Critical Analysis of Srota: A Literature Review Arpita

Abstract

Human body is nothing but a combination or aggregation of innumerable srota,  which means minute individual channels. The word srota etymologically derived  from the Sanskrit root “sru-srabane” dhatu which means oozing, permeation,  filtration, to flow, exudation, to move etc. Sira, dhamani, marga, rasayani, nadi,  pantha, sharir chidra, samvrita-asambrita,sthana, aashaya, niketa, sharir dhatu  avakasha, lakshya- alakshya – all these words are synonymous to srota. Some of  the srota are visible but some are minute so invisible. This srota or internal transport  system has been given a place of basic importance in Ayurveda. According to  Charak Samhita, in the human body there is no structure which can originate or  synthesize, develop, persist and be wasted or atrophied without srota. This srotas  continuously transport dhatus for deposition or transformation. Again there are  dosha-vaha srotas. Any type of disease occur due to abnormality in srotas and  there are some sign and symptoms due to specific type of srotadushti. But still we  do not have a clear understanding about srota in perspective of modern medical  science. So in this article we tried to find out way for better understanding about  srota.