What is vegadharan? The word ‘vegadharan’ has two components Vega + Dharan ; Vega means natural urge & Dharan is suppression,thus Vegadharan means suppression of natural urges. Initiation of vega are normal body activities through which unwanted body materials are excreted ,this is a process timely carried out by body at regular intervals & controlled by nervous system, suppression of which not only stops the elimination of waste products but also brings strain and disorders of nervous system causing many diseases .This developes in those who have regular habit of suppressing urges over long period and not immediately .So it is very important to respond to these urges and not to suppress them, cause its suppression may result in causing various diseases affecting the body.Ayurveda explains that there are different natural urges exerted by human body,and for well-being of the human body some urges are to be suppressed and the rest should never be suppressed. Granthakaras describes thirteen urges which should never be suppressed. Here we shall know about these 13 Adharniya vegas (non-suppressable urges).
nidra Kasa shramashwas jrumbha ashru chardi retasam”
ashtang hriday.su.5/2.
The above verse states that the following urges should not be suppressed :
- Vata vega (Urge of passing flatus) – Vata vega refers to Apan vayu (adhovata) which is related to lower abdomen. Suppression of urge of flatus causes abdominal tumor,udavarta (painful upward movement of vayu in abdomen),debility,obstruction to pass flatus,faeces,and urine,diminished or loss of vision,and heart diseases.
- Purish vega (Urge of faeces) – Purish vegavrodha gives rise to cramps in calf muscles,headache,cutting pain in rectum(fissure in ano),upward movement of air in abdomen,faecal vomitting,opperession in heart region.
- Mutra vega (Urge of urine ) – Urge of urine when controlled causes urinary calculi,cutting pain all over the body, pain in urinary bladder,penis & groin.
- Kshavathu vega (Urge to sneeze) –Suppression of sneezing results in headache, debility of the sensory organs, neck stiffness, & facial paralysis.
- Trushna vega (Urge of thirst) – Regular controlling thirst or delaying drinking of water causes emaciation, generalised debility, deafening,delusion, giddiness and heart diseases.
- Kshudha vega (Urge for hunger) –Suppression of hunger urge leads to splitting pain all over the body,aversion towards food, exhaustion, emaciation, pain in abdomen, and giddiness.
- Nidra vega (Urge to sleep) – Timely sleep is very necessary for well-being of our body,staying awake for long nights very often causes delusion, heaviness of head, eyes, laziness, yawning, and pain all over the body.
- Kasa vega (Coughing urge) – Suppression of cough causes in its increase and further leads to dyspnoea, anorexia(loss of appetite), heart disease, emaciation, and hiccups.
- Shramashwas vega (Urge to breathe heavily on exertion) – Suppressing heavy breathing after exertion leads to ‘gulma’(abdominal tumor), heart disease, and delusions.
- Jrumbha vega (Urge to yawn) – To suppress a yawn means to indirectly vitiate vata dosha by inhibiting its gati (flow) which is almost similar to that in case of sneezing.It thus produces all the symptoms similar to that of suppressing sneeze.
- Ashru vega (Urge to cry) – Ashru means tears,controlling weeping can cause; running in the nose,pain in eyes, head & heart, stiffening of neck, anorexia, giddiness,and gulma.
- Chardi vega (Urge to vomit) – Visarpa(herpes), rashes, various skin diseases, irritation of eyes,itching, fever, anaemia, cough,dyspnoea, nausea, discoloured patches on face, & oedema.
- Shukra vega (Urge to discharge seminal fluid) – suppression of urge to void semen often results in its increased flow, swelling and pain at genitals, fever, pain in heart region,and all over the body, obstruction in micturition(passing of urine), enlargement of scrotum, seminal calculi and impotence.
Other than these above described vegas Acharya Charak has explained ‘Udgara vega’(urge to belch) instead of kasa vega. Suppression of Udgara vega causes hiccup, dyspnoea, aversion towards food, tremors, heaviness or gripping pain in chest & heart region.
Although it is very true that one should never control a non-suppressable urge, but it is also equally important not to forcibly initiate an urge,as it can create an imbalance in functioning of vata dosha causing related diseases.