DarvyaGunas
Concept of 20 Gunas of darvya in Ayurveda.
Dr Dushyant Nirmal
9/29/20251 min read
The Concept of Guna
In Ayurveda, everything in the universe, including our bodies and the food/medicine we consume, is composed of five fundamental elements (Panchamahabhuta): Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. The Gunas are the fundamental physical and energetic qualities that arise from these elements. They are inseparable from a substance (Dravya) and define its properties and effects on the body.
The 20 Gurvadi Gunas are ten pairs of opposite qualities. Understanding these opposites is key to understanding Ayurvedic principles like balance and imbalance.
Here is a brief overview of each pair:
1- Guru (Heavy) Laghu (Light)
2-Manda (Slow/Dull) Tikshna (Sharp/ Penetrating)
3-Hima (Cold) Ushna (Hot)
4-Snigdha (Oily/Unctuous) Ruksha (Dry)
5-Slakshna (Smooth) Khara (Rough)
6-Sandra (Solid/Dense) Drava (Liquid/Fluid)
7-Mrudu (Soft) Kathina (Hard)
8-Sthira (Stable/Static) Chala (Mobile)
9-Sookshma (Subtle) Sthula (Gross)
10-Sookshma (Subtle) Sthula (Gross)