper) in bronchial asthma. It is given with honey in bronchitis and cough. The leaf juice is taken internally and also applied directly on cutaneous lesions in ringworm. The essential oil has been used in ear infections. The seeds are considered a general nutritious tonic.
Indications: bronchospasm, cough, indigestion, catarrh
Formulations and Dosage:
fresh leaf juice : 15-20 ml with honey
tid
leaf infusion
: 2-3 oz
tid
Sharma, GP, Sachitra Ayurveda, Apr., 665, 1983 as reported in Selected
Med Plants of India, Chemexcil, Bombay, 225-227, 1992.
Singh, TJ, Dasgupta, P, Khan, SY, and Mishra, KC, Preliminary
pharmacological investigations of Ocimum sanctum, Ind J Pharm., 32, 92,
1970.
Bhat, JV and Broker R, Action of some plant extracts on pathogenic
staphlococci, J Sci Ind Res Sect. B, 12, 540, 1953.