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INTRODUCTION

Transportation has been one of the keys for evolution of mankind. In search of food, shelter and basic necessities to live, man wandered from place to place; exploring the unseen part of creation.

To achieve that, he learnt to pave his pathway to various destinations, made colonies, built cities, created jobs and got credited for being the most intelligent and privileged part of creation.

When he had to travel for long distances knowing that the universe is more than what he knew it to be; he invented vehicles for the purpose of travelling and transportation.

A cleanly crafted pathway, a well equipped vehicle and a basic intelligence of travelling the path all along its distance and back on the part of man has connected different corners of the world and has led to super-evolution.

Where would have the man got the idea from?

May be he had got that idea from a mechanism which already exists within his inside, which he is unaware about; but has its collective intelligence which has been installed within him as a hidden memory. We generally don’t explore or get an idea of doing so about the things we already have!!

Man probably did not know that he was made of similar pathways within self until medical science announced it!!

The pathways within the human body which communicates and links the different corners,

The pathways which help in manufacture and transportation of essential ingredients which support the life entity, the basic amenities needed to manufacture and create the tissues of the body and to flush out the unnecessary things which contaminate the inner sanctum,

The pathways, the sterility and healthy existence and proper functioning of which defines our existence, health and immunity status,

The pathways, when get blocked, chocked, clogged or contaminated leads to serious damages, diseases and also death,

The creation’s most sophisticated, complex and most intelligent, self-monitored pathways and channel system…

The channel, tubular, transportation and duct system of our body!!

Yes, in this article we are about to discuss about those millions of ducts, tubes and channels which make what we are, which keeps us connected to the interior and exterior worlds, which connects us to selves, which binds the body, mind, senses and soul under one roof, which makes and breaks us, which phenomenally carry out all the life activities and functions effortlessly and selflessly, they are called ‘Srotas’ (plural Srotases).

Yes! Ayurveda was the first medical system to announce and describe the existence of these millions of pathways within the human body. They called these ducts or channels or tubular or transportation systems of the body as ‘Srotas’. 

Those from which Sravana or flow of body substances take place or those through which the materials flow in the body are called Srotases

Thus Srotases are the channels of the body through which the materials needed for tissue building, nutrition and other nutrients flow from one corner of the body to the other. We can tell that the materials are transported through the channels from the place of production to place of need.

Gangadhara, the commentator of Charaka explains that the pathways through which Rasa, raktaetc tissues are transported or the pathways through which the tissues flow are called Srotas

According to Chakrapani, the commentator of Charaka Samhita, the channels which transport the Poshakadhatus (the part of the rasa etctissues which flow to provide nutrition to the successive tissues) are called Srotas. 

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POSHAKA DHATU 

Dhatus or tissues are of 7 types according to Ayurveda. They are:

Rasa (Lymph, plasma or serum)

Rakta (blood cells)

Mamsa (muscles or flesh)

Meda (fat)

Asthi (bone)

Majja (bone marrow)

Shukra (semen)

All these tissues are a product of Ahara rasa or nutrient essence of food.

First of all the food is properly digested in the stomach and intestines. The essence of the food is called Ahara Rasa or Poshaka Rasa Dhatu. This is the first tissue. This comes to the heart and is circulated all over the body to provide nutrition to all the dhatus or tissues.

Each dhatu has a dhatvagni or tissue fire. When the nutrient juices or essence of food in circulation comes to them, they take the materials or portions needed by them according to law of selective absorption.

Tissue fire of Rasa dhatu, Rasa Dhatwagni acts on the nutritive Rasa and breaks it into Poshya or sthayi rasa dhatu (the rasa dhatu proper). Thus the Poshaka (that which provides nutrition) rasa gets converted into Poshya or sthayi rasa (that which is nourished).

The sthayi rasa dhatu nourishes the rasa dhatu components all over the body. The other part of the nutritive essence gets converted into PoshyaRaktadhatu which moves ahead to nourish Raktadhatu (blood tissue).

In Raktadhatu, the tissue fire of blood tissue, RaktaDhatwagni acts on the Poshaka Rasa dhatu and converts it into sthayiraktadhatu (local blood tissue) and another part becomes poshakaMamsadhatu, the portion which nourishes the next tissue i.e. Mamsadhatu or muscle tissue.

This procedure continues until the final tissue Shukradhatu or semen is formed.

Note – According to Ayurveda, the tissues are formed one after the other in that successive order. The predecessor dhatu will form the successive dhatu. Thus, Rasa forms Rakta, Rakta forms Mamsa, Mamsa forms Meda, Meda forms Asthi, Asthi forms Majja and Majja forms Shukradhatu in that order.

Finally after Shukradhatu, Ojas (essence of all the tissues) is formed, which determines the immunity and healthy life span of an individual (in a condition wherein its quality and quantity is balanced).

