“इह खलु हेतुर्निमित्तमायतनं कर्ता कारणं प्रत्ययः समुत्थानं निदानमित्यनर्थान्तरम्”
Explanation of Synonymous Terms in Disease Causation
| Sanskrit Term | Meaning | Definition in Ayurveda | Example (Disease: Amlapitta / Hyperacidity) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hetu (हेतु) | Cause | Primary or root cause of disease. | Eating spicy, oily food frequently. |
| Nimitta (निमित्त) | Occasion, trigger | Incidental or situational factor that initiates disease in presence of hetu. | Eating spicy food during summer aggravates the doshas. |
| Āyatana (आयतन) | Source, seat | The major saurce where disease initiates. | इह खलु चत्वरि शोषस्यायतनानि । |
| Kartā (कर्ता) | Doer, agent | The person or entity responsible for the act (usually the patient engaging in wrong acts). | The individual who indulges in wrong diet despite warnings. |
| Kāraṇa (कारण) | Instrumental cause | The mechanism or process through which disease manifests. | Increase of Pitta due to digestive fire disturbance (Agni dushti). |
| Pratyaya (प्रत्यय) | Auxiliary cause | Contributory/supportive factor that helps the main cause. | Stress or emotional disturbances worsening acid secretion. |
| Samutthāna (समुत्थान) | Origin, manifestation | The process or moment when disease actually appears. | Stomach and intestines – seat of Pitta dosha imbalance. अमाशयसमुत्थ्त , पाकवशयसमुत्थ्त |
| Nidāna (निदान) | Diagnosis, cause identification | Recognition and categorisation of cause and disease in clinical diagnosis. | Doctor diagnoses the condition as Amlapitta due to improper eating habits. |
Key Insight:
All these terms, although differing slightly in literal sense, refer to the factors responsible for disease either directly, indirectly, or in terms of process and manifestation. Therefore, Charaka considers them as “anarthāntaram” functionally non-different in the context of causation.
