Tattva (Siddha Medicine)

Our human Body comprise 96 Constituent principles or Tatwas of Siddha Medicine. The siddha system of traditional medicine (Tamil: சித்த மருத்துவம், Citta maruttuvam ^?) of ancient India was derived by Tamil Siddhas or the spiritual scientists of Tamil Nadu.^[1] Siddhas fundamental principles never differentiated man from the universe. According to them, “Nature is man and man is nature and therefore both are essentially one. Man is said to the microcosm and the Universe is Macrocosm, because what exists in the Universe exists in man.”^[2]

Matter and Energy

The Universe comprise two fundamental entities i.e., matter and energy and the Siddhas identified matter as Siva and energy as Sakthi. They also identified that matter and energy are co-existing and they cannot be separated.

Five Primordial Elements

A central concept to samkhya and other Hindu philosophies is the five primordial elements or pancha boothas i.e., earth (solid), water (fluid), fire (radiance), air (gas) and space (akasam).^[3] All the matter (both created and evolved) including animal, plants or mineral comes under these five primordial elements.^[4] The Siddhas also believed that the human anatomy and physiology, the factors causing disease, the materials used for the treatment and to cure the disease, and food consumed by the living organisms – all of these fall within the five primordial categories.^[5]

Siddha Anatomy and Physiology

The human body is composed of 96 Tattvas (Thathuvas) or basic principles.^[6] Al these 96 tatwas fall under 14 broad categories.^[7] They include:

1. Five elements,
2. Five objects of senses,
3. Five organs of action,
4. Five organs of perception,
5. Four intellectual faculties,
6. Ten nerves,
7. Five states of the soul,
8. Three principles of moral evil,
9. Three comic qualities, Three humours,
10. Three regions,
11. Eight predominant passions,
12. Six stations of the soul, Seven constituent elements of the body,
13. Ten vital airs, Five cases of the sheaths of the soul,
14. Nine doors or vents of the body.

These basic principles include Physical, Physiological, Mental and Intellectual components of a person. They are nothing but the manifestations of the five primordial elements.^[8]

Next to the Tatwas the human body exists of 72000 blood vessels, 13000 nerves and ten main arteries. 4448 diseases can be caused by the derangement of the three humors.

List of 96 Tatwas or Basic Principles

Five Primordial Elements (5 - Pancha Bootham)

1. Earth (prithvi)
2. Water (neer)
3. Fire (Theyu)
4. Air (Vaayu-)
5. Space (Aakaasam)

Five Sense Organs (5 - Aim Pori)

1. Eye
2. Ear
3. Nose
4. Tongue
5. Skin

Five Functions Of Sense Organs (5 - Aim Pulan)

1. Vision
2. Hearing
3. Smell
4. Taste
5. Touch

Five Motor Organs (5- Karmenthiriyam)

1. Hands
2. Legs
3. Mouth
4. Rectum
5. Sex Organs

Perception Of Senses using Five Sense Organs (5 - Gnanenthriyam)

1. Smell
2. Taste
3. Sight
4. Touch
5. Hearing

Four Intellectual Faculties (4 - Karanam)

1. Manam (Mind)
2. Bhuddhi (Knowledge)
3. Cittham (Chattu -'Chittu' - Aanandam)(Chittam Pokku Sivan Pokku)(Inner or Sub-Consciousness)
4. Ahankaaram (Ego)
5. Wisdom Of Self Realization ( 1- Arivu = Ariyakkoodiya Arivu)(Whom am I? - Why I born? = final result > to know your birth duty)(searching/enquiring/questioning your self)

Ten Channels Of Life Force Responsible For The Dynamics Of Prana – 10 (10 - Naadi)

1. Idakalai
2. Pinkalai
3. Sulumunai
4. Siguvai
5. Purudan
6. Kanthari
7. Atthi
8. Allampudai
9. Sanguni
10. Guru

Ten Vital Nerve Force Which Is Responsible For All Kinds Of Movements (10 - Vayu)

1. Pranan
2. Abanan
3. Uthanan
4. Samanan
5. Vyanan
6. Nagan
7. Koorman
8. Kirukaran
9. Devadhathan
10. Dhanenjeyan

Five Visceral Cavities (5 - Asayam)

1. Stomach (Amarvasayam
2. Small Intestine (Pakirvasayam)
3. Large Intestine Especially Rectum (Malavasayam)
4. Urinary Bladder (Chalavasayam)
5. Seminal Vesicle (Sukilavasayam)

Five States Of The Human Body Or Sheath (5 - Kosam)

1. Physical Sheath (Annamaya Kosam)
2. Mental Sheath (Manomaya Kosam)
3. Respiratory Sheath (Pranamaya Kosam)
4. Intellectual Sheath (Vignanamaya Kosam)
5. Blissful Sheath (Ananthamaya Kosam)

Six Stations Of Soul (6 - Aadhaaram)

1. Moolaadhaaram
2. Swaadhistaanam
3. Manipoorakam
4. Anaahatham
5. Visuddhi
6. Aagnaeyam

Three Regions (3 - Mandalam)

1. Fire Region (Agni Mandalam) - Thee Mandalam
2. Solar Region (Soorya Mandalam)- Gnayiru Mandalam
3. Lunar Region (Chandra Mandalam) - Thingal Mandalam

Three Impurities Of The Soul (3 - Malam)

1. Aanavam
2. Kanmam
3. Maayai

Three Humours (3 - Thosham)

1. Vatham
2. pittham
3. khapam

Three Physical Bindings (3 - Eadanai)

1. Material Bindings (Porul Patru)
2. Offspring Bindings (Makkal Patru)
3. Worldly Bindings (Ulaga Patru)

Three Cosmic Qualities (3 - Gunam)

1. Characters Of Renunciation Or Ascetic Virtues (Sathuva Gunam)
2. Characters Of Ruler (Rajo Gunam)
3. Immoral Characters (Thamo Gunam)

Two Acts (2 - Vinai)

1. Good Acts (Nalvinai)
2. Bad Acts (Theevinai)

Eight Passions (8 - Ragam)

1. Desire (Kamam)
2. Hatred (Kurotham)
3. Stingy (Ulobam)
4. Intense Or Strong Desire -Lust (Moham)
5. The Feeling Of Respect Towards Yourself -Pride (Matham)
6. Internal Conflict (Marcharyam)
7. Mockery (Idumbai)
8. Ego (Ahankaram)
9. Sleep (Urakkam)
10. Insensibility To Surroundings (Uyirpadakkam)

See also

Siddha medicine

References