Roopa

Roopa can be defined as the purva roopam which manifests it self into a disease is called roopa. In modern terminology roopa is known as sign and symptoms of the disease. There are various synonyms given of roopa these are:

1. Samsthaana- It means that the symptoms by which a disease is surely known. Or the symptoms that establishes to form a disease.
   
   
2. Vyanjana- those signs that manifest into a disease. The word means “Vyanjana” the root of the disease.
   
   
3. Linga- these are the characteristics by which a disease is known surely.
   
   
4. Lakhsnam- it denotes the symptoms of a disease.
   
   
5. Chinnh- a mark or the spot by which a thing or a disease can be identified
   
   
6. Aakrity- a shape of a substance
   
   

All above mentioned six words relates to roopa. These all indicated the sign and symptoms of a disease. Only roopa signifies that symptoms that are being presented, is actually the establishment of the disease. As an example of jwar (fever) it is intended that all the signs and symptoms of the fever is expressed or manifested. More over fever is taken as the disease not the symptoms as in contrast considered by modern sciences. In other diseases say dysentery or leprosy, fever may present up itself, there it may considered as a symptom not the disease. Arochakam (anorexia) may be one of the symptoms of the fever but anorexia may sometimes exist without any presentation of fever and may be the only symptom. In such cases anorexia should be considered as a disease not the symptom. This is illustrated with number of examples in which a collection of symptoms or a symptom complex or syndrome is often considered and then administered as a disease, where as, the disease which have all these symptoms is all together different.

According to ayurveda disease or roga is defined as the abnormality in the interaction between dosha and dushya (a part which is affected). This kind of interaction between these is called as dosha-dushya-samurchanam. When this interaction takes place, certain symptoms are produced according to the nature of abnormality. As an example consider a case of Rajyakshma (tuberculosis), the interaction between doshas and dushya, produces a symptom complex of kaas (cough), skandh dah (burning sensation near shoulder), swar bhang (hoarseness of voice), jwar (fever), Shankhak shirh shool (pain in sides of head), spitting of sputum and blood, dyspnoea, atisaar (diarrhoea)etc. another type of abnormal interaction between dosha and dushya causes insensibility of feeling, profuse sweating or absence of sweat, discoloration of the skin, eruptions or elevation of skin patches. Shooting pains, numbness etc. which when assembled, form the symptom complex or disease known as leprosy.

But now a query arises in mind that, are these collection symptoms are able to get into the shape of a disease. As we know that the symptoms are not the disease themselves but are the imbalanced normal condition of the body that contributes to there cause and origination.

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