Ayurveda Dictionary
D
Dagdha wound, stain
Daha burning sensation in part or all of the body due to increased, aggravated pitta and excess contact with heat
Daivika of God
Daksha – Prajapati Lord of entire human race
Danta tooth
Danta-amasi ash of tooth
Dantamamsa-roga diseases of the gums
Danta-nadi dental sinus
Danta-roga diseases of the teeth
Danta Veshta gums
Dardhya firmness
Darshan(a) observation; visual inspection
Dasa ten
Dasamool/Dashmul ten roots (vata)
Dasha–vidhya pariksha tenfold examination
Daya kindness
Deepana; dipana increase appetite; that which enkindles the digestive fire; Deepaniya appetising
Deha land/part of body
Deha Vijnana science of human body and subtle forces that regulate its functions
Dehadharak maintain the body and the functions of the body
Desa; Desh area; locality; habitat – originating place of food. 3 types: aanup desh (marsh land), jangal desh (dry or
arid land) and sadharan desh
Dhamani ducts for carriage of the fluids of the body; Arteries; fallopian tubes/uterine tubes
Dharana Support; make firm, Concentration of the Mind in Yoga
Dharma Life purpose; Moral duties and responsibilities to one self, family, neighbours, community etc. 1 of 4 basic
objectives of life
Dhataki; dhayati Woodfordia fructicosa; Fermenting agents. Fire flame bush Dhatus tissue; constituents which support the body; basic nutritional and structural factors of body cells, performing
specific actions for the physiological functions. Retainable tissue layers arising from molecules of vata, pitta and
kapha or their combinations, which are biologically active. Dhatu means ‘to support’. There are 7 dhatus, known as
sapta dhatu: Rasa (chyle, lymph etc), Rakta (blood), Mamsa (muscles), Meda (adipose tissue), Asthi (cartilage and
bone), Majja (red bone marrow), Shukra (reproductive elements)
Dhatu agni heat of a particular tissue; tissue fire; 7 forms of agni, anabolic transformation
Dhatukshaya tissue depletion
Dhatu saar tissue strength
Dhatu–samya state of equilibrium of the tissues
Dhatu–vaha tissue carrying
Dhatu-vaha srotas substrates for tissues
Dhatu-vaisamya increase or decrease of the tissues with equilibrium upset Dheyaya (1 of 5, see chintya) to consider a subject as a goal
Dhi intellect; to grasp
Dhruthi understanding; discrimination at level of mind; to hold by absorbing Dhumapana smoking; fumigative inhalations; insufflation in nasya, one of the five cleansing actions, panch-karmas
Dhusyas tissues which the doshas can vitiate
Dhyana meditation in yoga
Dhyanya coriander
Dik space or place; atomic or molecular association and disassociations
Dina day; daily
Dinacharya daily lifestyle; daily regimen; daily routine for health
Disha direction; dimension
Doshas performing structural and functional units; biological elements (kapha builds, pitta metabolises, vata destroys)
responsible for maintaining integrity of body; governing all biological, psychological and physio-pathological functions.
Mind-body principle – the combination of doshas decide the constitution, prakruti. Those which upset dhatusamya
or equilibrium. A change in balance of doshas leads to disease
Doshika prakriti doshika nature
Dourbalya debility
Drava liquid
Drava sweda aromatherapy sweating with herbal oils
Dravatva fluidity
Dravya substance; elementary substance which is independent by itself; stuff; matter; medical substane; medicine; a
medicinal plant. 2 types: karana dravyani; karya dravyani
Dravyaguna pharmacology. The science of identification, properties, actions and therapeutic uses of medicinal
substances; classification and knowledge of properties of foods, remedies, drugs and diets (dravya=substance/food;
guna=properties)
Drava sweda therapeutic heat with aromatic and herbal oils providing additional benefits
Drika/Druk eye; observation
Droni traditional wooden table for massage
Drushti prasada kara beneficial to eyes
Dua/Dwa two
Dugdha milk; breast milk for children
Dugdha dhara drip of milk on head
Dukha sorrow; pain or misery
Dushya corruptible; affected tissues or wastes
Dvesa; Dwesha antipathy; aversion, dislike, repulsion
Dyanendriyas, jnanaendriyas 5 sense organs of cognition: ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose