Samanya Hindi

[Agenor Ramadan]

Samanyacan also refer to one of the two main classifications of dharma (duty) in Hindu and yogic philosophy. Samanya dharma is the universal/general dharma, that which is not specific to a person or his/her role in life. It is the dharma that should be practiced by everyone.

In the ancient Indian system of medicine known as Ayurveda, one of the key principles is the concept of samanya (similarity). Dravya (substances) can be enhanced or increased by consuming related things. For example, muscles can be increased by eating meat.

Samanya is a concept that encompasses not just physical substances and characteristics, but qualities and actions. It is divided into higher samanya, which is known as satta (existence) and includes everything, and lower samanya, which includes a limited number of items.

On the contrary, vishesha is the cause of decrease and it differentiates. It is opposite to samanya. [Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 1/44] For example, vishesha produces a distinction between muscle tissue (mamsa dhatu) and vata dosha. Thus mamsa is vishesha for vata dosha. Therefore, rise in vata dosha decreases mamsa dhatu and vice versa. Vishesha causes a decrease or lowering (hraas) only in the absence of an opponent. For example, when a person sleeps in the daytime, it generally increases kapha dosha. Still, when the same person keeps awake during the night (an action that decreases kapha dosha) along with day sleep, there is little or no increase in kapha dosha. Here night wakefulness acts as an opponent to daytime sleep. It refers to the dissimilarity of identity or sameness between substances.

The samanya and vishesha cause augmentation and diminution of body components in biology, respectively. The similar factors to the body components will get augmented, and the dissimilar will diminish. [Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 1/44]

When there is a depleted state of dosha, dhatu or mala, then their quantity is increased by elements or actions of similar substance (dravya), quality (guna), or action (karma). In cases of some deficiencies, the direct administration of the same element is not possible due to hateful nature, unsuitability, or any other cause. For example, in cases of deficiency of semen or malas, elements with similar qualities (like milk and ghee (ghrita) in shukra dhatu deficiency) are administered. The concept of samanya is practiced in conventional medicine widely. For example, consumption of vitamins in vitamin deficiency is done.

It is observed that samanya is not always the cause of increment. The increment is subjected to some conditions and factors. For example, the sweet taste consumption of food tends to increase kapha dosha. Because the qualities of kapha (one of three body humors) and sweet food are identical (both have heavy or guru, cold or sheeta, unctuous or snigdha, etc qualities). However, sweet food does not increase kapha in the summer season, because the kapha dosha is depleted in summer season. Similarly, sleep tends to increase kapha dosha. However, there is not much effect of sleep in old age on kapha dosha. In both the above cases, we observe that samanya is not significantly effective in increment always. It can be explained by the reason that in both above cases, the depletion (kshaya) has become steady. A situation in which samanya even though causes augmentation, it only balances the depletion already persisting. The theory also says that samanya do not cause augmentation in the presence of opposing circumstances.

Vishesha emphasis on specificity or particularity. Vishesha is used in maintaining the equilibrium of dosha, body tissues (dhatu) and body wastes (mala). The treatment shall be done in six stages of pathogenesis (shatkriyakala) to stop the progression of diseases. If dosha are not stopped through alleviation, the disease may progress to an incurable stage. Vishesha is used for the alleviation of dosha at this point. [Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 1/60-62] Also Vishesha principle is applied in emaciating therapies (apatarpana) in the cases of diseases caused by overnutrition (santarpana) and vice versa. [Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 23/25-26]Application of principles of samanya-vishesha in the therapeutic intervention leads to augmentation or diminution of body elements. These principles play an important role in treating diseases and preventing them from recurrence.

The seasonal dietary and lifestyles regimens (ritucharya) are prescribed on the basis of samanya and vishesha principles. These are generally opposite to environmental conditions characteristics to maintain the equilibrium of dosha in the body.

Daily regimens (dinacharya) is helpful in prevention of diseases. The various procedures in dinacharya are also based on principles of samanya and vishesha. Example, therapeutic smoking (dhumapana) helps in pacifying kapha dosha, massage (abhyanga) helps in pacifying vata dosha, etc.

The six therapeutic procedures (shadvidhupakrama like langhana, brimhana, rukshana, snehana, swedana, stambhana, purification therapies (samshodhana) and alleviating (samshamana) procedures are based on vishesha principle.

