ASSESSMENT OF KOSHTA

BY
PRIYA V
FIRST YEAR BAMS
MEANING OF KOSHTA
According to shabdakalpadruma,
को = कु ष् ग न कष + “उ षकु षग त य न् “ |
Which means to tear , to force , to draw out or to
extract
को न ,
Koshta – Kush Aawarane.
Koshta is derived from root Kush+Than, it
means Aavarana.
Koshta is a cavity formed from Avarana (wall)
which is consisting of Dhatus (solid structure).
Word koshta is used for vacant place having
avarana, where things can be kept in a lot.
INTRODUCTION TO KOSHTA
▪ According to Acharya Vagbhata,
को ः ू रो मृ र् म यो म यः यात् तैः समैर् अ प | (1/8)

Meaning: Koshta is influenced by vata-pitta-

kapha doshas.
1. Krura- Vata dominancy (poorly secretive and
over absorptive)
2. Mrudu- Pitta dominancy(over secretive and
poorly absorptive)
3. Madhyama – Kapha dominancy(optimally
secretive and absorptive).
 KOSHTA DOSHA
• Krura koshta • Vata dosha

hard and dry stools, requires

straining,
Doesn’t pass stools regularly
• Pitta dosha
• Mridu koshta
Passes stools once or twice
daily,easy defecation,semi
formed stools, minor laxatives
causes diarrhea.
• Madhya koshta • Kapha dosha

Passes stools once daily,

requires minimum straining,
formed stools
▪ According to Acharya
Charaka,
को ः पुन यते महा ोतः
शरीरम यंमहा न नमामप वाशय े त |(च सू 11/48)
Meaning: Koshta is the digestive system that is
महा ोतः(great channel), शरीरम यं (central body
part), महा न न (greater lower part),आमप वाशय
(major organs of gastro-intestinal tract).
It is one of the internal pathway for disease
manifestation
▪ According to Acharya
Sushrutha,

ाना यामा नप वानां मू य  धर य च ||१२||

डु कः फु फु स  को  इ य भधीयते |१३| (सु च 2/12 )
Meaning: The eight abdominal organs (ashaya) is
collectively called as koshta
1. आमाशय - stomach
2. धराशय –blood
3. अ याशय – gall bladder
4. दय - heart
5. प वशय - intestines
6. उ ु क - appendix
7. मू य – urinary bladder
8. फु फु स - lungs
DRUGS USED IN
ASSESSEMENT OF KOSHTA
गुड म ुरसं म तु  ीरमु लो डतं द ध|
पायसं कृ शरां स पः का मय फलारसम्||६६||
ा ारसं पीलुरसं जलमु णमथा प वा|
म ं वा त णं पी वा मृ को ो  व र यते||६७|| (च सू 13/66-67)
In mridu koshta, purgation can be easily induced by
jaggery, sugarcane juice, liquid part of curd, milk,
curd, payasa, krushara(sweet kichdi) , grape juice,
tripala rasa, bibitaki and haritaki ,kashmarya, peelu
hot water, ghee, medicated alcohol
In krura गुड
koshta , it does
पायस
not cause any purgation.
ा ा रस
इ रु स कृ शरा पीलु रस
ीर सप उ ण जल
उ लो डत का मय रस त णम
दध फला रस
NEED TO STUDY

मृ को रा ेण  न य ोपसेवया|
न त  ू र ो तु स तरा ेण मानवः||६५||
(च सू 13/65)
Minimum for three days and maximum for seven
days the oleation therapy(snehapana) can be
employed as after seven
days sneha becomes satmya i.e. Habituated
In krura koshta , oleation therapy can be given till 7
days
In madhya koshta, it can be given till 5 days
In mridu koshta, it can be given till 3 days
METHODOLOGY
The work was initiated by selecting healthy
volunteers of age group 18-25 on the basis of SF12
standardized health assessment questionnaire.

