Dravya Guna Shastra - "The Knowledge of the qualities of substances”

  “There is nothing in the world that does not have therapeutic utility when applied in appropriate situations”   - Charka Samhita

            Dravya Guna Shastra - Ayurvedic energetic herbalism - literally translates as “The knowledge of the qualities of substances”.  The energetic concepts used in Ayurvedic herbalism are known as Rasa (taste), Virya (thermal energy), Vipaka (post-digestive effect), Guna (qualities) and Prabhava (special effects and potency).  Using these concepts to understand the energetic of herbs provides us with a framework to work with in the formulation of herbal remedies.  With a proper assessment of prakriti (Constitution) and Vikriti (current imbalance), we can choose the appropriate formula to help regulate the doshas, remove ama (toxins) and restore balance.

Rasa:  Rasa means many things in Ayurveda.  Rasa is “essence”, “juice”, “pleasure” and “plasma” as well as meaning “taste”.  It makes perfect sense, as our experience, our “taste” for life is what gives us pleasure or pain.  Our ability to extract the “essence”, the” juice” from life is a key determinant of our health and vitality. 

Sweet: The sweet taste provides the building blocks and basic nourishment for all life.  It promotes strength, love and satisfaction.  In excess it promotes greed, attachment and laziness.  Sweet taste is found in carbohydrates, fats and proteins as well as the simple sugars of glucose, fructose and lactose.  Sweet taste pacifies Vata and Pitta, while in excess, increases Kapha.  Herbs with a primary sweet taste are often considered tonics as they strengthen the “Ojas” (essence), increase stress resistance and promote tissue growth.

Sour: The Sour taste creates heat in the body and mind, stimulates digestion and moistens dryness.  It can promote will power and courage, but in excess can create envy, jealousy and anger.  Substances with a primary Sour taste often provide us with necessary vitamins such as the Vitamin C found in acidic fruits.  Sour taste is also experienced in yogurt, pickles, sourkraut, vinegar, sour dough bread and many condiments. Herbs with a primary sour taste usually will pacify Vata but can increase both Pitta and Kapha.

Salty:  The Salty taste also creates heat and moisture, while enkindling digestion.  It is very grounding for nervous Vata types and a great source of vital, essential minerals.  In excess, it aggravates Pitta and Kapha because as it can promote high blood pressure and water retention.  In addition to sea and rock salts, the salty taste is found in seaweeds, the famous ayurvedic mineral pitch shilajit and mineral rich herbs like nettles.

Pungent:  The Pungent taste is heating, drying and stimulating.  It clears excess mucus and secretions, promotes the digestive fire and wakes up the mind.  In excess it contributes to anger, agitation, passion and excitement.  It is primarily found in digestive spices with aromatic oils such as ginger, cardamom and black pepper.  Herbs with a primary pungent taste pacify Kapha, increase Pitta and pacify Vata (in small amounts only).

Bitter:  The Bitter taste is cooling, drying, and lightening.  It drains excess fluid accumulations, clears toxins from the blood and enhances liver function.  In excess, the bitter taste creates anxiety and fear, weakens the kidneys and decreases libido.  The bitter taste is found in some vegetables such as kale and dandelion and in many herbs such as neem, gentian and goldenseal.  Many herbs with a dominant bitter taste have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.  The Bitter taste decreases Kapha and Pitta but increases Vata.

Astringent:  The Astringent taste is cooling, drying and constricting.  It draws tissues and the mind inward.  It reduces excesses and pacifies both Kapha and Pitta.  In excess, the astringent taste can leave you feeling dry and unfulfilled.  The astringent taste is found in foods such as raspberries and pomegranates and in tannin rich herbs such as tea, myrrh and the famous ayurvedic triphala.

Virya:  Virya is the basic understanding of the heating or cooling action of any substance.  In herbal medicine, “hot” herbs are generally circulation promoting, invigorating, stimulating, drying, metabolism enhancing and sweat inducing.  Many herbs with a heating “virya” have an affinity for the heart, liver and lungs.  Sour, Salty and Pungent herbs usually have a heating virya (there are always exceptions to every “rule”).   “Cold” herbs moisten, calm, sedate, promote an inward movement and soothe inflammed conditions.  Many herbs with a sweet taste promote tissue growth and are nurturing, while bitter and astringent cooling herbs are ultimately drying and depleting in action.  Cold herbs in general have an affinity for the Kidneys, Bladder and Stomach.

