KALA

ETYMOLOGICAL DERIVATION

The word Kala is derived from

 क + अ + लि धातु = काि
DEFINITION & CHARACTERISTIC OF KALA

 काि: पुन: पररणाम उच्यते | च.सू. 11/42

 The parinama or change in this world is known
as Kala.

 किनात सर्वभूतानाम स काि: इलत पररकीलतवत: |

 It is cause of production of living beings.

 स सूक्ष्मामलप किा न िीयते इलत काि: | सु.सू.6/3

 Kala has continuous mobility & It doesn’t stop
even for a fraction of second.
 संकियलत काियती र्ा भूतालन इलत काि: | सु.सू. 6/3
 That which does the creation (सं कलन) and destruction
(कालयति) of all the living being is called as Kala.

 सुख दु:खाभ्यामं भूतालन योजयलत इलत काि: | सु.सू .6/3 डल्हण

 That which bind (engages) all the living beings in सु ख
दु ुःख is called as Kala.

 कियती मृत्यु समीपं नयतीलत काि: | डल्हण

 It mobilize the living being towards death.
 कािो लह नाम (भगर्ान) स्वयंभू: अनालद मध्य लनधनो |
अत्र रस व्यापत् संपलि जीलर्तमरणे च मनुष्याणाम आधिे || सु.सू.6/3

 Kala is said as God (Almighty) & created by itself

(Svayambhu).
 It has neither beginning nor ending.
 It is the cause for dravya rasotpatti (रस सं पति) & vikriti
(रस व्यापि् ).
 It commands the life and death of the human.

 अलततादी व्यर्हार हेतु: काि: स च एको लनत्य लर्भुश्च | िकक संग्रह

 In daily routine; different words like past, present,
future etc. which are been used by us known as Kala.
 It is one, eternal (तनत्य/सनािन) & omnipresent (present
everywhere at the same time).
 DIVISION / UNITS

 Divided into Past, Present and Future.

 Further divided into क्षण, तनमेष, तदन , मास etc.

 अतक्ष तनमेष = Utterance time of लघु अक्षर

 15 अतक्ष तनमेष = 1 काष्ठा
 30 काष्ठा = 1 कला
 20 कला = 1 मुहूिक (48 minutes)
 30 मुहूिक = 1 अहोरात्र (24 hours) (अह- Day, रात्र – Night )
 15 अहोरात्र = 1 पक्ष (शु क्ल/कृष्ण)
 2 पक्ष (शु क्ल + कृष्ण) = 1 मास
 2 मास = 1 रुिु
 3 रुिु = 1 अयन (उिर/दतक्षण )
 2 अयन (उिर + दतक्षण) = 1 सं वत्सर ( 1 year)
 TYPES

 Acharya Charaka has mentioned two types of

Kala :
 तनत्यग काल & आवस्थिक काल
 तनत्यग काल
 Nityaga kala Divided into Past, Present and Future.
 Further divided into क्षण, तनमे ष, तदन , मास etc.

 अलि लनमेष = Utterance time of लघु अक्षर

 15 अलि लनमेष = 1 काष्ठा
 30 काष्ठा = 1 कला
 20 किा = 1 मु हूिक (48 minutes)
 30 मुहूतव = 1 अहोरात्र (24 hours) (अह- Day, रात्र – Night )
 15 अहोरात्र = 1 पक्ष (शु क्ल/कृष्ण)
 2 पि (शुक्ल + कृष्ण) = 1 मास
 2 मास = 1 रुिु
 3 रुतु = 1 अयन (उिर/दतक्षण )
 2 अयन (उतर + दलिण) = 1 संवत्सर ( 1 year)
 आवस्थिक काल

 It is related to specific avastha or time period of

any entity.

 According to body : बाल्यावथिा, युवावथिा, वृद्धावथिा

 According to digestion : आम, पच्यमान & पक्वावथिा

 According to Vyadhi like Jvara & Gulma :

आम, पच्यमान & पक्वावथिा
 According to pathogenesis : सं चय, प्रकोप, प्रसर,
थिानसंश्रय, व्यस्ि & भेद अवथिा.
 According to physiology :

 Manifestation time of teeth, shukra, artava,

smashru etc.
 Acharya Sushrutsa mentioned स्वाभातवक व्याति like
क्षुिा, तपपासा, जरा & मृत्यु.
 All these condition manifested at certain period
of time.
 In such way, kala is an avoidable cause for all the
karya dravya.
 IMPORTANCE OF KALA IN AYURVEDA

 Concept of kala plays an important role for

preventive as well as curative aspect.
 PREVENTIVE ASPECT :

 आहार
 तदनचयाक

 रुिु चयाक

 अिारणीय वे ग

 षोडश सं स्कार

 काले च आरभिे कमक यिि् साियति ध्रुवं |

 Development milestone in childhood.

 आहार : One should consume the diet whenever
the former consumed diet digested properly
and feels the craving to eat again.

 लदनचयाव : In classics, ideal daily routine is given

like अभ्यंग,नस्य, व्यायाम etc. according to kala as a
nityaga kala.
 Duration and frequency are also mentioned.

 रुतुचयाव : As per nityaga kala, there are six rutu

and
 As per rutu schedule one should take specific
type of diet & wear specific types of clothes
& follow the procedure like “vamana in
vasanta”, “virechana in sharada”
 अधारणीय र्ेग : One should not retain natural
urges and should pass away them as per their
urging time to maintain the health.

 षोडश संस्कार : The concept of sixteen sanskara

are also related to Kala.
 They are to be done at specific timing from the
conception to the death.

 काले च आरभिे कमक यिि् साियति ध्रुवं |

 Any type of karma which is started at proper
time always gives you success.
 Same way; one should have the knowledge of all
the physiological timing like :

 Time of pregnancy
 Time of menarche & menopause

 Puberty period

 Bleeding & clotting time

 Developmental milestone in childhood.

 CURATIVE ASPECT

 In ज्वर लचलकत्सा; Acharya Charaka suggests the

chikitsa sutra of Jvara like;
 लंघनं स्वे दनं कालो... ||
 Here, kala is also indicated by Acharya charaka
that means समावथिा of ज्वर converted into
तनरामावथिा by the effect of Kala.

 षडलर्ध लियाकाि : संचय, प्रकोप, प्रसर, थिानसंश्रय,

व्यस्ि & भेद.
 One should have the proper knowledge about this
kriya kala.

 संशोधन procedure :
 वमन at early morning
 तवरे चन at noon

 Procedure timing : Specific timing for specific

procedure. It also depends on doshbala, vyadhibala &
rogabala.
 लपतान्त र्मन, कफांत लर्रे चन

 Prognosis : सुखसाध्य, कृच्छसाध्य etc.

 औषध सेर्न काि : 10

 औषध ग्रहण काि :

 Specific timing is mentioned for different parts of the
hurbs according to its maximum potency in that
perticular time.