Synergistic effect relates to the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect more significant than the sum of their separate effects. Samanya shows synergistic effects and can be explained by the following example. A kapha prakriti person has predominant unctuous (snigdha) attribute. Individual application of day sleep and oily food separately increases unctuous (snigdha guna). But simultaneous application of day sleep and oily food together exponentially increases unctuous (snigdha guna). Here, the kapha dosha increasing feature of both day sleep and oily food belong to the same nature (samanya) and shows a synergistic effect.[1]

Various researches on applied aspects of Samanya Vishesha siddhanta have been carried out in past decade and presented in the form of articles and thesis. The summary of these researches is as follows.

1. Samanya Vishesha Principle- Key component in Ayurvedic treatment by Archana Mishra: This article narrates that samanya vishesha can be used in choosing the right medication. Due to samanya property, medications that can raise the decreased dosha and dhatu (due to similarities) can be used. Whereas due to vishesha, medications that can lower the increased dosha and dhatu (due to dissimilarities) can be used.[2]

2. Universal significance of the principle of samanya and vishesha beyond Ayurveda by Deep Narayan Pandey and Neha Pandey Prakash: This article indicates that Samanya Vishesha siddhanta has universal applicability beyond Ayurveda.[3] After illustrating the concept and features of samanya and vishesha few examples of universal applicability of samanya and vishesha beyond Ayurveda were portrayed as follows:

a) Children try to copy the acts of their parents. The good behaviour increases the good behaviour of the children and vice versa (by the property of samanya). Thus, the anger issues children, if tried to solve by angry behaviour of parents, is found to increase the angry nature of the child (samanya). Whereas solving the angry nature of child by calm behaviour of parents is found to pacify angry nature of the children (vishesha).

3. Application of samanya vishesha siddhant in management of ama by Temkal Shital and Sawai Rajesh: Ama (incompletely transformed or metabolised food) is formed as a result of insufficient digestive capacity (agnimandya). The prevention of causes of agnimandya (samanya), implementation of procedures that cause exaggeration of digestive capacity (jatharagni) and procedures that have opposite features to that of ama (vishesha) helps in pacification of ama. Application of vishesha bhava (dravya vishesha like Aconitum heterophyllum (ativisha), Cyperus rotundus (nagarmotha)) are important for digestion of ama (amapachana).[4]

4. Doctrines of samanya-vishesha siddhant in relation to the management of diseases by Ramteerth Sharma, Sunil K. Sharma, Mamta Tiwari, Anurag Pandey: Samanya Vishesha siddhanta helps maintain the equilibrium of vitiated dosha. Application of samanya leads to advancement of stages of diseases (shatkriyakala) and prevention of advancement of stages of diseases can be done by application of vishesha. More strength in visarga kala (rainy (varsha), autumn (sharada) and early winter (hemant season)) and decreased strength in adana kala (late winter (shishira), spring (vasanta) and summer (grishma) season) is due to samanyavishesha. Daily routine (dinacharya), if applied in context of samanya vishesha gives better results. The foremost drugs (agryadravyas) and mahakashayas mentioned in Charaka Samhita works with the principle of samanya vishesha. The increasing and decreasing of dosha and dhatus to prevent their imbalance is by the theory of samanya vishesha. This theory helps in the treatment of ama too.[5]

5. Concept of samanya vishesha siddhanta and its role in prevention of diseases - Ayurveda review by Sapna Jain and Seema Bahatkar: The samanya vishesha theory helps the dosha, dhatu and mala to attain the state of equilibrium. It helps in making choice of appropriate activities, diet and medicine.[6]

6. Conceptual study of samanya vishesh siddhanta in treatment of amlapitta (hyperacidity) by Uzma A. Qureshi and Arun U. Bhatkar: The causes of hyperacidity (amlapitta) like dravya samanya viz. Macrotyloma uniforum (kulattha), roasted grains, drinking excessive water newly made alcohol, fermented products like curd, idli, dosa, dhokla etc. increases pitta dosha. Guna samanya like consumption of hot potency (ushna) substances and liquid (dravagunatmak) foodstuff, sour (amla) and stuffs increase pitta dosha. Similar actions like excessive fasting, suppression of natural urges, eating at improper time when previous is not properly digested leads to vitiation of pitta dosha. Avoidance of these factors helps in pacifying amlapitta. Also, the use of dravyas having opposite properties of pitta, will decrease the vitiated potency of pitta, and consequently amlapitta.[7]

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