1. VASTI IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF BODY
KATI VASTI AND UROVASTI
Dr. K. Siva Rama Prasad
Kativasti in process in which medicated
oil in poured over kati pradesa I.e. lumbo sac-
ral region and made to stay in particular tem-
perature in a circular shape of instrument pre-
pared out of black gram paste. This process
should be done for one hour daily for one week
suitable medicated oil should be used depend-
ing upon the condition of disease, Dosha, pa-
tient, season. Etc.,
This process of Kativasti has not been
mentioned in any of the classical textbooks of
Ayurveda. The authority of this treatment is
Chikitsa manjarian “ original work based on the
experience and written in mixed language of
Sanskrit and Malayalam by an ancient physi-
cian of Kerala. It is a modification of
2.Dravya bheda (medicinal preparation used)
moordhataila Chikitsa where both snehana and
3.Sankhya bheda (number of vasties given)
swedana will take place simultaneously.
4.Matra bheda (quantity of medicine used )
Definition
5.Karma bheda (according to action)
The word Vasti derived from the root vas+cit.
Adhishtana bheda
Vasu nivase means - residence 1
According to site of application, Vasti is mainly
Vasu acchadane - that which gives covering
classified into
Vasu avrunoti mootram - that which covers the
1. Internal
urine.
2. External
Vasti - nabheradhobhaga sthana - that which
Internal
lies just below umbilicus and is the collecting
Pakwashaya gata Vasti - administration of
organ of urine-the urinary bladder.
drug by ano-rectal route (guda marga), and
In the context of Panchakarma - the term Vasti
its adhishtana is Pakwashaya.
is used in a different sense.
Mootrashaya gata Vasti - administration of
The term Vasti means - the bladder of
medicine by urethral route, intended for
an animal used as a device to administer the
treatment of diseases of mootra marga (uri-
medicaments hence the term vast is used as a
nary tract) or mootrashaya (urinary bladder).
name of Panchakarma therapy to designate
Garbhashaya gata Vasti - administration of
the process.2, 3
Vasti dravya by vaginal route (Yoni marga)
Classification
to Garbhashaya.
Since Vasti is an important treatment
The term Uttara Vasti is used to desig-
process in Ayurveda, having varied therapeu-
nate both Mootrashaya gata and Garbhashaya
tic applications and effects, it may be classi-
gata vasties by ancient scholars as their routes
fied in different ways and one cannot find any
of administration are superior to the anal orifice
uniformity in the classification of Vasti among
in human body.
the authors of classical texts. Generally the
Vranagata Vasti - described by Susruta and
term Vasti has been used for all types of Vasti
is intended for sodhana and ropana process
karma which include Nirooha, Anuvasana,
of vranas. The drug in administered through
uttara Vasti etc. but Charaka used the term
vranamukha by process of Vasti karma.
Vasti exclusively for Nirooha, similarly the term
External
Vasti also been referred to the process of Shiro
In certain diseases medicated oil is kept over
Vasti, uro Vasti, vrana Vasti, Kativasti etc.
the part of the body by making a cup with the
Considering various aspects the following clas-
paste of black grams for prescribed period of
sifications are brought about.
time. It is named after the site of application of
1.Adhistana bheda (site of application)
oil such as -
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2. quality and intensity of the heat can be regu-
lated. Swedana is to be administered by con-
sidering the disease, condition of the patient,
season and part of the body affected. Swedana
is to be administered until the appearance of
seating, and relief from the cold, stiffness and
heaviness of the body 8.
Vasti is the principal and specific treat-
ment for Vata Vyadhi, because vayu is the mo-
tive force behind all physiological and patho-
logical states of the body. Acharya Susruta de-
scribed that whether it is sarvanga or ekanga
Vata vikara, Vasti is the single and most effec-
tive method of sodhana therapy.
