Inherent Power

Action And Inherent Power Of Qualities And Their Relationship To Matter

Inherent power of activity and inseparable quality of relationship of properties with matter are essential to know about in Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurveda textbook, Charaka Samhita sheds defines action and inherence of innate or integrated qualities with different substances.

"The activities involving effort, exertion or endeavor is called Action."

(Charaka Samhita, Sutra Section, Ch. 1-50, Longevity)

Dr Vikrama's Commentary:

What is action? Action comprises of all the activities that need exertion or effort. The word action is also related with the basic tendencies of activity that resides in our consciousness.

Can you think of any time when we are inactive? During rest and sleep, there is constant activity. We are giving rest and relaxation to our system. There is recuperation of energy that is going on and all the organs calm down their activity.

Movement:

Action signifies movement or mobility. Movement are said to be of five types in Ayurvedic medicine.

Upward or against the gravity.
Downward or along the gravity.
Constriction that is all the parts of body or something else are moving toward the center. Bending, contracting and compression are also intended.
Expansion that is the parts of body or something else are moving outward. Diffusing, spreading or stretching out.
Displacement or motion is the basis of leaving indefinite direction and place.

Displacement:

Displacement or motion is again divided into five categories -

To stroll, walk and to rotate around a center or axis.
Expulsion or purgation or evacuation or emission.
Coagulation, agglutinating, oozing, trickling.
Burning with up going flames.
Moving obliquely or haphazardly.

Again, the five main procedures of ayurvedic panchakarma - Induced Vomiting, Induced Purgation, two types of Basti and Nasya and Pre-panchakarma and Post-panchakarma procedures are also a part of action.

Ultimately all the action or activities involve some kind of movement and some energy. Action involves all the biological movements as well as mechanical movements.

"The quality of relationship of inseparable properties of different matter is 'Samavaya' or 'Inseparably Inherent'. Samavaya is eternal because where there is matter, there is definiteness of some properties."

(Charaka Samhita, Sutra Section, Ch. 1-51, Longevity)

Dr Vikrama's Commentary:

'Samavaya' is a difficult word that can't be properly translated into English language. However we will use 'inseparably-inherent' for this term of Sanskrit.

Inseparably-inherent stands for quality of relationship. Every object or individual has some properties attached with them. Some properties are such that they can easily be changed or transformed. Other properties are unchangeable.

This quality of relation of some special properties with any object is said to be inseparably-inherent. These inseparably-inherent properties are born with the particular matter or object and they remain with it throughout its lifecycle.

That is why the inseparably-inherent relationship of properties is also said to be eternal because they are ever present with the particular matter or object. And there is obvious definiteness of the presence of these properties with particular matter.

Five specific properties of Five primary elements are inseparably-inherent with them. Whenever there will be Earth element, there will be fine vibrational quality of smell.

Liquids have a natural tendency to flow downward. This property is inseparably-inherent with them. Under spontaneous and natural conditions, all liquids will show this tendency. Gases tend to diffuse and spread.

In the same manner, herbs, supplements and drugs do have specific properties associated with them. Under all natural and spontaneous conditions, they will exhibit and work through these properties.

Knowing the inseparably-inherent properties provides and essential resource of effective tools in the hand of physicians and herbalists. This definiteness is assuring and saves a lot of energy. These properties do appear as they have been integrated by Nature into their corresponding materials.

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