Introduction
The Siddha system of medicine mainly practised in the Southern part of India is one of the earliest traditional medicine systems in the world and deals with physical, psychological, social and spiritual well being of an individual. The roots of this system are intertwined with the culture of ancient Tamil civilization.
Basic Concept
In the Siddha system of medicine, man is viewed as a microcosm and the universe as a macrocosm. In other words, man is a miniature universe in himself. The whole universe in turn is believed to be constituted of five primordial elements or Panchabhootham viz. Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space and so is man. The Pancheekaranam theory (Five Fold Combination) of Siddha science explains the origin and formation of these basic elements as well as the role of these five elements in the formation of every substance both in the universe and in humans.
According to Pancheekaranam theory, each of these five elements is said to possess two properties viz. subtle and gross. These elements always act in mutual co-ordination and can never act independently. The various proportions in which they combine gives rise to different substances. Thus, this theory proposes that 96 basic factors exist, which is the basic concept underlying this holistic medical science.
The human body formed by these 96 basic factors is conditioned mainly by:
1) Uyir Thathukkal (also called Trithodam or Mukkutram) are the three humours, viz. vaatham, pitham and kabham.
2) Udal Thathukkal are the physical constituents, or the seven tissues viz. Saaram, Senneer, Oon, Konzhuppu, Enbu, Moolai and Sukkilam.
The 96 factors include physical, physiological, psychological, intellectual aspects of every human. The five primordial elements manifest themselves as a human through these 96 basic factors.
| Panchabootham | Five elements | 5 |
| Pori | Sense organs | 5 |
| Pulan | Five senses | 5 |
| Kanmenthiriyam | Motor organs | 5 |
| Gnanendiriyam | Functions of motor organs | 5 |
| Karanam | Intellect | 4 |
| Arivu | Self realization | 1 |
| Naadi | Channels of life force | 10 |
| Vaayu | Vital nerve force | 10 |
| Aasayam | Metabolic sheaths | 5 |
| Kosam | Five sheaths | 5 |
| Aathaaram | Nerve plexus | 5 |
| Mandalam | Sheaths of humours | 6 |
| Malam | Impurities related to soul | 3 |
| Thodam | Humours | 3 |
| Edanai | Attachments, desires related to the soul | 3 |
| Gunam | Qualities of mind | 3 |
| Vinai | Physical and mental acts | 2 |
| Raagam | Emotional status of mind | 8 |
| Avasthai | Status of consciousness | 5 |
| TOTAL BASIC FACTORS | 96 |
Relationship between the basic elements (Panchabhootam), five sense organs (Pori) and functions of these sense organs (Pulan) can be understood from the tabulation below:
| Panchabhootam | Sense organs | Functions of sense organs |
| Earth (Nilam) | Nose | Smell |
| Water (Neer) | Mouth | Taste |
| Fire (Thee) | Eyes | Vision |
| Air (Kaatru) | Skin | Touch |
| Space (Aagayam) | Ears | Hearing |
It can be deduced from the above table that the sense of smell perceived by the sense organ nose, is due to the action and properties of the element, ‘earth’. Similarly, the other senses can be linked to corresponding elements.
Uyir Thathukkal (Three Humours)
Uyir thathukkal literally means ‘life force’. In Siddha, Vaatham, Pitham and Kabham which are the three humours, are responsible for the creation, preservation and destruction of human body and health. When they are in the state of equilibrium (4:2:1-the ratio in which they exist) our body remains in a healthy state while any disturbance in this ratio leads to diseased state or death.
Vaatham
Vaatham represents the elements ‘air’ and ‘space’. It is responsible for all movements of mind and body. Motor, sensory activities are governed by vaatham. Although vaatham is present all over the body, it predominates in the region below navel and based on its function it is classified into the following ten types:
| S.No | Type of Vaatham | Function |
| 1 | Piranan | Controls respiration and circulation |
| 2 | Abanan | Controls excretory acts |
| 3 | Viyanan | Spread all over the body and controls body movements |
| 4 | Samanan | Controls digestion, absorption and assimilation |
| 5 | Udhanan | Controls speech |
| 6 | Naagan | Responsible for knowledge and skills |
| 7 | Koorman | Provides strength, vision |
| 8 | Kirugaran | Responsible for taste, appetite, reflexes |
| 9 | Devathathan | Responsible for emotions like anger |
| 10 | Thananjeyan | Gets expelled out from the body on 3rd day after death |
Roughness, dryness, lightness and mobility are certain attributes of Vaatham.It also strengthens the five sensory organs, and regulates respiration, the functions of physical constituents (Udal thathukkal) and physiological reflexes (also called Vegangal).
Pitham
Pitham represents the element-‘fire’ (thee)in our body and is responsible for the preservation of health. It maintains the body heat for normal physiology and dominates the chest and abdominal area. It exhibits itself in five forms within our body. They are:
| S.No | Type of Pitham | Function |
| 1 | Anala Pitham | Involved in digestion |
| 2 | Ranjaga Pitham | Involved in blood cells production |
| 3 | Saathaga Pitham | Involved in intellectual acts |
| 4 | Aalosaga Pitham | Gives colour and shine to skin |
| 5 | Pirasaga Pitham | Involved in visualizing and analyzing process |
Kabham
Kabham is formed by the elements ‘earth and water’. It is responsible for strength, joint movements, body built and endurance. It dominates the head and neck region. There are five forms of Kabham as follows
| S.No | Type of Kabham | Function |
| 1 | Avalambagam | Located in the lungs and co-ordinates the other forms of kabham |
| 2 | Kilaetham | Aids digestion |
| 3 | Pothagam | Helps in perception of taste |
| 4 | Tharpagam | Cools the eyes |
| 5 | Santhigam | Responsible for movements of joints |
Udal Thathukkal (Physical constituents)
The human body is constituted of seven tissues as its physical constituents, which are known as the Udal Thathukkal.
| Physical constituents (Udal Thathukkal) | Related Body Constituents | Basic Elements |
| Saaram | Plasma | Water |
| Senneer | Blood | Fire + Water |
| Oon | Muscle | Earth + Water |
| Kozhuppu | Adipose tissue | Water + Earth |
| Enbu | Bone | Earth + Air |
| Moolai | Marrow | Water + Air |
| Sukkilam/Suronitham | Male or Female Hormones, Reproductive tissue. | Fire + Air |
Each of the above physical constituent is responsible for certain functions:
| Physical constituents (Udal Thathukkal) | Functions |
| Saaram | Growth and development, nourishment |
| Senneer | Nourishes the muscle, imparts colour and improve intellect |
| Ooun | Responsible for shape of the body |
| Kozhuppu | Lubricates joints, maintains balance |
| Enbu | Supports body structure and responsible for posture and movement |
| Moolai | Imparts strength, endurance and shine |
| Sukkilam/Suronitham | Responsible for reproduction |
The food we intake nourishes each of the physical constituent in a sequence beginning from Saaram and provides total nourishment to the body on eighth day, after nourishing each constituent.