Viruddha Ahara
‘Viruddha’ means incompatible, opposite or unwholesome or which is harmful for the body or dhatu (body-tissue). It possesses opposite qualities compared to dhatu and vitiates them, leading to various diseases or complications. The concept of viruddha is broadly explained in ayurveda. Viruddha ashana (intake of unwholesome food or diet) is mentioned as a causative factor for various diseases, especially skin diseases (kushtha), erysipelas (visarpa), psychiatric diseases like insanity (unmada) etc. In the context of agrya samgraha (collection of definitive and first choice of medication or treatment), in Charak Samhita, intake of viruddha ahara is the foremost causative factor for nindita vyadhi (wretched diseases like kushtha). [Cha. Sa. Sutra Sthana 25/40]
In modern time, knowingly or unknowingly unwholesome combinations of food, faulty diet/junk foods, or processed/packed food are consumed. This produces ill effects on the body, such as allergies, food toxicities, etc. The cases of food incompatibility and food-food interactions, food-drug interactions are increasing. Therefore, a need to understand the concept of viruddha has risen to know measures for preserving health. The dietary guidelines about what to eat and what is to be avoided; what type of food can be combined or taken together and what not; are important to prevent diseases too. Faulty dietary habits can be corrected and incompatibility with ill effects can be prevented by knowing concept of viruddha. This chapter describes concept of viruddha, its practices and its effects on health.
| Section/Chapter/topic | Concepts & Practices/Viruddha Ahara |
|---|---|
| Authors |
Dubey M.1, Deole Y.S.2 |
| Reviewer | Basisht G.3, |
| Editor | Basisht G.3 |
| Affiliations |
1Charak Samhita Research, Training and Development Centre, I.T.R.A., Jamnagar, India 2Department of Kayachikitsa, G. J. Patel Institute of Ayurvedic Studies and Research, New Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India 3Rheumatologist, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. |
| Correspondence emails |
dr.manish181@gmail.com, dryogeshdeole@gmail.com, carakasamhita@gmail.com |
| Publisher | Charak Samhita Research, Training and Development Centre, I.T.R.A., Jamnagar, India |
| Date of publication: | May 31, 2023 |
| DOI | 10.47468/CSNE.2023.e01.s09.140 |
Etymology
The word ‘viruddha’ is originated from the Panini root word “Rudhir Avarani” by applying the prefix “Vi”. Thus, the word Viruddha means one which specifically obstructs, opposes or resists. The unwholesome or opposite food and practices that are opposite to the normal dhatu or body physiology is ‘viruddha’. Diet which dislodges dosha within the body but does not expel them out of the body are termed as ‘viruddha’ /ahita (unwholesome). [Cha. Sa. Sutra Sthana 26/85] Every dravya (substance/drugs) is ‘viruddha’ which provokes the dosha, but does not eliminate them outside the body. [A. H. Sutra Sthana 7/45-46] Viruddha ahara means the incompatibility of foods / food substances.
Types
Some food items are unwholesome individually or in combinations for the dosha as well as dhatu of the body. Whereas some of them are unwholesome due to their contradictory qualities. Some by their combination, some by their preparation methods, some by their desha (geographical area or by body type), kala (time), matra (dose) and some by their swabhava (inherent nature). [Cha. Sa. Sutra Sthana 26/81] Mainly, eighteen types of viruddha are mentioned in Charak Samhita as follows: [Cha. Sa. Sutra Sthana 26/86-101]
| Sr. no. | Type of viruddha (incompatibility) | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desha (region) | Intake of ruksha (dry) and tikshna (sharp acting) diet in arid region or deserts (jangala desha)
Intake of snigdha (unctuous) and sheeta (cold) substance in anupa desha (marshy land) |
| 2 | Kala (time) | Intake of sheeta (cold) and ruksha (dry) in winter,
Intake of katu (pungent) and ushna (hot) substance in summer. |
| 3 | Agni
(Power of digestion) |
Intake of food opposite to the power of digestion i.e., agni, for example taking heavy food in case of poor digestive capacity (manda agni) |
| 4 | Matra (dose) | Ghee and honey (madhu) in equal quantity |
| 5 | Satmya (adaptability) | Intake of sweet and cold substance by person who is accustomed to katu (pungent) rasa and ushna (hot potency) |
| 6 | Dosha
(Regulatory functional factors of the body) |
Using food, medicine or procedure having similar qualities with dosha, but at variance with the habit of individual |
| 7 | Samskara
(Mode of preparation) |
Meat of peacock roasted on a castor spit. |
| 8 | Virya (potency) | Substance of ushna (hot) virya taking along with sheeta (cold) virya. |
| 9 | Koshtha (bowel pattern/nature of gut/ alimentary tract) | Administrating mild purgative to krura koshtha (hard bowel) or strong purgative to mrudu koshtha (soft bowel) |
| 10 | Avastha
(State of health) |
Intake of vata dosha aggravating food by a person after exhaustion, sexual act and exercise.
