Theory of Rasa, Guna, Virya, Vipaka, Prabhava:

The sages in the past, based on their very subtle observation, were able to identify the finest variations in all the qualities in the taste, smell, and all sense organs.

The sense of taste is one to be used to identify what is good for us and what is not in the food that we require to survive and that we eat.  This is why in Ayurveda, the sense of taste has been given a lot of importance. The sense of taste is called rasa.  It requires the presence of the element of water for us to be able to taste.

The story says that it took some time to develop the theory of taste, the main concept was that it needed to be useful for diagnosis and treatment.

The purpose of Ayurveda is to find an equilibrium between Doshas and Dhatus and this equilibrium can only be maintained if we know how the increase and decrease of doshas take place, and the theory of the 6 tastes was developed as such because it allows us to use taste to work with the doshas.

All the descriptions of food and medicines start with the taste or rasa.  Improper food is the main cause of Dosha build-up. So the understanding of the 6 tastes helps us to understand how to use foods and medicines for balancing.

Taste and mahabuttas

Mahabuttas and effect on doshas

General effect on the body

• Sweet: increases Kapha, decreases Vata and pitta. Increases all Dhatus, nourish and satisfy the mind and senses.
• Sour: stimulates the digestive fire. Normalizes movements of Vata.
• Salty: enhances the digestive fire, and brings clarity to other tastes.
• Bitter: cleanses of the srotas, and connective tissues.
• Pungent: destroys the build-up of Kapha, and promotes sweating.
• Astringent: causes shrinking and tightening of the tissues.

Guna: means property, every substance has a basic property, they are understood with the sense organs.  Guns are classified in many ways.

Sattwa, creation. Rajas: preservation, Tamas: destruction.

The Gunas are the pairs of opposites:

• Heavy and Light
• Slow and Penetrating
• Cold or cool and hot
• Oily and dry
• Slippery or soft and rough
• Flowing and coagulating
• Soft and hard
• Fixed or formed and running/mobile
• Subtle or micro and macro or tangible
• Cleansing property and slippery

This is very useful in Ayurveda, because everything can be described based on these guns.

For example, Vata increased because of cold and dry winds, should be treated with warm oil massage followed with steam and then covered with blankets.

The cold is treated with warm, dryness with oil and steam and effect of wind with blanket. This kind of comprehensive management always yields excellent results.

This also applies to the Dhatus, for example to increase the depleted Dhatus one uses food with the same qualities of the Dhatu in need.

Viryia refers to the potency of any substance. It refers to the effect of the substance from the time it comes into contact with the body until it stays there. Viryia mainly manifest itself as hot, cool, food also has a viryia, rasa and viryia have a relationship. So sweet, bitter, astringent are cooling in viryia, and sour hot and pungent are hot in property.

Vipaka is a special property in a substance, after the digestion of food or medicine it displays different qualities that its own taste. Vipaka manifest at the end of the three stages of digestion. It is said that vipaka is a new taste that develops at the end of the digestion.  There are three vipakas that can manifest: sweet, sour, pungent.

Prabhava is a specific action of a substance of herbs or food. this specific action cannot be explained by rasa, virya or vipaka, for example.

Spices are essential to digestion. In fact they refer to them as Medicine that you eat.  

Once you discover the blessings of spices, it will naturally expand in your life.  Do not rush, once again I say the same thing. Just go steady.  

There is a reason why in the resources you will find a link to two spices mixes.  Try them, they will resolve many issues in terms of incorporating spices to your diet. 

Spices are the best invention of mother Earth to our diet.  Spices and ghee are the basis and foundation for Ayurvedic Cooking, alongside with correct food combination. 

With Spices you discover the 6 tastes. 

Many blessings, 

Leo Cordero