• Akash is represented in the hollow spaces of the mouth, nose, gastrointestinal tract, abdomen, thorax, respiratory apparatus, capillaries, lymphatics, tissues and cells.
• Vayu exists as movement – as pulsation, expansion or contraction of the various organs. Bodily movement is controlled by the central nervous system, itself governed by Vayu.
• Tejas is the source of heat and light somatically present as metabolism, grey matter, vision, temperature, digestion and intelligence.
• Ap exists as secretions of the salivary and digestive glands and mucous membranes and within plasma and cytoplasm.
• Prithvi is the solid structures, i.e., bones, cartilage, nails, muscles, tendons, skin and hair.

Table 2.2 Gurvadi gunas – the 10 opposing pairs of qualities

Guru (heavy)	Laghu (light)
Manda (slow)	Tiksna (fast)
Sita (cold)	Usna (hot)
Snigdha (greasy)	Ruksa (dry)
Slaksna (smooth)	Khara (rough)
Sandra (solid)	Drava (fluid)
Mrdu (soft)	Kathina (hard)
Sthira (stable)	Cala (moving)
Suksma (subtle)	Sthula (obvious)
Visada (friction)	Picchila (slimy)

Italics – upakarmas

 

Table 2.3 Pancha Mahabhootas, Tanmatras and Gurvadi gunas

Basic Element	Sensory Perception	Associated Quality
Prithvi	Gandha	Guru, manda, sthira, kathina, sthula, sandra
Ap	Rasa	Sita, snigdha, mrdu, guru, drava, manda
Tejas	Rupa	Usna, laghu, tiksna, drava
Vayu	Sparsa	Laghu, ruksa, cala, visada, khara, suksma
Akasa	Sabda	Suksma, visada

Thus while prithvi displays the quality of guru, it is also considered to be ruksa. Vayu displays the opposing quality of laghu, but it is also ruksa. The relationship between prithvi and vayu is therefore complex, displaying both similar and opposing qualities.

While all 10 pairs of opposite qualities are generally considered in Ayurveda, for purposes of diagnosis and treatment, they are usually whittled down to three dominant dimensions of interactions that in large part guide the manifestation of all subsequent qualities, called Upakarmas. These form the basis of the six Samana karmas used in Ayurvedic therapeutics. They are Guru and Laghu (heavy and light), Sita and Usna (cool and hot) and Snigdha and Ruksa (greasy and dry). It is no coincidence that these correspond exactly to the full–empty, dark–light and wet–dry opposing triads or the three axes of balance of the Chinese Yin-Yang concept of existence.