Prabhava

Ayurveda relies on medicines obtained from natural sources like plants, minerals and ores. Before utilizing these as medicines, it is important for a physician to know the properties and uses of these medicinal substances. These properties are mentioned in the form of rasa, guna, virya, vipaka and prabhava.. Each of these factor has its own action on the body, some times similar and sometimes contrary. But the cumulative effect of all will lead to the exact pharmacological action of that particular drug. Sometimes, effects are observed which are beyond the actions of these rasadi gunas. These actions are called as prabhava. They are unpredictable by the rasadi gunas, but have a unique action and are important for the clinical and therapeutic effects. Hence the concept of prabhava has a wide range of clinical applicability in the field of ayurveda.

Contributors

Section/Chapter/topic	Concepts/Prabhava
Authors	S. Pavan Kumar 1
Reviewer	Basisht G.2,
Editor	Deole Y.S.3
Affiliations	1 Department of Dravyaguna, TTD's S.V. Ayurvedic Medical College, Tirupati , India, 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	pavansangu@gmail.com, carakasamhita@gmail.com
Publisher	Charak Samhita Research, Training and Development Centre, I.T.R.A., Jamnagar, India
Date of publication:	March 03, 2022
DOI	10.47468/CSNE.2023.e01.s09.131

Etymology, Synonyms and Meaning

According to Monnier and William’s Dictionary Prabhava means might, power, majesty, dignity, strength and efficacy.
It is formed by Pra + bhāva, where “pra” denotes that it extraordinary or excessive or rich and bhava or the qualities or the actions.
So prabhāva can be considered as that extraordinary capacity of a drug to act on diseases beyond expectation.
The word prabhava is described as the shakti (strength or ability) with which special actions will be expressed by the drugs. Eg: Lakucha and Amalaki despite of being similar in guṇa (properties), show different actions, like tridoṣhahara property (prabhava) of amalaki, is not seen in lakucha. Hemachandra considered it as Teja (energy or the light).
In the sarasundari commentary on the book Amarakoṣha, it is said as shaktivisheṣha (specific ability or strength), which will be formed from the superior form of the veerya.

Definition

In a drug, if the taste (rasa), properties (guna) , potency(veerya) and post digestive effect (vipaka) are functionally corresponding to each other, but the action is contrary to the expected, then that action or effect is called as prabhava. [Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 26/67]
It is clear that rasa, guna, veerya and vipaka must be functionally corresponding, then prabhava can be considered. If any of the above is different, then it cannot be considered as prabhava. If any variation occurs, then the action can be because of that particular guṇa and that particular action will be considered as karma.
The karma or the predictable actions of the drugs based on the rasadi gunas are limited and are easily anticipated, but the prabhava or the unpredictable actions are unlimited and has a greater per view in the field of clinical medicine.
The effects of the prabhava are considered as “achintya (unpredictable)”
If the rasa, guna, veerya and vipaka are functionally similar and are present in a dravya, then some drugs act by virtue of their rasa, some by the virtue of their guṇa, some by virtue veerya and some by the virtue of vipaka. But the prabhava dominates and suppresses the above properties and shows its peculiar action.
Some Examples of prabhava mentioned in ayurvedic texts:

1. Chitraka and Danti have pungent taste (katu rasa), pungent post digestive effect (katu vipaka) and hot potency (ushna veerya). However, the actions of both the drugs are different. Danti acts as purgative (virechana dravya), but Chitraka does not have virechana action.
2. Visha(poison) acts as anti toxic (visha hara dravya).
3. Emetic (vamana) and purgative (virechana) drugs act by virtue of their prabhava and not by their rasa, guna, veerya and vipaka.
4. Wearing gems stones (mani dharana) causing some unpredictable effects and are considered as the prabhava of that gems.
5. Draksha and madhuka have similar properties, but Draksha acts as virechana dravya and madhūka does not have the property of virechana.
6. Ghrita (ghee) and dugdha (milk) have similar properties (Madhura rasa madhura vipaka) and ghrita acts as dipana, but dugdha does not.
7. Lashuna decreases vata and kapha dosha, in spite of having snigdha and guru gunas, which should increase vata kapha.
8. Even though rakta shali and yava have the similar properties, rakta shali decreases tridosha and yava increases tridoshas.
9. Medhya action of shankhapushpi, vishaghna action of Shirisha etc. can also be considered because of the prabhava.

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