Trimala in Ayurveda: The Three Important Body Wastes

What is Mala?

Mala is the waste product of a body. It includes all the physiological, digestive, and metabolic wastes of a body. Malas also include the wastes from cells and tissues.

How many types of Mala are there?

Mala can be divided into two categories:

1.    Aahara mala: 

Aahara mala is the waste from food. It is the excreta produced in the body due to various digestive and metabolic processes. It includes Trimala.

 

2.     Dhatu Mala: 

Dhatu mala includes waste products other than the Trimala. It is the waste matter of body cells and tissues. It includes secretions from all the sense organs such as tears, sebum, sputum, etc., and other secretions from the sexual limbs.

What are Trimalas? What is the importance of Trimalas?

Trimalas are the three important excreta of a physical body. The body majorly produces three types of wastes or malas known as Trimala. 

The three malas are Purisha (faeces), Mutra (Urine), and Sveda (Sweat).

 Purisha (faeces or stool)  

It is solid waste or residue after digestion and absorption of nutrients in the stomach and small intestine and absorption of excess water and salts in the large intestine. The remainder is converted into solid faeces, excreted from the body. 
It can vary in appearance from one person to another. Normal stools are in a semisolid state with a mucus covering. Besides removing unwanted substances from the body, Purisha also maintains the temperature of the intestines.

Mutra (urine)

Mutra is a liquid waste product produced and secreted by the kidneys. It is produced in the nephrons of kidneys in three different stages- ultrafiltration, secretion, and selective reabsorption. Through ureters, mutra is passed from kidneys to urinary bladder for storage. Later it is expelled out of the body through Urethra. 95% of Mutra or urine contains water and the remaining 5% consists of various organic and inorganic solid wastes. A few of these solid wastes are urea, uric acid, sodium chloride. Thus mutra expels excess water and toxins from the body.

Sveda (sweat)

Sveda or sweat consists of about 99% water 0.2 to 0.5% salts and traces of urea(0.08%). Sveda is secreted from sveda granthi (sweat gland) extended throughout the skin. Each sweat gland is a coiled tube consisting of a deeper secretory part and an excretory part that runs upward to open on the surface. The outer openings are called sveda chhidra (sweat pores) which expels out sweat.

Sveda controls the body temperature by expelling excess water and toxins, moistening the skin and hair, carrying excess fat from the body, purifying the blood, and cooling the body.

Malfunctioning of Trimalas

The trimalas are formed on daily basis and keep the body healthy, fit, and disease-free. It thus provides energy to the entire body by getting excreted at the proper time and in the right quantity. If they remain in the body, it would cause many diseases. 

What are the causes of impaired functioning of trimalas?

The functioning of the Purisha (faeces) is harmed by excessive use of laxatives, worry, and fear. It is also damaged by too much travel, eating faulty foods, oversleeping, drugs, antibiotics, insufficient exercise, and prolonged diarrhea.

The functioning of the Mutra (Urine) is damaged by alcohol, injury, fear, excessive sex, or limited liquid intake.

The functioning of the Sveda (Sweat) is spoiled by excessive intake of dry food, lack of salt, excessive or little exercise.

What is the impact of malfunctioning of Tri malas?

If the balance between the Tridoshas, i.e. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, is not maintained, the malas of the body will not be eliminated effectively from the body, leading to Malakshaya (decrease in the quantity of mala) or malavridhhi (increase in the quantity of mala).

Malakshaya and Malavridhhi

Both the conditions Malakshaya (decrease in the quantity of mala) and malavridhhi (increase in the quantity of mala) leads to various health impediments.

Faeces (purisha or stool ): Impaired functioning can lead to Vayu-related ailments like worry, fear, nervousness, headaches, gas, ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and other problems. 

Mutra (urine): Poor urine elimination causes bladder pain, difficult urination, urinary tract infections, cystitis, kidney stones, renal failure, fever, thirst, dry mouth, or dehydration.  

Sweat (sveda): Excess sweating can cause skin diseases (usually Pitta-related) like eczema (rough & patchy skin), psoriasis, dermatitis, boils, fungus, burning skin, dehydration, tiredness, or fits (Vayu related). 

Reduced sweating can result in stiff hair, skin patches, dry skin, dandruff, wrinkles, and above all reduced body temperature. 

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