Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Acharya Charaka, in Charaka Samhita Chikitsa Sthana Chapter 2, Quarter 4, Verses 48 and 49 enumerates eight factors which contribute towards shukra prasechana – easy ejaculation of semen. They are called Ashta Shukra Prasechana Hetu.
– Ashta – eight
– Shukra – semen
– Prasechana – flow / ejaculation
– Hetu – causes, reasons
Ref – Cha.Chi.2.4/48-49
Ashta Shukra Prasechana Hetu
हर्षात्तर्षात् सरत्वाच्च पैच्छिल्याद्गौरवादपि|
अणुप्रवणभावाच्च द्रुतत्वान्मारुतस्य च||४८||
अष्टाभ्य एभ्यो हेतुभ्यः शुक्रं देहात् प्रसिच्यते|
चरतो विश्वरूपस्य रूपद्रव्यं यदुच्यते||४९||
Below mentioned eight factors are responsible for ejaculation of semen –
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Harshata – excitement
Sexual excitement is one of the most important factors essential for ejaculation of semen. Ejaculation takes place at the peak of excitement of man during sexual intercourse which describes the orgasmic state. So, excitation in sex is an important phase as well as the key driving force for ejaculation. On the other side of the story, excitation is possible only if shukra dhatu i.e. semen is present in optimum quantity and good quality. So, presence and richness of shukra are also detrimental factors for excitation and excitation reflects the healthy status of shukra dhatu. An impotent or infertile person will not have harshana i.e. excitement at sex, nor do persons suffering from sexual disorders or disorders of the reproductive system. Harshana is not possible after ejaculation and the person has to go through a pause and break before the next act. This shows that shukra dhatu and harshana are two sides of the same coin. The health of one determines the health of the other.
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Tarshat – passionate desire
Tarsha or Trishna means thirst. In this context it means ‘a strong or passionate desire to get indulged in sex’. There is nothing which comes of sex if there is no tarshana followed by harshana i.e. desire followed by excitation phase. One cannot perform in sex, just as any other activities, if there is no passionate desire in doing it. One cannot have desire for getting indulged in sexual activities if there is shukra in less quantity or when there is absence of shukra. Just like Harshana, Tarshana and shukra too are two sides of the same coin. Harshana, Tarshana and Shukra are interrelated in a loop and the optimum presence of one reflects the optimum presence and smooth operation of the others. So, Tarshana is an important factor responsible for smooth and easy ejaculation of semen.
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Saratvat – the flow of semen due to its fluidity
Sara means ‘to flow’. Shukra Dhatu – semen can easily get ejaculated if the sara guna i.e. ‘flow quality’ of semen is intact. This ‘easy flow’ of shukra dhatu is due to the dravatva i.e. fluidity of the semen and it comes due to the balance of jala – water and prithvi – earth components in the semen i.e. a balance of liquid and solid components. We need to remember that Shukra Dhatu belongs to the Kapha group of tissues. Shukra and Kapha are related by Ashraya Ashrayi relationship wherein Shukra is Ashraya – the residence and Kapha is the Ashrayi i.e. resident. Kapha too is made up of Jala and Prithvi Mahabhutas. The saratva of shukra dhatu is intact as long as the balance between the water and earth components is good i.e. the fluidity due to water component is greater than the solidity due to earth component. If this balance is reversed, there will not be free flow and ejaculation of shukra dhatu.
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Paicchilyat – due to sliminess
Paichchilya or sliminess is also a quality of kapha which has imbibed in the shukra dhatu also. It is due to its slimy nature itself, assisted by the sara quality of semen, the shukra dhatu slides through the channels of transportation of shukra i.e. shukravaha srotas and gets ready to get ejaculated. Therefore sliminess and saratva should be natural and constant. Slimness is a quality which makes things adhere to each other. The components of shukra dhatu are held together with the help of this quality only. It is also responsible for things to get adhered inside the channels and tend to cause blocks when it increases. So, sliminess of semen should also be to a certain admissible limit and not beyond it, else shukra dhatu would adhere to the channels and will not get easily ejaculated out. Therefore a perfect blend and balance between saratva and paichchilya is essential for easy ejaculation. Paichchilya is an opposite quality of vishada guna i.e. clearness quality. If vishada guna increases, vata increases and this will lead to many complications like premature ejaculation. So, paichchilya is very much essential to have a check on vata hyperactivity in the reproductive system.
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Gaurava – heaviness
Heaviness is also a quality of shukra dhatu which it has inherited from kapha. It is the most important and essential quality of shukra dhatu which is needed for its easy ejaculation. Heaviness helps in gravitation. Ejaculation of semen takes place in downward direction and this is possible only due to the presence of heaviness quality in semen, which pushes the flow of semen into downward direction so that it easily gets ejaculated from its passages.
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Anu Bhava – atomicity
Shukra Dhatu is of two kinds. One is spread out throughout the body. The other is produced by shukravaha srotas and is stored in the reproductive system of man. Both are interconnected and so is their action. The shukra pervading the whole body is correlated with the hormones controlling the reproductive system and the shukra limited to the reproductive system is correlated with the ejaculate consisting of semen with the sperms and other fluids. Both forms of shukra are minute and their atomicity helps in their integral functions and actions and their easy flow to get ejaculated. Shukra vis-à-vis sperms, due to this atomicity can pierce and flow in the small tubules of reproductive system from the seat of production i.e. testes, travel through many other minute channels, get mixed with essential fluids and flow down to get ejaculated.
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Pravana Bhava – tendency to flow out
The tendency of shukra dhatu to flow out of the body is obtained due to the combined effect of saratva, pichchilatva, gurutva and anutva qualities of shukra. Absence of any one or more of these qualities would meddle into easy ejaculation of semen. Therefore the combined action of all these factors is a must for smooth ejaculation of shukra dhatu, aided by the force of yet another factor i.e. vata.
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Drutatvat Marutasya Cha – due to force and velocity of vata
Vata is responsible for movement of things including feces, urine, menstrual blood and semen. Vata pushes them out of the body from time to time. To be specific these are the actions of balanced Apana Vata. When apana vata is imbalanced, these functions are disturbed, ejaculation in this context. Shukra Prasechana i.e. ejaculation of semen is brought about by the right force and velocity of vata and hence vata in general and apana vata specifically should be in a state of balance for ejaculation of semen to take place smoothly.
Discussion and Summary
In brief, Master Charaka has beautifully summarized the entire dynamics, physics, chemistry and biology of the process of smooth ejaculation which is the most important event in one’s sexual life, and it is important to happen at the right time and in the right quantity. For this to happen, all the other eight events or factors should work together, hand in hand. The combination of these eight factors alone will produce an effective and meaningful ejaculation, smoothly at the right time.
Since this concept has been explained in the Vajikarana Chapter, we should infer that Vajikarana therapy and especially the formulations explained in the fourth quarter of the second chapter of Charaka Samhita are extremely helpful in correcting the imbalance, errors or disorders concerning any or all of the above mentioned eighht events or factors. Vajikarana Therapy would help in correcting the errors in the mechanism of either of the eight factors and also to prevent the problems occurring in these events.
Acharya further says that the soul which is un-manifested and which takes different forms in this world manifests itself in the form of shukra.
