Rasa Dhatu

Rasa dhatu is the first and foremost juice of all life — from the amoeba to the human being — and is associated with plasma. Ahara rasa is the immature (asthayi) form of rasa dhatu and forms within 12 hours of the intake of food. Rasa agni, the fire principle of rasa, transforms ahara rasa into mature rasa (sthayi rasa) and immature rakta (asthayi rakta). This transformation from food to plasma takes five days.

Within rasa dhatu are the five elements (Ether, Air, Fire, Water, Earth) and six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent). Rasa has mainly sweet and salty tastes, but all four other tastes are subtly present. Rasa dhatu contains both hot molecules (red blood cells) and cold molecules (white blood cells). Plasma also includes blood serum and lymph — the entire lymphatic system is part of rasa dhatu.

Eight important qualities are present in rasa dhatu, resembling kapha: liquid, oily, slimy, cool, heavy, soft, slow, and sticky. Rasa dhatu is mixed with kledaka kapha from the stomach. Kledaka kapha, vyana vayu, and a small amount of pachaka pitta are present in rasa dhatu. Vyana vayu makes rasa mobile and flowing; pachaka pitta gives it a yellowish color and enables the transformation of immature into mature rasa.

The function of rasa dhatu is prinana (nutrition). The ancient rishis declared the amount of rasa in the body to be nine anjali, approximately seven quarts, varying by diet, water intake, body weight, and size.

The superior byproducts (upadhatu) of rasa dhatu are the top layer of the skin, lactation, and menstruation. After a woman delivers a child, it takes three to four days for milk to develop because rasa dhatu takes that time to create lactation. The inferior byproduct (mala) is poshaka kapha (nourishing kapha/mucus).

Negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, nervousness, and insecurity flow within rasa dhatu. These emotions create biochemical changes that circulate in the body as stressors related to the aging process. The resulting molecules move through rasa dhatu and seek weak spots where they stagnate. These negative emotional qualities can alter the qualities of the doshas: fear makes vata more cold and dry, anxiety increases its mobility, loneliness increases spacey quality. Anger increases pitta's hot and sharp qualities, hate its bitter quality, jealousy its creeping quality. For kapha, attachment enhances sticky and oily qualities, greed increases sweet and salty tastes, and possessiveness increases the heavy guna leading to depression.

Faith improves the quality of rasa dhatu. When rasa dhatu is adversely affected, faith is also affected — one begins doubting and becomes skeptical. Faith is described as universal, embodying love and trust, distinct from personal belief which can create division. The disease process begins in the mind, in the belief system.