Abstract

PITTAVAH SIRA – A CRITICAL & CONCEPTUAL CORRELATION WITH MODERN SCIENCE

Rashmi Tiwari* and Sunita Temhuna

ABSTRACT

In human body the movement & exchange of materials is possible only by watery medium of living tissues. For this purpose the nature has provided vascular or Raktavaha Sansthan. Within this system Rakta, which has been considered as Dhatu & also as Dosha maintains all chemical traffic throughout body & helps to move Antahasrava (hormones), prana – vayu (oxygen), Sar bhag of Anna (nutrition). It also carries visha padarth (toxic compounds). Rakta – vaha sansthan is made up of a big pump i.e. Hridaya & Rakta vaha srotas comprising Dhamani & Sira. Hridaya is placed in the centre of the body within Ura-koshtha (thoracic cavity). It sends blood towards periphery of body by dhamni – sira jaal. Sira gradually increase in number. As they divide into further branches they decrease in diameter. The sira (veins) starts at the level of capillaries as venules. Sira which leads the rakta back towards the hridaya become gradually larger in size & fewer in number. In Ayurveda sira have been defined those structures in which there is passive flow of the blood. According to Acharya Sushruta sira are seven hundred in number through which entire body is nourished constantly, kept lubricate/moistened to perform action such as flexion; contraction. Mula sira or root sira are forty; of which ten carry vata, ten carry pitta, ten carry kapha, and ten carry rakta. Acharya Charak has defined Sira as “sarnat sira” in sutra sthan chapter thirty, sushruta has clarified the details such as distinction among sira, dhamni & shrotas. The sira emerging from nabhi (umbilicus) spread in all directions towards whole body, just like pratana (branches) of a lotus plant spread over the whole surface of the water in the tank.

Keywords: Raktavaha sansathan, sira, dhamni, srotas.