Individuals were then asked to have their dinner the

previous night of the study. Next day in empty
stomach after passing the bowel the individuals were
given milk and this was calculated based on the total
volume of stomach being 1500 ml . Taking into
account the quantity of fluid that can be permitted
for intake while allowing the free movements of other
gaseous substances and secretions according to
Acharya Charaka being one third of the stomach
capacity this accounting to be 1500/3 = 500.
• According to charaka (vimanasthana 2/3)
वधं कु ौ  ापयेदवकाशांशमाहार याहारमुपयु ानः; त था-
 एकमवकाशांशं मूतानामाहार वकाराणाम्, एकं   वाणाम्,
 एकं  पुनवात प े मणाम्;
 एतावत   ाहारमा ामुपयु ानो नामा ाहारजं  क चदशुभं  ा ो त||३|| (च
व 2/3)
The consumer of the food should divide the total capacity of
his stomach into three parts – a third of the portion of the
space should be allocated to solid food articles, a third to
liquid food substances and the remaining third should be left
for the (movement of)doshas. One who keeps this basic thumb-
rule during dietary intake, does not get affected by any
adverse effect arising out of improper quantity of diet. 
200 ml was initial dose and it was increased by 100 ml each
time till the desired results were got or the maximum dose of
1000ml was reached.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
• Bristol stool scale
• Frequency of Stools Bristol stool scale
• Consistency of Stools
• Sama and Nirama Mala
• Colour
• Smell
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Hence the dose of milk needed to cause purgation in
mrudukoshta can be standardized as 500-600 ml,
for that of madyamatara as 600 to 700 ml for
madyamatama as 700-800 ml madyama as 800 to
900 ml. The dose of milk needed to cause purgation
in krura could not be elicited and this is supported
by the statement made by acharya sushrutha that
krurakoshta individuals do not purgate with milk

त  मृ ः,  ू रो, म यम इ त  वधः को ो भव त |

त  ब प ो मृ ः, स  धेना प  व र यते; ब वात े मा  ू रः,
 स  वरे यः; समदोषो म यमः, स साधारण इ त |
त  मृदौ मा ा मृ , ती णा  ू रे, म ये म या कत े त |
पीतौषध  त मनाः श या याशे  वरे यते ||२१|| (सु च 33/21)
IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT OF
KOSHTA

Koshtha can be seen both as anatomical as

well as physiological entity.
Physiologically, it can be regarded as the
nature of the digestive tract.
Koshtha assessment plays a key role for the
successful carrying out of a shodhana karma.
Koshtha Pareeksha is an important factor to
fix the dose of medicines for shodana and
duration of snehapana.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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▪ Agnivesha, Charaka Samhita, Ayurveda-Dipika commentary by Chakrapanidutta,

revised ed., Sutra Sthana (11:48), Chaukhambha Surbharati Prakashan, Varanasi;
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▪ Sushrutha, sushruthasamhita, Nibandhasangraha commentary by Dalhanaacharya

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▪ Agnivesha, Charaka Samhita, Ayurveda-Dipika commentary by Chakrapanidutta,

revised ed., Sutra Sthana (13:66,67), Chaukhambha Surbharati Prakashan, Varanasi;
2005

▪ Agnivesha, Charaka Samhita, Ayurveda-Dipika commentary by Chakrapanidutta,

revised ed., Sutra Sthana (13:65), Chaukhambha Surbharati Prakashan, Varanasi;
2005

▪ Agnivesha, Charaka Samhita, Ayurveda-Dipika commentary by Chakrapanidutta,

revised ed., Vimana Sthana (2:3), Chaukhambha Surbharati Prakashan, Varanasi;
2005

▪ Sushrutha, sushruthasamhita, Nibandhasangraha commentary by Dalhanaacharya

Reprint chikitsastana [33/21], Chaukhambha Surbharati Prakashan, Varanasi; 2017
THANK YOU!