Natural Dosha Increase During Day And Night

Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S

Prakrita Dosha Dushti

Dosha vitiation is the prime cause and contributory factor for the manifestation of various diseases. Prakrita Dosha Dushti is a type of dosha vitiation in which there is normal vitiation of doshas in relation to seasonal changes, diurnal changes and in relation to various stages of digestion of food. 

These types of vitiation are called prakrita or normal because the vitiated doshas are either temporarily vitiated after which they settle down to normal proportions without causing the diseases. But if the doshas are not monitored during these types of vitiation they may cause diseases in the long run.
Related Reading – Role of Dosha in the causation of a disease

Just like the seasons, each dosha has a particular phase of a day in which they tend to get increased (temporary vitiation). The same dosha will come back to normalcy in the upcoming part of the day. Same thing happens during the different phases of midnight.

Related Reading – Normal Vitiation of Doshas As Per Seasonal Variation

Thus, vitiation (quantitative activity or qualitative increase) of a particular dosha in a particular part of a day is considered as Prakrita Dosha Dushti of that particular dosha.

In this article we will try to see how different parts of the day have an impact and influence (temporary) vitiation of doshas.

Relation to diurnal changes

Prakrita Dosha Dushti or Norma Dosha Vitiation in relation to diurnal changes (Dina-Ratri Prabhava)
Vata, pitta and kapha get vitiated during different parts of the day (and also night) as a normal phenomenon and as a rule, in all of us. But this vitiation will be for brief span of time and takes place within a particular phase of a day. These vitiated doshas come back to normalcy after the time period meant for their natural vitiation has passed off i.e. during the immediate next part of the day. Since the vitiation of the doshas in such type of vitiation is either feeble or for a brief span of time and is associated with auto-pacification of doshas, they are considered as prakrita dosha dushti.

Let us try to understand this with examples –

When we divide the day into 3 equal parts,

• kapha increases in the early part of the day (morning to be precise),
• pitta increases in the middle part of the day (afternoon) and
• vata increases in the last part of the day (evening), as a rule

Kapha dosha normally tends to increase in the earlier part of the day, i.e. in the early morning and initial part of day time.

If Dinacharya or diurnal regimen is followed properly, this temporary increase of kapha dosha will get reduced to normalcy in the next part of the day i.e. afternoon.

This type of vitiation of kapha in the early part of day is natural vitiation of kapha.

Similarly, the pitta which has undergone natural increase during the afternoon will come back to its normal proportions in the evening.

Likewise, the Vata which has gained increase during the evening will become normal in the night or early in the morning.

All the above said types of increase or vitiation of the doshas are quite natural to those doshas at that particular part of the day. Hence these dosha vitiations are considered as Prakrita Dushti – normal vitiation.

In short, the temporary increase of a particular dosha in a particular part of the day quite natural or normal for its vitiation is considered as prakrita dushti of that particular dosha.

Similar pattern of dosha vitiation takes place during the night also. In the first part of the night, kapha gets vitiated. Similarly, pitta gets vitiated in the second part of the night and vata gets vitiated in the third part of the night, just before early part of the morning (wherein vitiation of kapha starts).

Importance

Importance of having knowledge of normal dosha vitiation in relation to the diurnal changes
Dinacharya or Diurnal activities and regimen are like writing a daily dairy to one’s contentment and consciousness. It is all about living consciously. Knowing about the doshic pattern and changes occurring in the same with respect to diurnal changes helps a physician to know that certain things which happen through the length of the day are quite natural and one need not focus much on those events in terms of planning interventions. In normal conditions, when dinacharya is properly followed, the doshas which undergo temporary vitiation will settle down in the next part of the day and these trigger of dosha vitiation doesn’t occur on daily basis. This could be declared normal and dismissed when a client is over anxious about these small upsets on daily basis.

On the other hand when doshas vitiate at a given period on daily basis and doesn’t get settled down in the next phase of the day, the physician would look at it as pathological condition and would feel the need of planning meaningful interventions.
Click to Consult Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ayu) – Email / Skype