The Ayurvedic Physician has divided a man’s life into periods namely childhood(Kapha), manhood(Pitta) and decrepitude(Old-age)(Vata). Ancient text refer this three as Balya avasta, Madhya avasta and Briddha avastha respectively.
The first extends up to the fifteenth year when phlegm is in excess which is Kapha predominant.
Manhood extends from the sixteenth to the seventieth year while bile is in excess. This age is again divided into, a period of growth which extends from the sixteenth to the twentieth year; of youth from the twentieth to the thirtieth year; of maturity from the thirtieth to the fortieth year when all the humors, senses, strength are in full development; and of weakness from the fortieth to the seventieth year when all the powers of the organs. are gradually diminishing and bile is in excess. This period is Pitta predominant.
Decrepitude extends from the seventieth year till the person’s death; during this period the humors, senses, strength and animation daily diminish. In this period of life air is in excess and nervous diseases prevail. This period is Vata predominant.
After the tenth year, memory, feeling, sight, semen, strength and the active senses are powerful; the growth of the body after twenty years and the perfect. state of the body after thirty years. The males are sup-posed to arrive at their perfection in figure and strength at twenty-five and the females at sixteen years of age.
Now lets look at the tridosha constituents on them.
Childhood is Kapha Predominant.
Manhood is pitta Predominant.
And Decrepitude is Vata predominant.
We can really feel this in our real life; children have the quality of kapha like snigdha, soft and smooth. Also the salivary secretion is much in children. In manhood, one is energetic , growth of muscles and different physical change in the body all due to metabolic reactions; mainly by pitta. And old age is vata predominant as we can see the body starts acting slow, problems in movements of joints and all.