Thus the flow of Poshakadhatu (the part of tissue which nourishes the successive tissue) flows in the channels called Srotas. (The sthayidhatu or the local tissue will not flow because they stay at their places and support the

Srotaamsikhaluparinaamamaapadhyamaanaanaamdhaatoonaamabhivaahinibhavantiayanaarthena (Ref- CharakaVimana 5/3)

The Srotases are the channels in the body which are involved in the uninterrupted transportation of tissues which are in the process of transformation or converting themselves so as to be suitable for forming their successive dhatus or tissues. (This definition also gives the similar meaning of Srotas as explained above in elaboration)

Praanaannavaari rasa shonitamaamsamedovahatvamsrotasaam (Ref- SushrutaShaareera 9, Dalhana commentary)

Those which carry or transport materials like Prana (life element or oxygen or air), anna (food), vaari (water), mamsa (muscle tissue), meda (fat) etc are called Srotases 

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STRUCTURE (CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES) OF SROTAS

 Srotases are distributed from the root to any terminal portion of the structure or body.

Srotases are located within the spaces of the body; they spread all through the body and carry essential materials. They are totally different structures from Siras (veins, lymphatics etc) and dhamanis (arteries, nerves?).

The srotas has the color of the dhatu (tissue) that they are carrying or transporting. They are of different shapes and sizes viz, round, thick, large, small, microscopic, elongated and form network and branches.

With this description, each and every cell can be considered as a srotas since the transportation mechanism occurs within the cell and between cells.

SYNONYMS OF SROTAS

Paryaaya – Srotaamsi, siraa, dhamanyaha, rasaayanyaha, rasa vaahinyaha, naadyaha, panthaanaha, maargaaha, shareerachidraani, samvrutaasamvrutaani, sthaanaani, aashayaaha, niketaahashareeradhaatuavakaashaanaamlakshyaalakshyaanaamnaamaanibhavanti (Ref – CharakaVimana 5/9)

Srotases are available in different forms and shapes.

The below mentioned are the different names or synonyms of all the visible and invisible srotases available in the body –

Sira, Dhamani, Rasaayana, Rasa vaahini, Naadi, Panthaanaha, Maargaaha, Shareerachidraani, Samvruta-asamvruta

Sthaana, Aashaya, Niketaetc 

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TYPES OF SROTAS 

Basically the Srotas are of two types,

Bahir mukhasrotas (Mahantisrotas) – External openings or apertures

Antarmukhasrotas (Sukshmasrotas or Yogavahisrotas) – Internal channels of the body

BAHIRMUKHASROTAS – EXTERNAL ORIFICES:

Bahirmukhasrotas are those which have their openings on the outside (exterior) of the body. They are essentially large openings.

They are 10 in number:

2 each in nose (nostrils), ears (external ear openings) and eyes (orbital openings)

1 each in the penis, mouth (oral cavity) and anal orifice

The 10th one is located in the head

In women there are 3 more orifices – 2 in stana (breasts) and 1 in garbhavartma (cervical opening or opening of the birth canal)

According to ‘Jeevakavichayashaareera’, Srotas is of 2 types – Sukshmasrotas and Mahantisrotas

Mahantisrotas are of 9 types, two of them are located in the lower part of the body and 7 of them are located in the upper part of the body. The Nabhi (navel) and the orifices or millions of minute pores of the skin are considered as Sukshmasrotas.

The small pores or minute orifices of the body are the sookshmasrotases which take their origin in the skin

ANTARMUKHASROTAS OR YOGAVAHISROTAS – INTERNAL BODY CHANNELS

Antaha=internal, Mukha=opening, Srotas-channels

Antarmukhasrotases are those channels which are present inside the body and also have their openings within the body.

They are also called by the name Yogavahi Srotas. The word Yoga means a dravya (matter or material a srotas carries) as the srotases carry Rasa and other dhatus.

According to Charaka there are 13 main AntarmukhaSrotases.

They are:

PranavahaSrotas – Channels carrying the vital life element or air

AnnavahaSrotas – Channels transporting food

UdakavahaSrotas – Channels carrying water and controlling water metabolism

Rasavahasrotas – Channels carrying the nutritional essence

RaktavahaSrotas – Channels carrying the blood

Mamsavahasrotas – Channels carrying muscle tissue

MedovahaSrotas – Channels carrying fat tissue

AsthivahaSrotas – Channels transporting the bone tissue

MajjavahaSrotas – Channels carrying the bone marrow tissue

ShukravahaSrotas – Channels carrying the semen or reproductive tissue

Mutravahasrotas – Channels carrying urine out of the body

PurishavahaSrotas – Channels carrying stools out of the body

SwedavahaSrotas – Channels carrying the sweat

According to Sushruta, there are 11 pairs of Yogavahi or Antarmukhasrotases. They are:

PranavahaSrotas – Channels carrying the vital life element or air

AnnavahaSrotas – Channels transporting food

UdakavahaSrotas – Channels carrying water and controlling water metabolism

Rasavahasrotas – Channels carrying the nutritional essence

RaktavahaSrotas – Channels carrying the blood

Mamsavahasrotas – Channels carrying muscle tissue

MedovahaSrotas – Channels carrying fat tissue

ShukravahaSrotas – Channels carrying the semen or reproductive tissue

Mutravahasrotas – Channels carrying urine out of the body

PurishavahaSrotas – Channels carrying stools out of the body

ArtavaSrotas – Channels carrying the menstrual blood (in women)