A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c11.76

v1.c11.76

Pṛthivī (earth) is predominantly present in parts which are sthūla (gross), sthira (firm), mūrtimant (endowed with a particular form), guru (heavy), khara (rough), and kaṭhina (hard); it also predominates in the nakhas (nails), asthis (bones), dantas (teeth), māṃsa (muscular tissue), carman (the outer layer of the skin), 242 varcas (faeces), keśa (hairs of the scalp), śmaśru (beard hair), loman (body hair), the kaṇḍarās, 243 gandha (smell) and ghrāṇa (the olfactory sense). Ap (water) predominates in parts which are drava (fluid), sara (mobile), manda (sluggish), snigdha (oleaginous), mṛdu (soft) and picchila (mucilaginous); it also predominates in rasa (nutrient fluid), rudhira (blood), vasā (muscle fat), kapha, pitta, mūtra (urine), sveda (sweat), rasa (taste), and rasana (the gustatory sense). Agni (fire) predominates in pitta, ūṣman (heat), bhās (lustre), rūpa (vision) and darśana (the visual sense). Vāyu (air) predominates in ucchvāsa (exspiration), praśvāsa (inspiration), unmeṣa (opening of the eyes), nimeṣa (closing of the eyes), ākuñcana (contraction), prasāraṇa (extension), gamana (locomotion), preraṇa (impelling), dhāraṇa (retention), sparśa (touch), and sparśana (the tactile sense). Antarikṣa (= ākāśa) predominates in vivikta parts (interstices), vāc (speech), large and minute vessels (srotas), śabda (sound), and śrotra (the auditory sense) (7.16).