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Introduction

Now-a-days many gastrointestinal diseases arise due to the prevalent lifestyle. Ayurveda considers imbalance of Agni as the main reason for gastrointestinal diseases. If Agni is in normal state and if the individual takes an appropriate quantity of food, then there will be proper digestion of food, which leads to the equilibrium of all tissue elements. Mandagni (weak digestion strength ) brings about vidaha ( semi digested food ) which moves upwards and downwards in the gastrointestinal tract.

When the digested and undigested food moves downwards, this condition is called Grahani. Here, the food remains in the state of vidagdha (partly undigested). This leads to symptoms like constipation or diarrhoea, excess thirst, anorexia, vairasya (distate in mouth), udarda, school, flatulence, belching etc. Many types of Grahani are mentioned in various ayurvedic texts among which acute and chronic are the types mainly seen during practice. Parpati kalpas are used in chronic cases and kajjali kalpas can be used in acute cases. Grahani Kapat Rasa is a kajjali kalpa which can be used in acute conditions.

Materials and Methods:

Materials related to Grahani and Grahani Kapat rasa are collected from Ayurvedic texts and textbooks. Various indexed and non-indexed journals were also referred to collect the required information.

Discussion

Definition of Grahani:

According to ayurvedic texts Grahani is the first part of the intestine and also is the site of Agni. It is so called because of its power to restrain (Grahnat) the downward movement of the food. It is located above the umbilical region and is supported and nourished by the strength of Agni. Normally it restrains the downward movement of undigested food and after the digestion it releases the food through its lumen. In abnormal conditions it gets vitiated because of weakness of Agni, it releases food in undigested form only. Various etiological factors of Grahani roga lead to saman vayu dushti or vitiation of pachak agni. This further causes impairment of Grahani. Also, Mandagni especially predisposes Grahani Roga. All these ultimately cause malabsorption of ingested food resulting in the formation of Ama. Saman vayu dushti also causes hypermotility of the gut resulting in loose motions.

Nidana: Various factors like Abhojana, Atibhojana, Vishama bhojan, Asatmya bhojan, Vishamasan, Samashan, Indigestion due to Atiguru bhojana, Shita bhojana, Sandushta bhojana, etc. Vyapad of Vaman, Virechan, Snehana; Vegvidharan; mental, psychological and emotional instabilities like irshya, krodh, bhaya, lobha, shoka; causes Agnidushti which further causes Grahani Roga.

Poorvarupa: Trushna, Alasya,Shirogaurava,Balakshaya,Vidaha,Chirapaka, Kayagaurava are the poovaroopas mentioned in the texts.

Rupa: Atisruttha malapravrutti, vibaddha mala pravrutti, Arochak, Vairasya, Praseka, Tamaka, Shunpadakra, Asthi Parvaruka, Chardi, Jwara.

Types:

Following are the types of Grahani Roga-

1) Vataja Grahani - Here Vata dosha gets aggravated. Symptoms like flatulence after and during digestion, dryness of throat and mouth, roughness in body, food digests with difficulty, passes stools with difficulty, liquid mixed with hard stools etc.; are found in Vataja Grahani.

2) Pittaja Grahani - Here Pitta dosha gets aggravated. Symptoms like foetid and sour eructation, hunger, thirst, watery, undigested, yellowish stools etc., are found in pittaja Grahani.

3) Kaphaj Grahani - Here Kapha dosha gets aggravated. Symptoms like heaviness and stiffness of abdomen, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, stools not well formed broken into pieces, mixed with Ama and mucous and heavy stools etc., are found in Kaphaja Grahani.

4) Sangrahani - This type aggravates during day time and pacifies during night, this disease repeats once in 15 days, 30 days, 10 days or once in a day. Symptoms like lassitude, debility, general malaise, intestinal gurgling, stools are watery, cold, solid, sliminess, unctuous with Ama, frothy and passed with sound etc., are  found in Sangrahani.

5) Ghatiyantra Grahani - Symptoms like producing sound while passing stool like pouring water out of pot, excessive sleep, pain in the side of chest etc., are found in Ghatiyantra Grahani.

6) Raj Grahani - It is seen in people living sedentary lifestyles.

7) Kshataj Grahani - It is due to injury to Grahani after relieving from Atisar and Pravahika.

8) Nirmukh Grahani - Pain present during defecation and stool is mixed with intestinal mucous membrane.

Chikitsa: Mandagni is the main factor in the samprapti of Grahani Roga. Therefore, Agnivardhana chikitsa is the first step in the treatment of Grahani Roga. Deepan Pachan drugs help in agnivardhan. Various Parpati and Kajjali kalpa are found to be effective in Grahani Roga.Parpati kalpa are used to treat Chronic Grahani whereas Kajjali kalpas are used to treat acute Grahani. One such Kajjali kalpa is Grahani Kapat Ras which is a kajjali kalpa and widely used to treat Grahani.

This kalpa is described further in detail.

