Talk:Tridosha

Separate article is needed on this name
I strongly feel that a separate article is needed on this topic. The reason is, it is the central hypothesis of ayurveda. However, I shall have no issues if other editors decide the other way round. Maybe this article will be created after some time in that case. Thank you. --Abhijeet Safai (talk) 08:45, 30 January 2017 (UTC)
 * To be frank, this debate comes in the preview of philosophers. As I do not have much formal training in the same, I maybe wrong about it. Hence I am more interested in seeing what decisions are taken about it on Wikipedia than being able to comment on this. Thanks. --Abhijeet Safai (talk) 08:56, 30 January 2017 (UTC)

Could you explain the difference between tridosha and dosha? The dosha article says "A dosha, according to Ayurveda, is one of three bodily Bioelements that make up one's constitution. These teachings are also known as the Tridosha theory." In other words, why do we need one article for dosha, and another for tridosha? --Slashme (talk) 09:45, 30 January 2017 (UTC)


 * Thanks a lot for the interesting question. I maybe wrong in this, but lets see if I can convince myself in this. A dosha has a meaning of lacuna or a limitation or a bad characteristic. It is a Sanskirt word, but it is used in Hindi and also in Marathi which is my mother tongue. Both Hindi and Marathi originated from Sankrit so the meaning is similar. The reason tridoshas are known as doshas is they damage other substances in the body. You are right tri means three and dosha is doshas. As they are 3 in number, they are known as tridosha. But when we think of tridosha, they have other functions than destruction / lacuna / bad characteristic. It is said that if they are in balance, it leads to health and imbalance of these tridoshas will lead to disease. That is what is a tridosha hypothesis. So if we try to see this meaning of tridosha, a thing which a physician is supposed to balance, it does not necessarily take the negative connotation the word dosha has. I have not seen the word dosha being used in positive connotation. But as tridosha is more complex concept, it can be used in positive connotation also. There is a verse which explains the 'health'. In that definition, it is said that the doshas are sama that is they are in balanced state. If balanced state tridoshas means health, it cannot have only negative connotation. Hence as the concept of tridosha is more complex than the simple word dosha, a separate article is needed in my opinion. Thank you. -- Abhijeet Safai (talk) 11:02, 30 January 2017 (UTC)
 * I know the problem about ayurveda further gets worse when we try to translate the words to find out the meaning. In my honest opinion, it something is science, even reverse translation should work. Some people translate doshas as faults which is its obvious meaning but in ayurveda it should be called as bodily humors. Vata can be translated as wind but it does not explain it. Pitta's literal meaning is bile but it is not only that according to some. Some prefer to call it as the transforming principle which helps in digestion. Kapha can be translated as expectoration when one coughs or it can also be seen as a binding principle. As ayurveda was not supposed to be only medicine but also a guidance about morals as how one should behave in certain situations, it takes the form of preventive and social medicine sometimes. But that too is not backed by epidemiological trials or experiments. Hence the whole issue is highly complex. I find WP as a hope in this confusion as there can be only one article about a subject here. Also there is place to discuss and debate these issues which lacks in Ayurveda colleges in India. Here people at least do not silence you by mere their power of position and I am happy that I am at least heard by someone. Thanks a lot for patient reading. --Abhijeet Safai (talk) 11:14, 30 January 2017 (UTC)
 * There are certain studies which are published in journals like Nature, which say that they have been successful in showing the genetic basis of prakruti / tridosha prakruti or tridosha. The link of that publication can be found here. Thank you. -- Abhijeet Safai (talk) 11:23, 30 January 2017 (UTC)
 * In the paper referred above from Nature, it says that "Prakriti is relative proposition (tridosha), so we calculated the differences of standardized weight for all 6 permutations'.......". Will WP wont consider even Nature as reliable source? I am finding whole situation very funny. -- Abhijeet Safai (talk) 11:29, 30 January 2017 (UTC)
 * It is said in the comment above Slashme that "These teachings are also known as the Tridosha theory." I disagree. I disagree to all tridosha as a theory. In my opinion, it should be termed as a hypothesis which needs further validation to be termed as a theory. And if for the sake of argument, if we consider that it is theory, then it must have a separate article as it is so much popular. It is then basis of healthcare system of 1.25 billion population of India and according to some source cited on WP only, 80% ppl in India use Ayurveda. So is the basis for healthcare system of 80% population of 1.25 billion people not that important? Thank you. --Abhijeet Safai (talk) 11:37, 30 January 2017 (UTC)

My question remains: are you happy with the plan to keep all of this material at dosha, or is there a good reason to have this article in parallel? --Slashme (talk) 12:23, 30 January 2017 (UTC)


 * I definitely feel that there should be a separate article for tridosha because of above mentioned reasons. Thank you. -- Abhijeet Safai (talk) 05:56, 31 January 2017 (UTC)