Tridosha

vāyu: pittaṃ kaphaśceti trayo doṣā: samāsata: || vikṛtā’vikṛtā dehaṃ ghnanti te varttayanti ca |

Vayu – Vata, Pitta and kapha are the three Doshas of the body. Perfect balance of three Doshas leads to health, imbalance in Tridosha leads to diseases.

How Tridosha are spread in body and in a day?

te vyāpino’pi hṛnnābhyoradhomadhyordhva saṃśrayā: ||
vayo’horātribhuktānāṃ te’ntamadhyādigā: kramāt |

The Tridosha are present all over the body, but their presence is especially seen in particular parts. If you divide the body into three parts, the top part upto chest is dominated by Kapha Dosha, between chest and umbilicus is dominated by Pitta, below umbilicus part is dominated by Vata.
Similarly, in a person’s life, day and in night (separately), the first part is dominated by Kapha, second part is dominated by Pitta and third part is dominated by Vata. While eating and during digestion, the first, second and third part are dominated by Kapha, Pitta and Vata respectively.

Place of Vata Dosha

Pakavasaya – large intestine,
Kati – waist
Sakthi – hip
Shrotra – ear
Asthi – bones
Sparshanendriya – skin
Special space – large intestine

Qualities of Vata Dosha

tatra rūkṣo laghu: śīta: khara: sūkṣmaścalo’nila: ||

Rooksha – dryness, Laghu – Lightness, Sheeta – coldness, Khara – roughness, Sookshma – minuteness, Chala – movement These are the qualities of Vata.

Place of Pitta Dosha

Nadhi – Umbilicus,
Amashaya- stomach and small intestine,
Sweda – sweat,
Lasika- lymph,
Rudhira – blood,
Rasa- plasma,
Druk – eye, and
Sparshanam – skin,
Special seat – Nabhi- region around the Umbilicus.


Qualities of Pitta Dosha

pittaṃ sasneha tīkṣṇoṣṇaṃ laghu visraṃ saraṃ dravam |

Sasneha – slightly oily, unctuous, Teekshna – piercing, entering into deep tissues, Ushna – hotness, Laghu – lightness, Visram – bad smell, sara – having fluidity, movement, drava – liquidity are the qualities of Pitta.

Place of Kapha Dosha

Ura – Chest ,
Kantha – throat ,
Shira – head,
Kloma – Pancreas?,
Parvani – bone joints,
Amashaya,- Stomach and small intestine,
Rasa –plasma,
Meda – fat
Ghrana – nose and
Jihva – tongue are the seats of Kapha,
Special seat – Ura – chest.

Qualities of Kapha Dosha

snigdha: śīto gururmanda: ślakṣṇo mṛtsna: sthira: kapha: ||

Snigdhna – oily, unctuous, Sheeta – cold, Guru – heavy, Manda – mild, viscous, shlakshna – smooth, clear, Mrutsna – slimy, jely, sthira – stability, immobility are the qualities of Kapha.

Nature of increase and decrease of Dosha

vṛddhi: samānai: sarveṣāṃ viparītai: viparyaya: |

Equal qualities lead to increase, and opposing qualities lead to decrease. For example, dryness is the quality of Vata. If a Vata body type person exposes himself to dry cold weather, his dryness and in turn Vata will increase, leading to dry skin. In the same way, oiliness is opposite quality of dryness. If he applies oil to the skin, then the dryness and related Vata is decreased.

rogastu doṣavaiṣamyaṃ doṣa sāmyaṃ arogatā |

Imbalance in Tridosha is disease. Perfect balance is health.

The increase, decrease of individual Doshas, or imbalance of couple of these Doshas is called as Samsarga. And imbalance of all the three Doshas together is called as Sannipata.