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SHAT KRIYAKALA
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Cause to Disease
■ Expression of any disease is a chain of various processes
starting from the encounter of etiological factors unto
formation of that disease.
■ The word Kriya kala comprised of two words Kriya and Kala
in which Kriya means treatment or action and Kala means
time. Hence Kriya kala means the time of treatment or
opportunities in the process of disease manifestation.
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Cause to Disease
■ Shat Kriya kala i.e. six stages are mentioned by Aacharya
Sushruta which gives an idea regarding the present condition
of Dosha dushti and also the progress of disease in the body.
It also guides us when to start treatment and what should be
the line of treatment.
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Shat kriya kala (six stages)are…
1. Sancaya
2. Prakopa
3. Prasara
4. Sthanasamsraya
5. Vyakti
6. Bheda
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Sanchaya
(Natural accumulation of Doshas)
■ Literally Sanchaya means collection
■ Sanchaya means accumulation of the dosas in their own natural
sites.
■ The dosas in this stages increase quantitatively their quality
remaining normal.
■ It is the first stage of Kriyakala with vague and ill defined
symptoms along with some features characteristic of the increase
of dosa involved.
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Sanchaya
(Natural accumulation of Doshas)
■ It is characterised by aversion towards similar and attraction
towards opposite qualities of diet, drug etc.
■ e,g. vata chaya have symptom of aversion toward dry and
cold food.
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Prakopa (More accumulation)
■ It is the stage of excitation of dosas in which the accumulated
dosas start getting Prakopa (More accumulation)
qualitatively vitiated and get ready to move from their natural
sites being excited by the appropriate aetiological factors
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Prakopa (More accumulation)
■ After Sanchaya Avastha if causative factor persists then
Sanchayit Doshas lands in Prakopavastha.
■ Acharya Vagbhata defines Prakopa as Unmargagamita i.e.,
Doshahas just started upward movements in their respective
places.
■ Acharya Dalhana’s definition of Prakopa is extended state of
Chaya in which Doshas are in a state which has developed
the ability to move from their respective sites
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Prakopa (More accumulation)
The following symptomatology manifests in Prakopa stage.
■ Vata Prakopa Lakshana: Koshtha Toda Sancharana (Pain and
movement of Vata in Mahastrotasa).
■ Pitta Prakopa Lakshana: Amlika (Sour belching), Paridaha
(burning sensation all over the body), Pipasa (excessive
thirst).
■ Kapha Prakopa Lakshana: Annadwesha (Dislike of food),
Hrudayotkleda (excessive salivation)
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Prasara (Overflow level)
▪ The term 'prasara' means to spread.
▪ If Dosha Dushtikara Nidana continues even after Prakopavastha
then these Doshas will move to the stage of Prasara.
▪ In Prasaravastha, Doshas will overflow or move from own place to
other places all over the body.
▪ Samprapti (pathogenesis) of Prasara has been defined in most of
the Samhitas because of its importance in manifestation of the
disease
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The following example gives an illustration about Sanchaya,
Prakopa and Prasaravastha.
▪ Sanchayavastha- Vilayanarupa Vriddhi- Heated liquefied
ghee in a bowl
▪ Prakopavastha -effervesce i.e., bubbles appearing in boiling
Ghee
▪ Prasaravastha - Ghee spreading out of the bowl (Overflowing
Ghee)
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All Dhatus, Malas, Pitta and Kapha Dosha are Pangu
(inactive) i.e., they may increase in quantities but does not have
the capacity to move from one place to another.
For movement they need to get stimulated and transported
to different places by Vata Dosha only.
Hence it is clear that Vata is a key factor for manifestation of
Prasaravastha in the process of expression of a disease.
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Sthanasamsraya
(Stage of disease augmentation)
▪ This term means getting localised at one place.
▪ The excited spreading dosas, having extended to other parts of
body, start getting localised at certain sites due to srotovaigunya
▪ At the time of Doshaprakopa if Khavaigunya (atrophy or dystrophy)
already exists at tissue level, Doshas may cause disease at that site.
▪ In both these conditions the blending of Doshas and Dushya at
existing defect of the part involved.
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Sthanasamsraya
(Stage of disease augmentation)
▪ In this stage of Kriyakala the complete representation of a
disease will not appear evidently because this is the budding
stage of that disease.
▪ Regarding Sthanasanshraya, Aacharya Madhavkara has stated
that this stage of Kriyakala is easy to recognise due to presence
of Purvarupas (Prodromal symptoms) of a particular disease.
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Vyakti
(Stage of symptom manifestation)
▪ It is fifth stage of Kriyakala which characterises by full
manifestations of signs and symptoms of the dully developed
specific disease.
▪ if patient continues to indulge in Nidana then Doshas will enter
into Vyakti (disease manifestation) stage.
▪ The vyakti refers to the completion of the sthanasamsraya stage
of the disease.
▪ It is acute stage of disease.
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Vyakti
(Stage of symptom manifestation)
▪ In this stage Doshic predominance, involvement of Dushya and Strotas
will also be clearly revealed.
▪ This stage helps the physician to diagnose and plan the specific line of
treatment for that particular disease.
▪ Some of the examples are
i. Increased body temperature is observed in case of Jwara.
ii. Excessive watery stool is seen in Atisara
iii. An unusual enlargement of abdomen is observed in Udara Roga.
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Bheda
(Stage of complications)
▪ If the disease is not properly treated at the stage of vyakti, it
may become sub-acute, chronic or incurable on account of
extensive damage sustained or irreversible structural change
having taken place due to neglect of early diagnosis and
prompt treatment.
▪ The disease in this stage leads to the development of
complications and becomes itself the cause for other
diseases.
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Summary
▪ Shat Kriyakala permit the Ayurvedic practitioner to detect
and treat illness at the earliest stages, long before permanent
damage is done.
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