Non-susceptibility is a determinant of health in that an organism’s resis-
tance to infectious or other threatening agents signals its power of per-
sisting in its own functions, while resisting or overcoming the effects of,
for example, microorganisms to which it is exposed. Non-susceptibility is
also the principle behind participation without injury in activities requir-
ing exertion. Vitality is at the root of resistance to both biological illness
and physical injury. Vitality connotes the strength and energy to prevail
in one’s own being and activities, and withstanding interference from
forces in one’s environment.
Psychologically, non-susceptibility means a state of mental clarity
and equilibrium from which one can respond to pressures from other
persons’ behaviors and communications, and from within one’s own
psyche, without extreme reactions of suffering or behavior damaging to
self or others. While v ̄ata, pitta, and kaphaare pathogenic factors of the
body, Åyurveda names two of the three guÓnas(principles of matter) as
the pathogenic factors affecting the mind: rajas(activity) and tamas(iner-
tia). The Caraka-samhitÓ a ̄ claims as its province physical medicine (not
psychological medicine), but nevertheless it recommends “spiritual and
scriptural knowledge, patience, memory, and meditation” for reducing
susceptibility to maladaptive mental influences [CS 1:1.58].
Vitality, Endurance, and Relaxation
In Åyurveda, the life force is considered to consist in a physiological fluid
material called ojas:
It is the ojaswhich keeps all living beings refreshed. There can be no life
without ojas. It marks the beginning of the formation of the embryo....
Loss of ojasamounts to loss of life itself. It sustains the life and is lo-
cated in the heart. It constitutes the essence of all tissue elements. The
elan vital[‘life force’] owes its existence to it.
CS 1:30.9–11Although Åyurveda understands ojasas a physical substance, the word
ojasalso expresses the abstractions we call ‘energy’ or ‘vitality’ in human
life. Sharma and Dash translate ojasas energyin this passage of the
Caraka-samhitÓ ̄a: “A body possessed of organs having proper measure-
ment is endowed with longevity, strength, energy (ojas), happiness,
power, wealth and virtues” [CS 3:8.117]. P. V. Sharma translates ojasin
this passage as ‘immunity.’ As a physical substance, ojasis the essence of
the seven tissue elements: chyle, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow, and
semen or ova.
meanings of health in ̄ayurveda 57