Abstract

VATARAKTA IN MODERN PERSPECTIVES

Dr. Shivali Arora* and Dr. Pankaj Sharma

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Abstract

Altered dietary habits and faulty lifestyle in the name of modernization, have made human beings more vulnerable to metabolic disorders. Vatarakta, also known as Adhyavata, the disease of rich, is such a Mithyaharavihara-janya vyadhi of Sukumara, Sthula and Sukhi.[1] Vatarakta is an illness where both vata and rakta are afflicted by distinct etiological factors. Aggravated vata is blocked by vitiated rakta, which leads to further aggravation of vata dosha. Acharya Charak classifies vatarakta depending on the pathogenesis and severity of the disease into two types i.e. Uttana vatarakta and Gambhir Vatarakta. Uttana vatrakta affects twacha and mansa dhatu whereas Gambhira mainly affects asthi, majjadi gambhira dhatus. Acharya Sushruta differs in his opinion and states that like kushtha, vatarakta progresses from Uttana to Gambhira. Hence, he advocates them as two stages of vatarakta on the basis of chronicity of the disease. Vatarakta has been correlated to various diseases of modern medical science such as Gout, Peripheral vascular disease, psoariatic arthris, etc from time to time. In this paper, an effort has been made to review all these diseases and compare facts.

Keywords: Vatarakta, Uttana vatarakta, Gambhira vatarakta, Gout, psoariatic arthritis, Lupus, Peripheral vascular disease, varicose veins, TAO.