Artava Dhatu

While shukra dhatu is cool and active, predominantly kapha in structure but moved by vata, artava dhatu — the female reproductive tissue — is hot and passive, making it predominantly pitta in nature. The orgasmic fluid secreted during intercourse by a woman is called female shukra, but the female reproductive system itself constitutes artava dhatu.

The female egg contains prana, apana, vyana, the 20 attributes (gunas), five elements, three doshas, and seven dhatus from the mother. It also carries the three universal qualities — sattva, rajas, and tamas — along with mind and the presence of soul as pure consciousness. All these ingredients exist in microform in both male and female seeds. Without a female egg, sperm cannot create new life, and without sperm, the female egg cannot create new life. Life is therefore a creation born from the union of male and female energy.

Female eggs are formed in the ovaries, where cells called artava dhara kala are present. Agni within the kala helps create egg cells, and the ojas, tejas, and prana of the female are also present within artava dhara kala. The ovaries serve a twofold purpose: at maturity they produce ova (eggs) and the hormones estrogen and progesterone. There are approximately 400,000 follicles present at birth, though fewer than 400 eventually mature into eggs during a woman's reproductive life.

Ovulation normally occurs every 28 days. A mature egg ruptures from one of the follicles and is drawn into one of the fallopian tubes. The tiny finger-like structures called fimbriae move in a wave-like manner and initiate peristalsis that pushes the egg down the tube to the uterus — a hollow, pear-shaped organ that holds and nourishes the fertilized ovum from implantation until birth.

The mature ovum waits within the fallopian tube to meet the sperm. If the sperm does not arrive within five to seven days, the ovum dies and is discharged during menstruation. If the egg is fertilized, cell division begins — reaching two cells within 36 hours and four cells within 48 hours. Implantation in the uterine lining occurs about seven to eight days after fertilization.

The ovaries also produce estrogen and progesterone. While the follicle matures, it secretes estrogen. After the ovum leaves, the corpus luteum develops within the follicle and secretes both progesterone and estrogen. Estrogen is responsible for estrus and secondary sex characteristics, while progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy, supports placental development, and develops the mammary glands.