KUHU NADI AND THE SACRO-PELVIC NEUROREGULATORY NETWORK: A CRITICAL CONCEPTUAL MAPPING OF CLASSICAL YOGIC DESCRIPTIONS WITH MODERN NEUROANATOMY

Prof. (Dr.) Sachin Sharma*, Dr. Shinde Santosh Subhash, Dr. Akshay Kumar

Background: Kuhu nadi is one of the fourteen principal Nadis described in the Yoga Upanishads and has traditionally been associated with pelvic functions. Although Apana Vata governs downward physiological activities in Ayurvedic literature, the relationship between Kuhu nadi and modern pelvic neuroanatomy remains interpretative and has not been critically evaluated. Objective: To analyse the classical descriptions of Kuhu nadi and examine their correspondence with modern pelvic neuroanatomical structures through a structured conceptual mapping approach. Materials and Methods: A conceptual mapping review was undertaken using selected classical sources, including the Yoga Upanishads, Thirty Minor Upanishads, Yoga Yajnavalkya, and Astanga Hṛdaya. Modern neuroanatomical literature was reviewed from PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, and reference lists. Candidate anatomical structures were assessed using a predefined mapping rubric based on six parameters: origin, course, termination, function, side determination, and supporting anatomical evidence. Results: The analysis demonstrated partial regional and functional correspondence between the classical descriptions of Kuhu nadi and the sacral pelvic neuroregulatory network. The strongest correspondence was observed in relation to defecatory regulation. No single modern anatomical structure fulfilled all the classical descriptive parameters. The closest modern analogue was a distributed neuroregulatory network comprising the sacral parasympathetic outflow, pelvic splanchnic nerves, inferior hypogastric plexuses, and, depending on the function considered, associated pudendal and sympathetic pathways. The available evidence supported conceptual and functional correspondence but did not establish direct structural identity. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Kuhu nadi is best interpreted as corresponding to a distributed pelvic neuroregulatory network rather than a single anatomical nerve or plexus. The proposed correlation should be regarded as a hypothesis-generating framework for integrative neuroanatomical research and requires further validation through rigorous textual analysis and anatomical or physiological investigations.