Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants

Thridosha


                Vãyu (vata), Pitta and Kapha are the three dos, in brief; they destroy and support (sustain, maintain) the body when they are abnormal and normal respectively.  The dosäs are material substances present in the body always, they have their own definite pramäna (quantity), guna (quality) and karma (functions). When they are normal (avikrta) they attend to different functions of the body and so maintain it. But they have the tendency to become abnormal  undergoing increase ( vridhi) or decrease (khaya) in their quantity, one or more of their qualities and fun. When they become abnormal, they vitiate their places of dwc. fling—the dhatus (tissues ) because of the tendency of vitiation, they are called as dosãs or vitiators.

              These three—Väta, pitta and kapha—are more intimately concerned with the body, hence called as dosãs in distinction to two mänasa dosãs -the rajas and tamas—which are concerned with the mind. The specific mention of three, a their numbet is to deny any fourth dosa as some consider rakta (blood ) as the fourth one.
Though present all over the body, they are found (predominantly) in the region-below, middle and above, respectively, of the area between the heart and the umbilicus.Dosãs are present in every cell of the body attending to its different functions; they are found predominantly in certain places, viz. vãta in the area below the umbilicus, pitta in the area between the heart and the umbilicus; and kapha in the area above the heart.