Law of Selectivity

Khale kapota nyaya means selectivity. The word kapota means pigeon, and the classical image is of a field with seven trees, each holding a pigeon. Each pigeon flies to the field, selects its grain, and returns to feed its young. The field represents the body, irrigated by digested food. The pigeons are the asthayi dhatus and their young are the sthayi dhatus. Just as the pigeon intelligently chooses the right food for its baby, every dhatu agni has the intelligence required for selectivity.

For example, rasa agni selects plasma cells, while rakta agni chooses iron molecules that build hemoglobin in red blood cells. Protein molecules are chosen by mamsa agni, fat molecules by meda agni, and minerals by asthi agni.

Viewed through the lens of the five elements: rasa chooses predominantly Water; rakta chooses mainly Fire and Water; mamsa selects Earth, Water, and Fire; meda chooses Water and Fire; asthi selects predominantly Air and Earth; majja takes Ether, Air, and Water; while shukra and artava select all elements. This law is governed by tejas and the bhuta agnis.

Khale kapota nyaya, the law of selectivity, is the second principle of tissue nutrition. Like pigeons in a granary, each cell and tissue selectively picks out from the nutrient stream only the molecular components it needs to nourish itself.