Ayurveda Healing
Arts Institute

"Dhatu dhara kala is the membranous structure (biological membrane) that holds a dhatu. Dhara means holding, kala means membranous structure. One function of kala is to separate two tissues from one another to give them form and make them distinct. Kala is the mother of the dhatu because it holds and nourishes the dhatu. The dhatu agnis are present within the kala and transform raw, unprocessed dhatu into processed, formed dhatu. Therefore rasa dhatu has rasa dhara kala and rasa dhatu agni, rakta dhatu has rakta dhara kala and rakta dhatu agni, and so on. Within the kala of each dhatu there is also dhatu ojas, dhatu tejas, and dhatu prana. (prana broad and general meaning is similar to Qi or vital energy) They maintain the function of kala. On one side of the kala there is asthayi dhatu (unprocessed dhatu). Kala helps to transform this asthayi dhatu into sthayi dhatu (processed dhatu), with its dhatu agni, ojas, tejas, and prana."   (Source: Lad - Textbook, V1: p. 105)

How blocked rasa causes disorders:

“Rasa while in circulation if sticks somewhere due to morbidity in channel, it causes disorder there like a cloud in the sky causing rain below it. Doshas also get aggravated in localized parts in the same way.”

Source: Charaka Samhita, Chikitsasthana Treatment Section 15#37

(Charaka, 200 B.C. - Verse # above)

"The capillaries (smallest of blood vessels) collect the end product of digested food, ahara rasa, from the gastrointestinal tract and move it into general circulation. Ahara means food and rasa means juice or essence. Ahara rasa is the post-digestive dhatu precursor, which we can call chyle. Chyle is the milk-like, alkaline product of digestion that is carried from the intestines by the lymphatic system (along with kapha rasa or lymph) into the bloodstream. It is produced by jathara agni and bhuta agni and is the precursor for the nourishment of all the dhatus."   (Source: Lad - Textbook, V1: p. 105)

"Unprocessed rasa dhatu is transformed into processed rasa, immature rakta and also into the byproducts of rasa—stanya (lactation) and raja (menstruation)—along with kapha as a dhatu mala.  Each dhatu follows a similar pattern from unprocessed dhatu to processed dhatu, byproducts and malas.  The kala is a protective barrier and in addition contains enzymes or dhatu agni.  A kala also contains the prana, ojas  and tejas of that respective dhatu.  If the dhatu agni within each respective kala undergoes an increased or decreased condition, it may cause atrophy or hypertrophy of that particular dhatu.  If the agni of that kala is low, there is undue accumulation of raw dhatu.  If kala agni is high, the dhatu will be emaciated." (Lad - Pulse, 1996: pp. 37-38)

"Within five days, this nutrient precursor (ahara rasa) becomes mature rasa dhatu and asthayi rakta, the second dhatu. Then rasa is transformed into sthayi rakta from asthayi rakta dhatu. It is rasa that nourishes rakta and all successive dhatus. From the initial formation of ahara rasa, it takes 10 days to create mature rakta dhatu. There are seven dhatus and each stage of dhatu nutrition takes an additional five days. Seven multiplied by five is 35 days, so rasa dhatu becomes mature shukra or artava dhatu (reproductive tissue and the seventh dhatu) in 35 days."   (Source: Lad - Textbook, V1: p. 105)