It means causative factor. The broad meaning of Nidana includes diagnosis and knowledge of disease. The section Nidana Sthana deals with knowledge of disease in detail.
Synonyms
Types
Nidana is of three types:
- Asatmyendriyarthasamyoga (unsuitable contact of sense organs with their objects)
- Pragyaparadha (intellectual errors or knowingly engaging in harmful activities), and
- Kala (time, seasonal, temporal factors).