1c. Artavavaha and Stanyavaha Srotas

c. Ārtavavaha and Stanyavaha Srotas

Exam focus: Define each srotas, state its mūla (root), srotoduṣṭi hetu–lakṣaṇa, and management; correlate with modern anatomy (uterus–endometrium–ovarian/uterine vessels for ārtavavaha; breast lobulo-ductal apparatus and neuro-hormonal axis for stanyavaha). Quote one correct śloka to justify āgama (classical authority).

1) Prelude: Srotas—why they matter here

In Prasūti Tantra and Strīroga, physiological balance of the female reproductive and lactational systems is understood through srotas—the living channels that carry, transform and express substances and energies. Caraka defines srotas as the conveyors of dhātu undergoing transformation:

“स्रोतांसि खलु परिणाममापद्यमानानां धातूनामभिवाहीनि भवन्ति।”
(Srotāṃsi khalu pariṇāmam āpadyamānānām dhātūnām abhivāhīni bhavanti.) — Caraka Saṃhitā, Vimāna Sthāna 5/3.

Among numerous channels, two are strī-viśeṣa (female-specific) for clinical study: Ārtavavaha srotas (carrying ārtava—menstrual flow/ovum aspect) and Stanyavaha srotas (carrying stanya—breast milk).

2) Ārtavavaha Srotas

2.1 Definition and classical authority

Ārtavavaha srotas: the channels by which ārtava (rajas—menstrual blood/ovulatory essence) arises and flows cyclically.

Caraka describes its functional idea and localization in uterus-related channels:

“अर्तवस्य विसर्गश्च काले येन प्रवर्तते।
तद्वहानि स्रोतो ज्ञेयं गर्भाशयसमाश्रयम्॥
तस्य मूलं रक्तवाहिन्यः स्युः गर्भाशयः स चोच्यते॥”
— Caraka Saṃhitā, Vimāna Sthāna 5/8.

Sense: The timely discharge of ārtava proceeds through its own conducting channels based in garbhāśaya (uterus) and raktavāhinī dhamanīs (arterial/vascular network) forming the mūla.

Key take-away for viva: Mūla of Ārtavavaha srotas = Garbhāśaya + Raktavāhinī dhamanīs.

Ārtavavaha Srotas (menstrual/channel)

“आर्तवहे द्वे, तयोर्मूलं गर्भाशय आर्तववाहिन्यश्च धमन्यः,
तत्र विद्धाया वन्ध्यात्वं मैथुनासहिष्णुत्वमार्तवनाशश्च;” Su. Sha. 9

Meaning (brief): “There are two artava-carrying srotas; their roots are the uterus and the artava-carrying arteries. Piercing them leads to infertility, dyspareunia, and cessation of menses.”

2.2 Mūla (root), mārga (course), and mukhya avayava (principal structures)

Note for answers: When asked to “correlate,” do not equate srotas to a single duct; describe functional systems (vascular + endometrial + neuro-endocrine regulation).

2.3 Srotoduṣṭi hetu (etiological factors)

• Doṣa–prakopa from mithyā-āhāra–vihāra (excessively rukṣa, uṣṇa, tīkṣṇa; divā-svapna; vyavāya-atiyoga/ayoga).
• Raktadoṣa (vidāhi āhāra, surā, sūryātapa).
• Ābhighāta to yoni/garbhāśaya (instrumentation; repeated abortions).
• Mānasika factors (chinta, śoka) disturbing vata–pitta and the HPO axis.
• Prakṛta life-cycle transitions (menarche, perimenopause) where vata and pitta shifts sensitise the channel.

2.4 Srotoduṣṭi lakṣaṇa (clinical features)

• Vāta-pradhāna: Anartava (amenorrhoea), kṛcchrārtava (scanty/painful flow), yonivedanā (cramps).
• Pitta-pradhāna: Āsṛgdāra / menorrhagia, inter-menstrual spotting, burning, red-brown clots.
• Kapha-pradhāna: delayed cycles, heaviness, mucoid discharge.
• Saṃsarga/saṃmūrcchana: dysmenorrhoea with menorrhagia, PMS clusters, infertility patterns.

