Meet the transformer (water and fire element) of your body
Qualities of Pitta –
औष्ण्यं तैक्ष्ण्यं द्रवत्वमनतिस्नेहो वर्णश्च शुक्लारुणवर्जो गन्धश्च विस्रो रसौ च कटुकाम्लौ सरत्वं च पित्तस्यात्मरूपाणि; auṣṇyaṃ taikṣṇyaṃ dravatvamanatisneho varṇaśca śuklāruṇavarjo gandhaśca visro rasau ca kaṭukāmlau saratvaṃ ca pittasyātmarūpāṇi; The inherent natural qualities of Pitta are Aushnya – Ushna – heat, Taikshnya – Teekshna – sharpness, Dravatva – liquidity, Anati Sneha – slight unctuousness, mild oiliness, all colors except white and red, Visra Gandha – fishy smell, Katu, Amla – acrid and sour tastes Saratva – fluidity.
Forty specific diseases of Pitta –
Even though the diseases due to the vitiation of Pitta are innumerable, the following forty varieties are the most commonly manifested. 1. Osha (heating) 2. Plosha (scorching) 3. Daha (burning) 4. Davathu (boiling) 5. Dhoomaka (fuming) 6. Amlaka (acid eructation) 7. Vidaaha (pyrosis) – heart burn 8. Antar daaha (burning sensation inside the body) 9. Amsa daha ( burning sensation in shoulder) 10. Ushmaadhikya (excessive temperature) 11. Ati Sveda (excessive sweating) 12. Anga gandha (bad odour of thee body) 13. Angaavadarana(cracking pain in the body) 14. Shonita kleda(sloughing of the blood) 15. Mamsa kleda (sloughing of the muscle) 16. Tvak Daaha( burning sensation in the skin) 17. Charma dalana(itching of the skin) 18. Tvagavadarana (cracking of the skin) 19. Rakta kotha (urticaria) 20. Rakta visphota (red vesicle) 21. Rakta Pitta(bleeding tendency) 22. Rakta mandala (red wheals) 23. Haritatva (greenishness) 24. Haaridratva (yellowishness) 25. Neelika (blue moles) 26. Kaksha (herpes) 27. Kaamala (jaundice) 28. Tiktaasyata (bitter taste in month) 29. Lohita Gandhasyata (smell of blood from the mouth) 30. Pooti mukhata(foetid odour of mouth) 31. Trishnaadhikya (excessive thirst) 32. Atrupti (non-satisfaction) 33. Aasya Vipaka (stomatitis) 34. Gala paka(pharyngitis) 35. Akshi paka (conjunctivitis) 36. Guda paka (proctitis) 37. Medhra Paka(inflammation of the penis) 38. Jivadana(hemorrhage) 39. Tamah pravesha (fainting) 40. Harita haridra netra mutra varchas (greenish and yellowish coloration of eyes, urine & faeces).
General principles of treatment for Pitta diseases:
Madhura, Tikta Kashaya – Pitta is treated with herbs having sweet, bitter and astringent tastes Sheeta – cooling qualities and Snehana – oleation Virechana – purgation, Pradeha – unction, Parisheka – effusion, Abhyanga – massage, etc. procedures done with herbs havin anti Pitta qualities. This is of course to be done with due regard to the dosage and season. Importance of Virechana in Pitta imbalance – Of all the devices stated above, the purgation is the treatment par excellence for curing the Paittika diseases because, immediately after it is administered, it eliminates the vitiated Pitta from its very root from the level of intestines. When it is overcome in the Amasaya (small intestine), it alleviates the entire vitiated Pitta dwelling in other parts of the body. This can be likened to a hot chamber being cooled by removing the fire from inside it.