Intake of kapha dosha aggravating food by a person after sleep or by lazy person. |
| 11 | Krama (order of consumption) | Taking food without emptying bowel or bladder or when not having an appetite or after hunger has been aggravated |
| 12 | Parihar (Contraindication incompatibility) | Intake of hot things after taking pork |
| 13 | Upachara (treatment) | Intake of cold things after taking ghrita (ghee). |
| 14 | Paka (cooking method or process) | Preparing food with wrong or rotten fuel and undercooking, overcooking, or burning during preparation. |
| 15 | Samyoga (combination) | Intake of sour things with milk |
| 16 | Hrit (palatability) | Any substance which is not pleasant to take |
| 17 | Sampad (quality) | Intake of substances that are unripe, over ripe or putrefied. |
| 18 | Vidhi (rules for eating) | Not following dietary guidelines (aahara vidhi) |
Common examples of viruddha
Following tables show the common examples practiced in ancient social practices with their consequences on health mentioned in Charak Samhita. [Cha. Sa. Sutra Sthana 26/82-83] Some of these are practiced in the current era, whereas some are not. The additional examples observed in today’s society are given in the table.
| Sr. No. | Different combinations of viruddha | Diseases/ Consequences |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fish along with milk
especially one should never consume Chilchima fish (a type of marine fish) with milk |
Vitiates the blood and obstructs srotasa (channels of the body), causes constipation, diseases of blood (raktaja vyadhi), ama visha and it may cause even death |
| 2 | Meat of gramya (domestic), anup (marshy), audakya (aquatic animals) with honey, sesamum seeds, milk, jaggery, masha (Phaseolus radiatus), radish, lotus stalk or germinated grains | Deafness, blindness, tremors, loss of intelligence, loss of voice, causing nasal voice and it may cause death. |
| 3 | Vegetable of Pushkara (Nelumbo nucifera) and Rohini (Soymida febrifuqa A.) or Katurohini or meat of pigeon fried in mustard oil together with honey and milk | Abhishyandi (increase discharges and obstruction of channels), dilatation of blood vessels, epilepsy, shankhaka (a disease of the head characterised by pain in temporal region), galaganda (goitre), rohini (diphtheria) or even death. |
| 4 | Milk intake after intake of radish, garlic, krishnagandha (Moringa oleifera), arjaka (Ocimum gratissimum Linn.), surasa (Ocimum sanctum). | Kushtha (obstinate skin diseases/leprosy) |
| 5 | Jatuka (Ferula narehex Boiss) shaka or ripe fruit of nikucha (Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb.) with honey and milk | Loss of strength, complexion, sterility and other shukra vikara (diseases of reproductive system), and other serious type of diseases leading to death. |
| 6 | Shaka (leaves) of padmauttarika/ kusumbha shaka (Carthamus tinctorius Linn.), sarkara (type of wine), maireya (type of wine) and honey | Aggravate the dosha especially vata |
| 7 | Meat of haridraka bird fried in mustard oil | Aggravate the dosha, especially pitta. |
| 8 | Payasa (milk) when taken with mantha | Aggravate the dosha, specially kapha |
| 9 | Upodika (Basella rubra) prepared with the paste of tila (sesame) | Causes diarrhoea |
| 10 | Meat of crane with varuni (a type of wine) | Instantaneous adverse reactions |
| 11 | Kulamasha (dish prepared by steam cooked wheat/grams) is unwholesome, again if fried with shukara vasa (boar/wild pig muscle-fat) | Instantaneous adverse reactions |
| 12 | Meat of peacock roasted on a castor spit, burnt with castor wood as a fuel and mixed with castor oil | Instantaneous adverse reactions |
| 13 | Meat of Haridraka (a bird) roasted on a turmeric spit, burnt with turmeric wood as a fuel or when mixed with honey. | Instantaneous adverse reactions |
| 14 | Pippali (Piper longum) fried with fish oil | Causes death |
| 15 | Kakamachi (Solanum nigrum) with honey | Causes death |
| 16 | Hot honey or intake of honey by person afflicted with heat | Causes death |
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