Include in short notes: Classical synonyms—ārtava, rajas, strī-rajah; ārtavanāśa, rajaḥ-saṅga, rajaḥ-pradara as nosological pointers.

2.5 Nidāna pañcaka mapping

• Hetu: as above; add anaemia, chronic illness as dhātu-kṣaya contributors.
• Pūrvarūpa: cycle irregularity, mood/temperature lability, pelvic ache.
• Rūpa: pattern-specific—ati/manda pravṛtti, vedanā, varṇa–gandha–pīcchila changes.
• Upaśaya/Anupaśaya: Vāta-hara snehana–svedana relieves spasmodic pain; rakta-prasadana helps pitta patterns.
• Samprāpti: doṣa–dūṣya (rasa–rakta–ārtava) with vāta (apāna) as pradhāna driver → āvāraṇa or kṣaya types.

2.6 Chikitsā sūtra (management framework)

• Doṣa-pratyanīka:
  • Vātika: snehana (tila/ghṛta), mr̥du svedana, dīpana-pācana (hingu-ajamodādi), bālya garbhashaya-snigdhatā.
  • Paittika: rakta-prasadana (śatadhauta ghṛta local; drākṣādi, uśīra, lodhra, mustā internally), śītala pānīya.
  • Kaphaja: lekhana-dīpana (trikaṭu, mustakādi), vyāyāma-niyama.
• Raktaprasādana & stambhana for āsṛgdāra: lodhra-priyangu-musta-nāgakeśara yoga; mukta-śaṅkha bhasma (with due classical indications).
• Garbhashaya-bṛṃhaṇa and rasāyana in anartava: aśokāriṣṭa, kumāryāsava (indication-wise), śatāvarī-ghṛta.
• Yuktivyapāśraya with anupāna: ghee/milk for vātika; honey or sugar-candy vehicle for pittika.
• Satvavajaya: stress modulation; ṛtucaryā–dinacaryā adherence.
• Modern supportive correlation (write as samanvaya): correct anaemia, thyroid imbalance, luteal defects; manage PCOS with weight-metabolic correction in kapha-dominant samprāpti.

3) Stanyavaha Srotas

3.1 Definition

Stanyavaha srotas: the channels through which stanya (breast milk) is formed, conducted and expressed from the mother to the neonate. Classical teaching places their mūla in the stana (breasts) together with vascular channels (raktavāhinī dhamanīs) as structural base, with regulatory support from rasa-dhātu metabolism.

Upadhātu doctrine (helpful linkage): Stanya and Raja(ārtava) are described as upadhātu of Rasa; thus any rasa-dhātu duṣṭi quickly reflects in both lactation and menstruation (Caraka/Āṣṭāṅga tradition).

Stanya (milk) pathways in Suśruta (via dhamanī description)

“द्वे स्तन्यं स्त्रिया वहतः स्तनसंश्रिते… ” Su Sha 9

Meaning (brief): “Two (up-coursing) dhamanīs carry milk in a woman, situated in the breasts.” (This is in the dhamanī section, not under “srotas,” but it’s Suśruta’s explicit reference to milk-carrying channels.)

(Related) Śukravaha Srotas

“शुक्रवहे द्वे, तयोर्मूलं स्तनौ वृषणौ च… ”

Meaning (brief): “There are two semen-carrying srotas; their roots are the breasts and the testes; injury causes impotence, delayed emission, blood-tinged semen.”

3.2 Mūla, mārga, avayava—functional correlation

3.3 Srotoduṣṭi hetu

• Rasa-kṣaya states (undernutrition, dehydration, postpartum exhaustion).
• Pitta-aggravation (uṣṇa–tīkṣṇa diet, infections) → stana-śotha, burning.
• Kapha-saṅga → ductal stasis, engorgement.
• Mānasika (chinta, bhaya) inhibiting let-down (udāna–prāṇa vāyu dysregulation).
• Atyaśana/Alpaśana errors and improper sūtikā-paricaryā.

