The Dhatus, Upadhatus, and Malas
At the end of the dhatu feeding chain, a secondary group of tissues is created, called the upadhatu. These tissues do not provoke a chain reaction with subsequent upadhatus, as is seen in the dhatus. Also, each primary dhatu, after having been fed, produces its own bodily waste called malas. The primary dhatus, along with their upadhatus, malas, and physical and emotional functions, are presented in the following chart.
Table 9
THE PRIMARY DHATUS, THEIR UPADHATUS, MALAS.
PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONS
|
DHATU |
|
UPADHATU |
|
MALA |
|
PHYSICAL |
|
EMOTIONAL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FUNCTION |
|
FUNCTION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ingested |
|
|
|
Feces |
|
Production of |
|
Joy |
|
Foods |
|
|
|
urine |
|
Nutrient |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Substance |
|
|
|
Rasa (plasma tissue) |
|
Breast milk, |
|
Mucus |
|
Nourishment |
|
Exhilaration |
|
|
|
menstrual secretion |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rasa (blood tissue) |
|
Blood vessels, tendons |
|
Bile |
|
Stimulation |
|
Invigoration |
|
Mamsa (muscle tissue) |
|
Muscles, skin |
|
Ear wax, naval lint |
|
Buffering the |
|
Nurturing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
body |
|
|
|
Medas (fat tissue) |
|
Omentum* |
|
Sweat |
|
Lubrication |
|
Love |
|
Asthi (bone and cartilage tissue) |
|
Teeth |
|
Body hair, beard, nails |
|
Supporting the body |
|
Courage |
|
Majja (bone marrow tissue) |
|
Head hair |
|
Tears |
|
filling of the |
|
Fullness |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bones |
|
|
|
Shukra & Artava (reproductive tissue) |
|
---- |
|
---- |
|
Procreation |
|
Life |
* A fold of peritoneum from another organ that supports an organ.
