The Malas
Malas are the various waste products of the dhatus produced during the
normal metabolically process. The three primary malas being Purisa (faeces), Mutra (urine) and Sweda (sweat). Ayurveda clearly states that only a balanced condition of doshas, dhatus and malas is arogya (good health or disease
free condition) and their imbalance is the cause of ill health or
disease.
Purisa is the waste left back after nutrients of digested food have been
absorbed in the small intestine. While water and salt absorbed in the
large intestine, the residue now converted into solid faeces, leaves the
body. The consistency of the faeces depending both on gastrointestinal
mobility and nature of diet.
The Tridoshas must be in balance to ensure normal evacuation. Pitta and Kapha help digestion and Vata governs the mobility
throughout the process. Any discrepancy or imbalance between these can
lead to various symptoms of abdominal heaviness or pain, flatulence, constipation or diarrhea. It may also give rise to diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, asthma, bronchitis as well as stomach ulcers and irritable bowels.
Mutra is derived during the course of biological processes within the human
body. The first stage of urine formation begins in the large intestine
where fluids are absorbed into the system. The entire urinary system
(kidneys, uterus, bladder and urethra) takes part in the formation and
elimination of urine, regulating the fluid balance in our body and also
maintaining blood pressure. Any imbalance of increased or decreased
urine, may result in disorders as
kidney stones urinary infections, cystitis, abdominal pain and bladder disorders.
Sweda is the third primary mala, and it occurs as a waste product
during the synthesis of meda dhatu (fatty tissue).
Eliminated through skin pores, it controls body temperature and helps to
regulate the electrolytic balance. The channels responsible for bringing
the sweat to skin surface are known as sweda vaha srotas. It is essential that normal formation and flow of sweat
takes place as otherwise it may lead to skin infections, itching/burning
sensation over the body, loss of fluid balance and reduced body
temperature.
Mala - Waste
matter
Mala are the substances or waste matter to be thrown out of the body.
As a result of various physiological activities going on in the body,
excretory by-products are formed that are known as Mala. They produce
toxic effect on the body if not thrown out of the body at an appropriate
time. Purish (stool), Mutra (urine) and Sweda (sweat) are considered as
main excretory product of the body. These are also known as Dushya as
these tend to be influenced to cause pathology or disease by imbalanced
doshas. These are known as Mala due to its principle property of Malinikaran i.e. Toxification.
According to Ayurveda only a balanced condition of doshas, dhatus and malas is Aarogya (good health or disease free
condition) and their imbalance causes ill health or disease. Malas form
the basic constituent of the body and contribute in its sustenance.
Therefore these can be called as Dhatu but as their principle property
or action is "to toxify" so in order to highlight this action it is
called as Mala.
Significance
of Mala:
As a result of
metabolic processes being carried out in the body, essence of ingested
food and waste products are constantly formed. If waste products are not
being formed besides the essence i.e. beneficial products that nourish
tissues, then metabolic process would be impaired ultimately leading to
the formation of malformed tissues. So, there needs to be an appropriate
segregation of essence of ingested food and waste product and excretion
of the waste matter on appropriate time for maintaining health.
Their formation
is mandatory for maintenance of health but its excretion is equally
important. If these are retained in the body they toxify the body.
Waste
products:
Purish:
Faeces
Mutra:
Urine.
Sweda:
Sweat.
Faeces :
Purish
The mala of
ingested food that originates at Pakvashay (large intestine) and Sthool
Guda (rectum) and is excreted through anus.
Urine :
Mutra
The Mala of the
ingested food which is in the liquid form and is absorbed by the vessels
and send to Vasti (urinary bladder) through ureters (gavini ).
Sweat :
Sweda
The Mala of med
dhatu. Its main function is retention of moisture. It is excreted
through the skin.
Dosh, Dhatu
and Mala
Dr. Satish Kulkarni.
We saw that Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine, which stresses
principally on prevention of body ailments than simply curing
pathological problems. Ayurveda believes in the treatment of an
individual as a whole. Giving cone down attention to the treatment of
the affected system of the body doesn’t fit into the principles of Ayurveda. Instead Ayurveda says, ‘Nature works on the
principle of balance. This balance should be maintained. There should be
balance inside and outside the body. If we eliminate all toxic
imbalances from the body, we can re-establish a state of health.’ To
achieve this balance Ayurveda gives more importance to the
functions of the body than to the structure of the body.
Dosh-Dhatu-Mala concept:
Dhatus are a supporting part of the body, limited by the skin.
Skin is the boundary between the dhatus and the external world. Dhatus are generated in the mother’s womb and are then maintained
by nutrition (ahar) during the rest of one’s life.
The finest
essence of nutrition develops a sap (ahar rasa) which helps in
survival, growth and protection. This ahar rasa further develops
life sap (jeevan rasa) which is the starting point of the
creation of dhatus. There are seven dhatus in all (we can
say that the dhatus are body tissues): rasa, rakta, mansa,
med, asthi, majja and shukra. So from rasa (life sap)
the body develops rakta (blood), from rakta it develops mansa (muscles), from mansa is developed med (fat), from med is developed asthi (bones), from asthi the
body develops majja (nervous system) and from majja is
generated shukra (semen).
Ayurveda evolved around 600 BC. At that time Ayurvedic scholars did not
have microscopes; nevertheless, they knew that life starts in the
mother’s womb in ‘liquid’ form and becomes ‘solid’ at the time of birth.
Thus this hypothesis of developing rasa to rakta rakta to mansa must have arrived from that finding. This hypothesis
cannot be accepted as it is today considering the advances made in
science since the early Ayurvedic times. We can only say that at
the time of Ayurveda, since the microscope was not invented, Ayurvedic scholars must have explained body tissues in this way.
Thus, vaat, pitta and kafa rule the body kingdom, i.e. the kingdom of rasa, rakta, mansa, med, asthi, majja and shukra and hence
the body continues to function. Our daily life activities are a result
of this functioning. Waste products, which are byproducts of our daily
activities, are called malas. Mala (faeces), akshimala (dirt coming from the eyes), mutra (urine) and sweda (sweat) are
the malas mentioned by Ayurveda.
To summarize, Ayurveda explains the body functions using the Dosh-Dhatu-Mala concept. Doshas are body constituents which are responsible for
the way the body functions. This body is made up of seven dhatus.
Malas are waste products of the body. If this chain works well, we
can maintain good health. If anything goes wrong in this chain of
activity then we are affected by disease.
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