My Vedic Life

• Water, the principle of cohesion

Water represents the liquid state of matter and indicates change or instability. Water is responsible for the fluid metabolism in the body and so blood, lymph, and other fluids are considered water elements. Water connects to the tongue and the sense of taste. Water is the dominant element in the Kapha Dosha.

This is the fourth element that comes into existence out of the previous three. Fire causes air to become dense, giving us the element of water. Water is the protector of the body providing its most basic nourishment. It protects against the dissolution of ether, the roughness of air, and the heat of the fire. It also soothes pain and inflammation in the body.

Water is the first element that we can taste. It originates from Rasa, the tanmatra of taste. In this context, it is the causation of the experience of taste (but not taste itself). Taste depends on water for its manifestation, so disorders of the ability to taste are an imbalance of the water element.

Since the tongue is the vehicle through which the rasa tanmatra manifests, it is considered to be the sense organ of water. The taste buds of the tongue work only in the presence of water or saliva. This means that if there is no water, there is no taste.

The organ of action associated with the water element is the urethra. Through the male urethra, potent reproductive fluid is expelled from the body. The male and female urethra also expel water in the form of urine.

People with abundant water in their constitution show strong traits of compassion and empathy since water is connected to emotions.