Kala Sharira

‘Kala’ can be termed as layer or sheathin the context of anatomy and structural understanding of human body. Locations, enumerations, examples, and clinical utilities of kala are described in ayurvedic classical texts like Sushruta Samhita, Sharangadhara Samhita and Ashtanga Sangraha. Kala can be noticed by their functions in the body. The primary function of kala is to hold, to support or to protect the body components (dhatu) and its related structures.

Contributors

Section/Chapter/topic	Concepts/Kala Sharira
Author	Kasar N.V.1 Mali S.1
Reviewer	Basisht G.2,
Editor	Deole Y.S.3
Affiliations	1 Department of Rachana Sharir, G.J.Patel Institute of Ayurvedic Studies and Research, New Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India 2 Rheumatologist, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. 3 Department of Kayachikitsa, G.J.Patel Institute of Ayurvedic Studies and Research, New Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India
Correspondence emails	drnileshvk@gmail.com, carakasamhita@gmail.com
Publisher	Charak Samhita Research, Training and Development Centre, I.T.R.A., Jamnagar, India
Date of publication:	May 18, 2023
DOI	10.47468/CSNE.2023.e01.s09.138

Etymology

The Sanskrit term ‘Kala’ means time, a small part of anything, a symbolic expression for sixteen, and a black or dark color as mentioned in Panini.
A specific tin coating proceduretermed as‘kalyalepa’or ‘kalai’ is applied on utensils of brass and copper. ‘Kalai’ means white wash or tin. The main purpose of kalaiis to prevent utensils from rusting and oxidization.It serves as barrier between food and utensils. Similarly, kala is a barrier between body tissues (dhatu) and organs (ashaya) in the human body.

Definition and development of kala

Kala is the innermost tissue/viscera (dhatu) lining that separates it from the inner cavity (ashaya). It can also be considered as an interface between them. [Su.Sa. ShariraSthanaDalhana 4/4]
The sticky substance (shleshma) between tissue and its lumen (dhatu and ashaya) gets digested by its own dhatwagni and converts into a thin sheath-like structure known as ‘kleda’.[SharangdharaSamhita Purvakhanda 5] The kledaor moisture present in between dhatu and inner cavity(,ashaya)reacting to its heat gets converted into kala. Here, the term ‘kala’ refers to a small quantity of essence of tissue (dhatu) or tissue fluid (dhatu rasa) that oozes from it. It is similar with the liquid that oozes from tree after cutting. It envelops muscular tissue (snayu), mucus (shleshma) and serous layer (jarayu). [Ash. Sa. ShariraSthana 5/34]
For a better understanding of kala, it can be correlated with the section of wood, the thin layer that lies in between the core portion of a trunk and the outer thick bark of a tree. Similarly, the section on the fleshy part of the body reveals the internal structure ofdhatu. [Su.Sa. ShariraSthanaDalhana4/6] The word ‘snayu’ refers to fibrous sheath, shleshmarefers to the mucus membrane, and jarayuas a serous layer. Kala can be correlated with membrane, septum, sheath, layers of the body or cell membrane of each cell.
The topic of kala sharirais elaborated with different examples from the environment to illuminate the ideas and structure of kala. Intellectual visualization and comparative tools can be seen in the kala sharira description.

Number of kala

In samhitas, the total number of kala mentioned is seven. Only slight variation can be seen in their names. [Su.Sa. ShariraSthanaDalhana 4/4], [Ash. Sa. Sharirasthana 5], [Sharangdhara Sa Purvakhanda 5/6]. It is given in table no.1 :

Table no. 01: List of seven kala

Sr no.	Sushruta	Vagbhata	Sharangadhara
1	Mamsadharakala	Mamsadharakala	Mamsadharakala
2	Raktadharakala	Raktadharakala	Asrugdharakala
3	Medodharakala	Medodharakala	Medodharakala
4	Shleshmadharakala	Shleshmadharakala	YakritaPittadharakala
5	Purishadharakala	Purishadharakala	Antradharakala
6	Pittadharakala	Pittadharakala	Agnidharakala
7	Shukradharakala	Shukradharakala	Retadharakala

Kala is thin, sheath like structure covered by mucus (shleshma).Anatomically, it is a thin lining of epithelium or mucus membrane (that lines the cavities of viscera) and endothelium (that lines the blood vessels, ducts etc).As the transverse section of the wood shows its innermost tissue separated from the cortex by a thin layer, the same way one can study the structure of kala is by taking a section of tissue (dhatu). [Su.Sa. ShariraSthanaDalhana 4/6]

Characteristics

Kala is differentiated as covered with ligaments (snayupratichhinna), the continuation of fetal coverings (jarayusantata) and coated with mucus membrane (shleshmaveshthita). All these structures may or may not be necessarily present in each kala. Even one or two of the above-mentioned structures may be visible in the existing kala. This can be observed in cadaveric dissectionup to a certain extent. [Su.Sa. ShariraSthanaDalhana 4/7]

Send us your suggestions and feedback on this page.