Procedure
Masha pisti is made into thick paste with
1. Shiro Vasti - over the scalp 4 water and rolled in circular shape with 3" in
2. Uro Vasti - over the chest height, 6" in diameter and 1/2 “ in thickness.
3. Kativasti - over the lumbo The patient should lie down in prone position,
sacral area then the circular paste in gently transferred over
Poorvakarma: to lumbo sacral region and it is totally made leak
Snehana proof by using mashapista, where ever neces-
Snehana means to oleate or to make sary.
smooth. It is a process of inducing Oiliness to The selected medicated oil is made
the body with usage of the substances having warm by patrapaka and poured slowly in to the
snigdha guna. Sneha considered as the most brim made on the patient lumbar region (Kati).
accustomed to the body by the virtue of its prop- It is regularly watched for the maintenance of
erties. Ghrita, taila, vasa and majja are the temperature (which can be happily bearable by
Snehana dravyas. patient, usually between 35° to 45° and it is
C C)
Sneha is divided into two according to maintained by changing the warm Oil in to brim.
the mode of application. External administra- The total procedure is continued for 10,000
tion is by the application of the sneha dravyas matra or 55 minutes (approximately)9.
externally i.e., Abhyanga. Moordha taila is an- Importance of Kativasti
other form of external snehana, which include According to Gadanigraha and
Abhyanga - (smearing oil and mild massage), Bhavaprakasha Vata vitiated either as
seka (pouring oil in continuous stream) pichu kevalavata or along with other Doshas. Local-
(keeping cloth soaked in oil), Shiro Vasti (mak- ized in Kati pradesha causing pain and stiffness
ing the oil stand on head) and Kativasti (over of the katipradesha. This is named as Katishoola
lumbo sacral region). or katigraha. According to Vagbhata katigraha
Swedana
It is the second preparatory procedure,
which follows Snehana, Swedana karma can
be defined as the act of sweating. It relieves
stiffness heaviness and coldness of the body.
Swedana also can be done as Shamana
therapy 5.
In the context of Shodhana, Swedana
is used an aid to liquefy the Doshas, so that
they become convenient for expulsion 6 .
Swedana causes the clearance of the srotases,
restore the anuloma of vayu, and facilitate the
drainage of doshas towards the Koshta 7.
A wide range of classification of Sweda,
is described in Brihatrayi on the basis of me-
dium used and mode of application, so that the
2

3. and trikagraha and mentioned as Pakwashaya
shrita vatakopa lakhsanas.
From this description when vitiated Vata,
localize in katipradesha. It causes pain and stiff-
ness. The main seats of Vata are said as
Pakwashaya, Kati and sakti. In this context
katipradesha is told as the region where verte-
bral column join with hipbone on either sides;
the lumbar, sacral and sacroiliac joint and re-
lated structures sakti are the both lower limbs.
These structures are related to each other and
vitiation of Vata in anyone of this location shows
symptoms of vitiation in all of the three sites Urovasti: the same procedure of Kativasti on
and lead to Katishoola. Vasti is the main treat- uras is followed.
ment for the vataja vikaras. Kativasti is the one
of important treatment among the types of vari-
eties like treatments done at Kati pradesha.
Here in the Kativasti vatahara taila is
directly in contact and with its local action is
enriched. The frank oil, especially tila taila can
pacify Vata. In the case of Katishoola, taila with
its medicinal values and snighdhatwa in con-
tact with site of pain i.e. kati for the stipulated
period according to doshic involvement certainly
effectively pacify the dosha at the local lesion.
Its action at the local site can be accen-
tuated as under. Initially taila with its snigdhata
creates local unctuousness and there after it is
subjected to undergo paka under the influence References
1
of Bhrajakapitta, which lie in the skin. The ab- Amarakosha II Manushya Varga 6/73
2
sorbed medicated oil digested well and further Susruta Samhita Uttara 5/1
3
assimilated under the influence of Bhootagni Astanga Hridaya Sutra 19/1
4
paka. Then it will pacify respected dosha triad Astanga Hridaya Sutra 22/24
5
in the usual course of pacification with non-ho- Charaka Samhita Sutra 22/11
6
mologues gunas of medicine. Charaka Samhita Sutra 14/8
7
In case of Vata, a dosha, which causes Astanga Hridaya Sutra 17/29
8
Katishoola, supposed to get pacified from its Charaka Samhita Sutra 14/13
9
moola. The moola or stana of Vata has ascribed Chikitsa Manjarian - A Kerala Book of
by Samhita kara are Pakwashaya, Kati, sakti, Panchakarma
Srotra, Asti, Sparshanendriya. Out of these
Pakwashaya has given more importance as
such Vata developed from there. Apart from it
is enumerated that Vata is placed in Asti. Thus
the site of action of any Vata hara dravya starts
from Asti dhatu to pacify Vata. Here in this con-
text taila (medicated) will reach Asti not only by
absorption and assimilation but also through
local action and absorption. Thus it is in prac-
tice to use the Kativasti in Vata Vyadhi espe-
cially in kativata.
3