CONCEPT OF PRAJNAPARADHA AND ITS MORBID ROLE IN ETIOPATHOGENESIS OF RAJYAKSHMA – A CRITICAL REVIEW

Amritaksha Ghosh, Soumyadip Saha, Sukalyan Ray*

Introduction: The doctrine of Prajnaparadha is one of the significant contributions of Charaka Samhita in the field of Ayurvedic approach of understanding etiology & pathophysiology of different diseases. Prajnaparadha i.e. intellectual error which results in cognitive impairment has been considered as one of the three principal causes of all of our maladies along with Asatmya Indriyartha Samyoga (unwholesome conjunction of sense organs with their objects) and Kala (time). Among these three causes, Prajnaparadha has been considered as the principal one. Although all the diseases are conceptually caused by Prajnaparadha, Rajyakshma is one such disease which can be correlated directly with this phenomenon. Discussion: Prajnaparadha is considered as a phenomenon resulted out of impairment of three mental faculties like Dhi (intellect), Dhriti (will) and Smriti (memory) and which results into vitiation of all Doshas. Vitiation of Doshas paves the way to affliction with Dhatus resulting into disequilibrium state between Doshas and Dhatus, which is known as Vyadhi i.e. disease. Rajyakshma is caused by four principle factors like Vegadharana (suppression of natural urges), Ayatha Balarambha (improper application or excessive application of physical strength without proper self-analysis), Kshaya (depletion of Dhatus resulted from excessive sexual act) and Vishamashan (dietetic irregularities) – all of whom have been considered as individual example of Prajnaparadha by Acharya Charaka. In todays era, Rajyakshma can be correlated with group of disorders which are rooted in unethical lifestyle, polygamous tendency and an overall altered food and work habit. All these factors can be interlinked through one single doctrine i.e. Prajnaparadha. Conclusion: The doctrine of Prajnaparadha provides us the axiological approach to the problem of different social health ailments like Rajyakshma. All the four principal causative factors of Rajyakshma as well as the narrative related with mythological origin of it explicitly points towards one single phenomenon i.e. Prajnaparadha. Understanding this doctrine would help us to understand the etiology as well as pathophysiology of different modern-day STDs and various other community health problems.