3.4 Srotoduṣṭi lakṣaṇa (clinical expressions)

• Stanya-kṣaya / agalactia–hypogalactia: scanty/absent flow, infant dissatisfaction, maternal fatigue—usually vāta-pradhāna with rasa-kṣaya.
• Stanya-duṣṭi (quality vitiation): colour/odour/taste change, infant colic/skin eruptions (describe in doṣa-bheda terms).
• Stana-śūla/śotha: engorgement, mastitis features; pitta–kapha involvement with localized warmth, tenderness.
• Let-down difficulty: anxiety-linked inhibition—vāta–prāṇa–udāna.

3.5 Chikitsā sūtra

• Stanya-janana (galactagogue) line in vāta-kṣaya: śatāvarī kalpa, vidārī, yaṣṭi-madhu, ikṣumūla siddha-kṣīra; snehana–bṛṃhaṇa pathya (ghṛta, kṣīra, mudga-yūṣa).
• Stana-śotha/pitta: śītalī-pāna, pratisaṃskāra with śatadhauta-ghṛta; lodhra-candana-uśīra lepa; internal rakta-prasadana (dhātrī, drākṣā).
• Kapha-saṅga/engorgement: mṛdu svedana (nabhi-ūrdhva avoidance for puerperium safety), gentle drainage/feeding technique education; dīpana–pācana (trikaṭu in suitable mātra).
• Satvavajaya & nidrā-prasādana: counselling, co-feeding posture support, family involvement.
• Sūtikā-paricaryā: staged diet; rasāyana after agni restoration.

Answer pointer: Always combine rasa-dhātu care with local stana measures; mention prolactin–oxytocin axis briefly in correlation to score extra in long answers.

4) Doctrinal linkage: Rasa–Upadhātu → dual impact on menstruation & lactation

• Doctrine: Stanya and Raja(ārtava) as upadhātu of Rasa—hence rasa-duṣṭi or rasa-kṣaya will simultaneously derange cycles and milk. (Ref.: Caraka/Āṣṭāṅga tradition; quote in explanation even if not asked explicitly.)
• Clinical pearl: In postpartum, if mother’s diet is rukṣa/alpa and sleep is poor → stanya-kṣaya appears with delayed or scanty return of menstruation (when due), a rasa-kṣaya continuum.

5) Differential table

6) Pathya–Apathyānuśāsana

Pathya (both srotas):

• Rasa-vardhaka simple, fresh diet; ghṛta–kṣīra in proper agni; mudga-yūṣa; leafy greens; dates (for rakta).
• Caryā: regular sleep; stress-reduction; gentle exercise; avoid suppression of natural urges (apāna vāta care).

Apathya:

• Rūkṣa upavāsa, excessive fasting; extremely uṣṇa–tīkṣṇa or vidāhi āhāra; alcohol; night-vigil; immediate exertion post-delivery; repeated instrumentation without indication.

7) Short clinical correlations

1. PCOS-type kapha–vāta saṃprāpti → ārtava irregularity, scanty flow; plan dīpana–pācana + rukṣa-uṣṇa upakrama, weight correction; combine ārtavavaha srotas anulomana (hingvādi, kumāryāsava as indicated).
2. Postpartum day 3–5 engorgement (kapha-saṅga) → stanyavaha srotas stasis; apply mṛdu svedana, frequent infant latch (udāna-prāṇa facilitation), śītala lepa if pitta sign, rasa-vardhaka diet.
3. Menorrhagia with pitta signs → treat as raktapitta–āsṛgdāra interface; emphasize raktaprasādana + stambhana; rule out systemic causes (modern work-up) in correlation.

8) How to write the mūla differences

• Caraka: explicitly locates Ārtavavaha at garbhāśaya + raktavāhinī dhamanīs (Vimāna 5/8). For Stanyavaha, classical teaching places mūla: stana + raktavāhinī dhamanīs (accepted in Saṃhitā tradition).
• Suśruta (Śārīra Sthāna 9): enumerates internal (antarmukha) srotas; accepts ārtavavaha and stanyavaha among clinical pairs; gives mūla in the organ-vascular complexes.
• Vāgbhaṭa (Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya): doctrinally strengthens Rasa–upadhātu link (stanya, rajas)—very useful to justify combined management.

