Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants

DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MANAS IN AYURVEDA

           Three mahagunas satwa,rajas and tamas attributes different psyche proportion to manas. To a given thing different people react very differently . There are five categories in mental level.

1)ksipta - manas attributed to objects of senses
2)mudha - tendency towards vice,ignorance,excessive sleep,and the like
3)vikshipta- (distracted): virtue, knowledge etc.
4)ekagra - (concentrated): manas is purged of impurities and there is prolonged concentration
5)nirudha - where all mental functions cease and the mind left in it’s original unmodified state of calmness and transquility.

THREE GUNAS OF MANAS

        Acharyas have different opinions about this feature. According to Sankara manas is made up of Lohita, sukla and krishna instead of satwa rajo tamo gunas.Susruta describes the relation between mahagunas and panchabhutas: Akasa-satwa; Vayu-rajas; Agni-satwa&rajas; Jalam-satwa&tamas; pr’thvi-tamas.
Acharya Caraka states that there are 3 type of manas as sudha, rajas and tamas. But his commentator Cakrapani has a different view that we can see three type of mahagunas in one man at different situations.
In modern psychology Freud developed a dynamic theory of psycho analysis. He divided mind into three parts-super ego, ego and Id.

SUPER EGO
This include socio-cultural aspect of personality. Responsibilities towards society and civilization begins in this part.

EGO
Physical aspect of personality; it is the most directly known part of ourselves.

ID
This is the biological aspect of personality. The behavioral aspects of character and aggressive satisfaction are included in this group.

We can compare the studies of Freud with Ayurvedic concept.

TAMASA GUNA & ID- of manas are related to concealing nature (unfulfilled urges). It is situated in the unconscious part of our mind.Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling etc. are related to this part.

RAJO GUNA & EGO-Basic emotional drives like anger, hope, envey, fear etc. are related to this part. It is the middle part of our mind .Rajo guna deals with the real situations of the human life.Moreover tamas and rajas are the psychopathogenic factors which means that, on disturbance they cause disease.
SATWA GUNA & SUPER EGO-Cultural, moral and social character of our personality includes mercy, endurance, proper behavior etc. Dalhana, commentator of susrutha ,related sattwika part of manas to spiritual plane of life. Sattwika part is the conscious and most superficial portion of manas. Budhi, meda, smr’thi and dhr’thi are related to this part.

MANOVAHA SROTAS

         Organs concerned with manas and it’s functions are included in manovaha srotas.They include mastishka(brain),susumnakanda(spinalcord), nadi (nerves),panchajnanendriya,panchakarmendriya  and the manas. Caraka used the term Manovahasrotas in unmadaroga(insanity) while Susrutha used the term samjavahasrotas in murcharoga(convulsions).

       CakraPani says that manas is distributed all over the body except in roma,kesha, drava, anna and mala. In modern, we can know that this is similar to nerves dispersing all over the body. Dushta swapnas are due to attachment of aggregated tridosas with Manovahasrotas.Susrutha says when dosa obstruct this channels; patient fails to perceive sukha and dukha and falldown unconscious like a dead log and such a condition is known as moha or moorcha.The vishiated dosas goes upwards,reach the brain and occupy manovahasrotas causing unmada.

MANOVAHASROTOKRIYAS(FUNCTIONS OF NERVOUS SYSTEM)

      All sankalpa vikalpas(thought and ideas) that arise in mind, plans and precisions taken by the individual,sensory and motor activities, reflex action, autonomic activities of organs. All these functions are performed by manas through manovahasrotas. It can be defined as nerve fibers