Vipaka:  Vipaka is the concept of “post-digestive effect”, a unique concept to Ayurvedic herbalism.  It primarilyrefers to the drying ormoistening effect, as well as the long term heating or cooling effect, an herb has after is has been fully digested.  Ayurveda contends that herbs with sweet and salty tastes, due to their moistening effect, digest into the “sweet” taste.  Sour digests into “sour”, which increases heat and calms Vata.  Pungent, Bitter and Astringent herbs digest into “pungent” due to their drying and reducing actions.

Guna:  There are 10 pairs of opposite qualities known as “Gunas” that are fundamental to the understanding of all herbs and substances found in nature.  The 10 pairs of opposites are:  Cold/Hot, Light/Heavy, Moist/Dry, Sharp/Dull, Smooth/Rough, Soft/Hard, Liquid/Solid, Subtle/Gross, Stable/Mobile and Slimy/Clear.  The combination of qualities, with the understanding of the taste, heating/cooling effect and post-digestive effect – gives us an indication of the herbs potential therapeutic action.

Prabhava:  In addition to Rasa, Virya, Vipaka and Guna, Ayurveda understands that some herbs have special, unique actions that can not be understood through taste, energetics and qualities alone.  The knowledge of the prabhava of herbs is the result of direct experience and observation of the effects over thousands of years of usage in traditional Ayurvedic herbalism.  Prabhava indicates an herbs affinity for a particular organ, region or dosha. Prabhava also shows us when an herb has a different action then would be expected (ie. a hot/sour herb that clears heat and pacifies Pitta), well as potential toxic effects.

Ayurvedic herbalism is the understating of the tastes, energetics, qualities and special actions of plants and other substances.  Once these classifications are understood, herbs are used in synergistic combinations to pacify the excess doshas and their manifestations in the tissues and channels.  The following section provides a more complete understanding of the paradigm used in constitutional energetic herbalism:

Dhatus:  The “Sapta Dhatus” are the seven supportive tissues of the body.  The seven tissues are Rasa (plasma/lymph), Rakta (blood), Mamsa (muscle), Medo (adipose), Asthi (bone), Majja (nerve/marrow), Shukra (reproductive fluids).  These tissues are formed from the nourishment we receive through the foods, herbs and drinks we consume.  The seven tissues “flow” through their respective channels, known as “srotas”

Srotas:  Air, food, liquids, doshas, tissues, wastes and even the thoughts and emotions flow through 16 major channels that link the entire body and mind.  In addition to the 7 dhatu srotas (tissue channels) there are 9 other channels that carry air/life force energy (prana), food (anna), water (ambhu), feces (purisha), urine (mutra), sweat (sveda), breast milk (Stanya), menstrual fluids (atarva), and thoughts (mano). 

Excess flow, deficient flow, blockage of flow and overflow within the channels are the causes of imbalance and disease.  Vata constricts, dries, tightens, hardens and cools the channels.  Pitta expands, inflames, swells and irritates the channels.  Kapha causes accumulations, blockages, deposits and wastes to build up in the channels.

Agni:  The concept of “Agni” represents all digestive functions within the body from the food we eat to all sensory experiences we perceive.  There are 13 major agnis recognized in Ayurveda.  “Jathar-Agni” is present in the gastrointestinal tract and is responsible for the digestion, absorption, and assimilation of all substances we eat or drink.  The 5 “Bhuta-Agnis” are located in the Liver and further the process of digestion.  The 7 “Dhatu-Agnis” are the enzymes in all the tissues that transforms nutrients, building and maintaining the supportive tissues of the body.  The improper function of agni is recognized as the root cause of all imbalance in the body.

Ama:  When agni is “manda” (slow), “tikshna” (sharp and intense), or Vishamna (irregular) then un-metabolized wastes can form from the substances we take in.  These wastes are called “Ama”.  Ama mixes with the doshas in the 16 major channels of the body, contributing to imbalance and disease.  In Ayurveda, maintaining a balanced (“Sama-Agni”) digestive fire and promoting the elimination of Ama is of great importance in maintaining health and well-being.