Exam line: “Mūlam—Ārtavavaha: garbhāśaya + raktavāhinī dhamanīs; Stanyavaha: stana + raktavāhinī dhamanīs; both governed by rasa-dhātu status.”

9) Viva-friendly mnemonics

• “Ga-Ra for Rajas, Sta-Ra for Stanya”:
  • Garbhāśaya + Raktavāhinī → Ārtavavaha
  • Stana + Raktavāhinī → Stanyavaha.
• “AR-ST: Apāna-Regulates / Stanya-Udāna” — Apāna for menstruation; Udāna–Prāṇa for milk let-down.

10) Summary for last-minute revision

• Ārtavavaha srotas governs cyclic ārtava; mūla: garbhāśaya + raktavāhinī; apāna-vāta is key; disturbances present as anartava/āsṛgdāra/dysmenorrhoea; treat with doṣa-specific line plus raktaprasādana and garbhāśaya-bṛṃhaṇa.
• Stanyavaha srotas governs formation–flow of stanya; mūla: stana + raktavāhinī; kapha builds milk; udāna–prāṇa express it; manage hypogalactia with rasa-bṛṃhaṇa & galactagogues; mastitis/engorgement with kapha-pitta-specific care.
• Rasa-Upadhātu doctrine ties both; always correct rasa-dhātu.

Assessment

A. SAQ (3–5 marks each)

1. Define Ārtavavaha srotas and state its mūla with classical reference.
2. List four hetu and four lakṣaṇa of stanyavaha srotoduṣṭi.
3. Explain the role of Rasa-dhātu in menstruation and lactation.
4. Write short note on management of āsṛgdāra from the standpoint of ārtavavaha srotoduṣṭi.
5. Enumerate doṣa-wise patterns of stanya-duṣṭi.

B. LAQ (10 marks)

1. Describe Ārtavavaha srotas under—definition, mūla, hetu, lakṣaṇa, samprāpti, chikitsā, and modern correlation. Quote one śloka.
2. Discuss Stanyavaha srotas with emphasis on post-partum srotoduṣṭi and rational chikitsā; correlate with prolactin–oxytocin physiology.

C. Clinical vignette (write the outline of your approach)

A 23-year-old primipara, day-5 postpartum, presents with painful engorged breasts, low-grade fever and difficulty in milk let-down. Outline doṣa-bheda, samprāpti, and a stepwise Āyurvedic management plan integrating snehana/śītala-lepa, stanya-janana, and satvavajaya.

References

Classical

1. Caraka Saṃhitā, Vimāna Sthāna 5 (Srotovimāna)—esp. 5/3 (definition of srotas) and 5/8 (Ārtavavaha mūla). (Critical eds. with Āyurveda Dīpikā of Cakrapāṇi.)
2. Suśruta Saṃhitā, Śārīra Sthāna 9 (description of dhamanī–srotas and their clinical import; inclusion of strī-specific srotas; mūla indications). (Nibandhasaṃgraha of Ḍalhaṇa; standard Chowkhamba editions).
3. Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya, sections describing Rasa-upadhātu (stanya, rajas) and postpartum care (Sūtikā-paricaryā). Standard commentaries (Arunadatta/Hemādri).

Modern-correlative & academic resources (for study support)

• Carakasamhitaonline—Sroto Vimana (Vimāna 5): Sanskrit text, transliteration, translation.
• Standard BAMS texts:
  • Paradkar H.S. (ed.), Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya (Chaukhamba).
  • Y.T. Acharya (ed.), Caraka Saṃhitā (Chaukhamba).
  • P.V. Sharma (tr.), Suśruta Saṃhitā (Chaukhamba).
• Contemporary reviews on srotas and upadhātu (for correlation, not as primary authority).