~ 125 ~ ISSN Print: 2394-7500 ISSN Online: 2394-5869 Impact Factor: 5.2 IJAR 2016; 2(4): 125-129 www.allresearchjournal.com Received: 21-02-2016 Accepted: 24-03-2016 Dr. Vaibhav Dadu Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Principles, Govt. Akhandanand Ayurveda College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Dr. Ami V Rajani Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Govt. Akhandanand Ayurveda College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Correspondence Dr. VaibhavDadu Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Principles, Govt. Akhandanand Ayurveda College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. A review on the Ayurveda fundamentals of Dosha- Dhatu- Mala in reference to Shalakya Tantra Dr. Vaibhav Dadu, Dr. Ami V Rajani Abstract The principal entities of the dosha- dhatu-mala form the base of the physiology and pathological thinking in Ayurveda. The specific branch of Ayurveda dealing with the supra – clavicle region known as Shalakya Tantra in Ayurveda parlance is thus obviously based on the fundamentals of the dosha- dhatu-mala.The main abode of the dosha is the alimentary canal and thus every disease associated with the Shalakya Tantra needs to be thoroughly investigated in this region. The best treatment of the dosha is prescribed through the alimentary tract. The planning of the method to be adopted in the cases of the Shalakya Tantra is pragmatic based on the general and regional anomalies or malfunctioning of the dosha- dhatu-mala. Only local treatment is not sufficient to attain the state of the normalcy of health. Keywords: Dosha, Dhatu, Mala, Shalakya, Disease, Treatment 1. Introduction The Ayurveda system of medicine proposes the concept of dosha- dhatu-mala as its independent principle. The base of the body is formed by the dosha- dhatu-mala. Thus, the concept of dosha- dhatu-mala is one of the Basic Principles of Ayurveda. It is the Basic Principles of Ayurveda that is the cause of unimpeded continuity of the commonly referred to ‘Ancient Science of life’ or the Ayurveda from the basic trisutra form to the progressive contemporary science characterised by the introduction and pursuance of the research activity [1] . The descent of Ayurveda and its propagation is therefore an excellent example of the recently introduced concept of the CME, Continuous Medical education. The dosha- dhatu-mala is ubiquitous in the body. All the eight specialities of Ayurveda [2] , deal with these three basic constituents. The balance of these three is termed as Sukha or the health while the imbalance of these is termed as the Dukha or the disease [3] . Among the eight branches of Ayurveda, the speciality dealing with the diseases of the Supra- clavicular region (Shalakya Tantra) [4] , lacks the vivid description of the dosha- dhatu-mala in comparison to the other specialities like the Kayachikitsa (medicine) and Shalya Tantra (Ayurveda Surgery). But as the Ayurveda system of medicine cannot progress without the dosha- dhatu-mala, it becomes mandatory to understand them through the treasure of knowledge stored in the Ayurveda classics especially the Sootra Sthana. By the application of the Adhikarana Siddhanta [5] , the concepts mentioned in a particular context impact the other contexts indirectly. The Sootra Sthana is the most revered section of the classical texts regarded as the Shirah of the Tantra [6] . As the Sirah/head controls the whole body, the Sootra Sthana controls the whole treatise. Therefore, a sincere attempt has been made here to extend the general concepts of the dosha- dhatu-mala to the faculty of the Shalakya. 2. A Concise Review of the Dosha- Dhatu-Mala The dosha-dhatu-mala forms the base of the knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology and treatment in Ayurveda. The word dosha underlines its significance as it is the independent cause of the disease and formation of the natural body constitution [7] . It is noteworthy that the dosha are not perceived directly but are manifested through their actions known through the inference [8] . The vitiation of the dosha is manifested in their substratum known as dhatu. The dhatu/tissue is thus the abode of dosha. The gross body structure and its nourishment is thus the prerogative of dhatu. The mala represent the entities which are by- products of metabolism and thus deserve to be expelled out. The accumulation of mala leads to the diseases. International Journal of Applied Research 2016; 2(4): 125-129