Veeryam (वीर्यम्)

Virya describe potency of dravya or specific guna of dravya. Virya associated with gunas and considered complimentary to rasas. The Virya majorly categorized as two types (Dwividha Virya) and eight types (Asthavidha Virya) etc. cold (Shita) and hot (Ushana) Virya comes under Dwividha Virya while cold (Shita), hot (Ushna), unctuous (Snigdha), dry (Ruksha), heavy (Guru), light (Laghu), soft (Mrudu) and intense (Tikshna) Virya comes under Asthavidha Virya category. Pungent, sour and salt taste have hot potency with increasing order respectively; bitter, astringent and sweet taste are cold in potency in the same manner.

The reason and the capacity of a dravya to perform an action is Veerya(potency)2 .It is a property (karmukashaktipradayakaguna) in the dravya(drug), which makes the drug capable of exhibiting the therapeutic effectiveness in the body3 .Veerya (potency) is considered to be one among seven padartha(matter of priority) in DravyaGunaVijnana, namely Dravya (substance), Guna (attribute), Rasa (taste),Vipaka(final state of transformation), Prabhava(specificity in action) and Karma ( drug action) (TBE)

Etymology

e etymology of the word veeryais from “Veeravikrantaudhatu”. The strength or energy which is performing an activity via drug is Veerya (potency) of the drug5 The

word „Veerya‟ in a noun form also represents manliness, valor, strength, power, energy, heroism, vigor, virility, efficacy 6