Astrology and Spirituality- Ayurveda- Nature's Secret for Healthy Living

By KVRK Bhargav

(Bhargav is a student of Swami who after completing his B.Tech graduated with an MBA from the the Sri Sathya Sai University in 2001. Ever since, he has had the great fortune of waiting for Swami’s direct guidance. He pursues astrology as a hobby to understand how it complements and dovetails spirituality. He shares his insights on how the planets are not causes of fear; rather they all serve the common goal of prodding man towards his spiritual destiny of Self Realization)

Why is it that some people are tall while others are short, some people put on weight while others don't gain weight irrespective of what they eat, why some people are inherently peaceful and contended while others are anxiety personified? Why is it that some people are voracious eaters while others eat very scantily? Why is it that some people are self motivated and work tirelessly while others are lazy and averse to work?

Ayurveda provides answers to all these questions.

According to Ayurveda a human being is made up of three humors or doshas of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. An individual is born with a particular combination of these three humors known as prakriti, which influences not only his/her body structure but also his/her mental and emotional setup. Swami says that there is no difference between the human body which is the microcosm and the universe which is the macrocosm. The zodiac with its twelve signs and nine planets is a very important constituent of the macrocosm. It exerts a tremendous influence on the body mind complex of an individual comprising the microcosm. Broadly Vata means wind, Pitta means bile and Kapha means Phlegm.

Planets and Doshas:
Vata( Kinetic energy)—Saturn, Rahu and Mercury
Pitta( Thermal energy)--- Sun, Mars and Ketu
Kapha(Potential Energy)—Moon, Jupiter and Venus

These three doshas Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, can be related to or translated as Air (Ether as the secondary element), Fire (water as the secondary element) and Water (Earth as the secondary element) respectively. A good Ayurvedic doctor also studies the astrological chart or horoscope of a patient to ascertain his dosha. This gives him a clue of the incidence and seriousness of an ailment.

According to Ayurveda, there are seven main constitution types composed of one or more dosha.

1. Vata (mono types)
2. Pitta (mono types)
3. Kapha (mono types)
4. Vata-Pitta (dual types)
5. Pitta-Kapha (dual types)
6. Kapha-Vata (dual types)
7. Vata-Pitta-Kapha (triple types)

All three doshas are present in each person at all times, but their proportion varies for each individual. The proportion is fixed at birth for each individual.

Let us first ascertain our body constitution by answering a simple questionnaire. It will be helpful to ask people around us for their opinion on our personality types. The score of this questionnaire is the body constitution we are born with. Knowing your constitution or Prakriti is useful because it increases the awareness of your personality type identifying your natural strengths and challenges.

S. No.	Parameter	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
1	Height	Tall or very short	Medium	Usually short but can be tall and large
2	Frame	Thin, bony, good muscles	Moderate, developed	Large, well formed
3	Weight	Low, hard to hold weight	Moderate	Heavy, hard to lose weight
4	Joints	Stiff, crack easily	Moderate	Firm, large
5	Bones	Thin, narrow	Loose	Large, thick
6	Skin luster	Dull or dusky	Ruddy, lustrous	White or pale
7	Skin Texture	Dry, rough and thin	Warm, oily	Cold, damp and thick
8	Eyes	Small, nervous	Piercing, easily inflamed	Large, white
9	Hair	Dry and thin	Thin and oily	Thick, oily, wavy and lustrous
10	Teeth	Crooked, poorly formed	Moderate, bleeding gums	Large, well formed
11	Nails	Rough, brittle	Soft, pink	Soft, white
12	Circulation	Poor, variable	Good	Moderate
13	Appetite	Variable, nervous	High, excessive	Moderate, constant
14	Thirst	Low, scanty	High	Moderate
15	Sweating	Scanty	Profuse but not enduring	Low to start then profuse
16	Stool	Hard or dry	Soft, loose	Normal
17	Urination	Scanty	Profuse, yellow	Moderate, clear
18	Sensitivities	Cold, dryness, wind	Heat, sunlight, fire	Cold, damp
19	Immune function	Low, variable	Moderate, sensitive to heat	High
20	Disease tendency	Pain	Fever, inflammation	Congestion, edema
21	Disease type	Nervous	Blood, liver	Mucous, lungs
22	Acitivity	High, restless	Moderate	Low, moves slowly
23	Endurance	Poor, easily exhausted	Moderate but focused	High
24	Sleep	Poor, disturbed	Variable	Excess
25	Dreams	Frequent, disturbed	Moderate, colourful	Infrequent, romantic
26	Memory	Quick, absent minded	Sharp, clear	Slow but steady
27	Speech	Fast, frequent	Sharp, cutting	Slow, melodious
28	Temparement	Nervous, changeable	Motivated	Content, conservative
29	Positive emotions	Adaptability	Courage	Love
30	Negative emotions	Fear	Anger	Attachment
31	Faith	Variable	Strong, determined	Steady, slow to change

A total of 31 parameters are listed in the questionnaire. One can have a score like Vata-15, Pitta-7 and Kapha- 9 which is a predominantly a vata constitution. If one has a constitution of Vata- 6, Pitta- 12 and Kapha-13 then the individual has a combination of Pitta and Kapha constitution.

No matter what one's constitution is, any of the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) can get out of balance and cause disease if left untreated. It is mostly the dominant dosha that can become too much and that is responsible for disturbing harmony due to poor eating habits, poor diet and environmental, emotional, mental or physical stress.
Pick up a pen and a piece of paper and write down your constitution score.
We will discuss these three doshas in detail in the next issue. We will also ascertain the diet and lifestyle one should follow in light of Ayurveda to have perfect physical, mental and emotional health.