Grahani Kapat Rasa: Around 27 texts of Grahani Kapat are found in ayurvedic texts. Among them the one mentioned here is mentioned in Yoga Ratnakar. This is most commonly used and is most fruitful. Among many types of Grahani, chronic and acute are also main types. Parpati is used in chronic Grahani whereas Kajjali kalpa is used in acute Grahani. So, a detailed study of Grahani Kapat Rasa is explained further.

Ref:

Yogratnakar There are two types of Grahani Kapat Ras mentioned in Yogratnakar.

1st type-

Contents: - Rajat bhasma, mukta bhasma, suvarna bhasma, loha bhasma- 1 part each, Gandhak- 2 parts, Parad- 3 parts, kapitha swaras, mrugshrunga, bala swaras, apamarga swaras, lodhra, ativisha, dhatki pushpa, musta, indrayava, amruta.

Method: - At first Kajjali is prepared using Parad and Gandhak taken in above mentioned quantities. Then all the bhasmas are added and triturated with kapitha swaras and the mixture is then put in mrugshrunga and then subjected to puta. After that the acquired mixture is taken in kharala and triturated. After this 7 bhavanas of bala swaras are given followed by 3 bhavanas of apamarga. Then 3-3 bhavanas of lodhra, ativisha, dhataki pushpa, musta, indrayava and amruta each.

2nd type-

Contents: - Parad, Gandhak, Atvisha churna, Haritki churna, Abhrak bhasma, Yavakshar churna, Sajjikhar churna, Tankankshar churna, Mochras churna, Vacha churna, Bhanga churna.

Method: - Firstly kajjali is prepared using parad and gandhak. After proper preparation of Kajjali other contents mentioned above are added along with jambir swaras and triturated properly. After one bhavna small vati of ardha gunja pramana are made and then stored in air tight containers after drying properly.

Mode of Action of Grahani Kapat Ras in Grahani: - Grahani Kapat Ras’ action can be mainly seen on mahastrotas vyadhi like Grahani roga. It is mainly used in the acute stage of grahani which is mainly because of mandagni. It acts as deepan and pachan.

Here Grahani Kapat Ras prepared by 2nd type is explained in detail.

Contents of Grahani Kapat Ras (2nd type) and its actions:

Kajjali - Jantughna, Rasayni, Yogwahi.

Ativisha - Shaktivardhak, choleretic, digestive and jwaraghna.

Abhrak - Shaktivardhak, Rasayan, Manodushtinashak (Antipsychotic) and useful in kshaya.

All three Kshar - Pachak and yakrut uttejak (hepato stimulating).

Mochras - Uplepak, stambhak and sangrahi.

Bhanga - Sangrahi, Deepan, Pachan

Jambir ras - Pachan and Agnideepan

Hence karma of Grahani Kapat ras is Shaktivardhan, deepan, pachan, jwaraghna, rasayan, yogvahi, stambhan, sangrahan, yakrut uttejan, manodushtinashan, choleretic, uplepan, agni deepan. Grahani Kapat Ras can be given to both children as well as adults. Particularly when the stools are white, thick, with mucus, with undigested food particles; the frequency of defecation is less but every time the amount of stool is more, difficulty in defecation, constipation, sudden onset of defecation accompanied by vomiting, hard stools, with slight fever which is due to excessive defecation; in all such cases Grahani Kapat Ras can be used because of all the above mentioned karma.Grahani Kapat Ras is found very useful in Grahani caused because of depression and shoka. Psychotic disorders are very hard to treat as in these disorders’ mood is especially disturbed. A person suffering from these disorders cannot find peace anywhere due to the fact that only one subject is occupied in their mind which results in slowing down activities of other senses and increases vat prakshobha. Due to this the functions of Panchendriyas and Grahani deteriorate which further causes Grahani Roga. Abhrak yukta pachak and Grahanipradeepak medicines are found to be very useful in such cases. As Grahani Kapat Ras contains Abhrak and has all the properties to reduce all the above mentioned lakshanas of Grahani; it can be used in such conditions.Grahani caused by tuberculosis is very dreadful. In this disorder, the Grahani is very shithil (relaxed) and due to this the process of digestion slows down and the stools formed are white, foul smelling, with mucous and the defecation is involuntary. In this case Grahani Kapat Ras is very useful because of its properties. Grahani Kapat Ras is also very useful in Grahani with Shwasa as updrava as it contains abhrak bhasma.

Conclusion

Agni is responsible for the healthy and diseased state of the body. Today's lifestyle and our faulty food practices is responsible for digestion of food which results in Grahani. It can be cured using basic principles like deepan and pachan drugs. In chronic cases of Grahani Roga, Parpati Kalpana is found to be very useful whereas in acute cases Kajjali kalpa like Grahani Kapat Ras is used. 

Mode of action of Grahani Kapat Ras is Shaktivardhan, deepan, pachan, jwaraghna, rasayan, yogvahi, stambhan, sangrahan, yakrut uttejan, manodushtinashan, choleretic, uplepan, agni deepan. Because of all these karya of Grahani Kapat Ras it is used in acute Grahani Roga as well as Grahani Roga caused by manovyaghat and Shoka.