Chapter 3.1: Taste Assessment (Rasa Vimana / रस विमान)

Vimana Sthana Chapter 1. Taste-based factors for the measurement of diseases and drugs The word ‘Rasa’ literally means taste sensation, essence, fluid, mercury, flavours. This chapter is related with the tastes of food substance and its importance in diet related to health. Dosha and rasa are the prominent factors for the assessment of diseases and drugs respectively. There are six rasas - madhura (sweet), amla (sour), lavana (saline), katu (pungent), tikta (bitter), and kashaya (astringent). These have pacifying and provoking effect on physiological status of dosha in body. This effect of rasas on dosha is due to conjunction of rasas and dosha by virtue of their similar and dissimilar properties. Their proper use in accordance with the body constitution maintains health, otherwise they vitiate the dosha (increase or decrease) which leads to various disorders in the body. This interaction of rasa and dosha is described in details. Eight specific factors of dieting and twelve guidelines about eating food have been described in this chapter, which are of immense value for those seeking a healthy and long life. These rules set the criteria for categorizing food as wholesome or unwholesome. Keywords: Rasa, taste, diet, codes of conduct for taking food, principles of diet, dietary guidelines, ashta vidha ahara visheshayatana. इह खलु व्याधीनां निमित्तपूर्वरूपरूपोपशयसङ्ख्याप्राधान्यविधिविकल्प बलकालविशेषाननुप्रविश्यानन्तरं दोषभेषजदेशकालबलशरीरसाराहारसात्म्यसत्त्वप्रकृतिवयसां मानमवहितमनसा यथावज्ज्ञेयं भवति भिषजा, दोषादिमानज्ञानायत्तत्वात् क्रियायाः| न ह्यमानज्ञो दोषादीनां भिषग् व्याधिनिग्रहसमर्थो भवति| भवति चात्र- तत्र श्लोकौ- To sum up (all the verses of this chapter):