The Dhatus a Brief Ayurveda Definition of Health

The Dhatus a Brief Ayurveda Definition of Health

Crucial to the development and nourishment of the body, the dhatus unfold successively as follows, starting with the nourishment derived from the product of digestion.

This is how Maya Tiwari explains the Seven Dhatus in her book 'A Life of Balance' 

In the Taittiriya Upanishad, the physical body is referred to as medicine. The quality and quantity of our foods directly relate to the health our bodies systems and thus our psychic mechanism. In Ayurveda, the physiological and psychological functions of the body are interwoven. Ayurveda proposes that matter does not exist without energy, and that matter is essentially energy.

The dhatus are the basic bodily tissue elements. Like the doshas, they too are formed from the five elements of space, air, fire, water and earth. With the help of the digestive fire, the dhatus form the protective biological stystem of the body. Maya Tiwari

Here is a simple overview of how the dhatus are viewed from an Ayurveda perspective.

1. Rasa (plasma or cytoplasm) contains nutrients from digested food and subsequently nourishes all tissues, organs, and systems.
2. Rakta (blood) governs oxygenation in all tissues and vital organs and thus maintains life-function.
3. Mamsa (muscle) covers the delicate vital organs, performs the movements of the joints, and maintains the physical strength of the body.
4. Meda (fat) maintains the lubrication of the tissues and serves as an insulating material to protect the body’s heat.
5. Asthi (bone and cartilage) gives support to the body’s structure.
6. Majja (bone marrow and nerves) fills up the bony spaces, carries motor and sensory impulses, and facilitates communication among the body’s cells and organs.
7. Shukra and artava (male and female reproductive tissues) contain the pure essence of all bodily tissues and can create a new life.

Each dhatu is dependent on the previous one.

If the raw materials of digestion are inadequate, or if there is a problem in any stage, each successive dhatu will not receive the nourishment it needs and the respective tissues or organ systems will suffer.

So for good health, all seven dhatus must develop and function properly. The three waste products (malas) are faeces, urine, and sweat. The body must be able to produce these inappropriate amounts and to eliminate them through their respective channels.