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XIII] Vāyu, Pitta and Kapha
335 constant part engaged in their physiological operations. The later accretion of the doşas or their deficiency has a separate course of action in producing diseases, and there is no interchange between these later collections of doșas or their deficiency and the constitutional constant parts of the doșas known as prakrti'. The only sense (as Cakrapāņi says) in which a dosa is related to a constitutional (prakrti) dosa is that a doşa grows strong in a system in which a corresponding doşa is constitutionally predominant, and it grows weaker when the opposite is the case. It is not out of place in this connection to say that, though the doșas are mutually opposed to one another, they do not always neutralize one another, and it is possible for them to grow simultaneously violent in a system. In the six seasons of rains (varşā), autumn (sarat), late autumn (hemanta), winter (sīta), spring (vasanta) and summer (grīşma) there is an alternate collection (caya), disturbance (prakopa) and lowering down (praśama) of the three doşas, pitta, śleşman and vāyu respectively. Thus, for example, in the rains (varsā) there is collection of pitta, in the autumn (śarat) there is disturbance of pitta, in the harvesting season (hemanta) there is lowering of pitta and collection of śleşman, in the summer there is collection of vāta, and so forthy. Contrasting the functions of the doșas in the normal (prakrti) and abnormal (vikrti) states, Caraka says that in the normal state the heat of
1 Ibid. 1.7-38-41. The passage prakrti-stham yadā pittam mārutaḥ śleşmanaḥ kşaye (1. 17.45) is often referred to in support of the view that the new accretions of doșas affect the prakti-dosas. But Cakrapāņi explains it differently. He says that a disease may be caused by a dosa which is not in excess of the constant constitutional quantity (prakyti-māna) by virtue of the fact that it may be carried from one part of the body to another and thereby may produce a local accretion or excess, though the total quantity of doşa may not be in excess.
? samānām hi prakrtim prāpya doşah praorddha-balo bhavati, asamānām tu prāpya tathā balavan na syāt (Cakrapāņi on Caraka-samhitā, 1. 17. 62).
3 Ibid. 1. 17.112. See also Cakrapāņi's comments on these. Dalhaņa, in commenting on Susruta-samhitā, 1. 21. 18, says that sancaya of dosas means aggregation or accumulation in general (dehe 'tirupāvsddhis cayah); prakopa of dosas means that the accumulated dosas are spread through the system (vilayana-rūpā vrddhiḥ prakopah). The external signs of the caya of vāta are fullness of the stomach and want of motions; of pitta yellowish appearance and reduction of heat (mandoşnatā); of kapha heaviness of the limbs and feeling of laziness. In all cases of caya there is a feeling of aversion to causes which increase the particular doşa of which there has been caya (caya-käraņa-vidveşaś ca). The stage of caya is the first stage of operation in the growth and prevention of diseases. If the dosas can be removed or neutralized at this stage, there is no further disease. The usual indication of the disturbance (prakopa) of väyu is disorders of the stomach; of pitta, acidity, thirst and burning; of kapha, aversion to food, palpitation (hrdayotkleda), etc. The prakopa of blood (sonita) is always due to the prakopa of vāta, pitta or kapha. This is the second stage of the progress of diseases. The
