CRITICAL STUDY OF THE CONCEPT OF SEX CHROMOSOMES AND CHROMOSOMAL DISORDERS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO STREE VYAPAD AND PURUSH VYAPAD MENTIONED IN AYURVEDA

Abstract

Background: The ancient Ayurvedic texts contain sophisticated concepts regarding sex determination, hereditary disorders, and reproductive anomalies that demonstrate striking parallels with modern chromosomal science. Classical acharyas such as Charaka and Sushruta described concepts like Beeja (the biological seed — equivalent to the gamete), Beejabhaga (segments or portions of the seed analogous to chromosomes), and Beejabhagavayava (sub-segments of the chromosomal unit analogous to individual genes or sex-determining gene segments), which conceptually correlate with the modern understanding of genes, chromosomes, and sex-determining chromosomal segments.

Objectives: This review critically examines the Ayurvedic concepts of Stree Vyapad (abnormal female phenotype) and Purush Vyapad (abnormal male phenotype) in light of contemporary chromosomal science, specifically sex chromosome aneuploidy conditions such as Turner syndrome (45X), Klinefelter syndrome (47XXY), Triple X syndrome (47XXX), and 47XYY syndrome. The study further evaluates the classical Ayurvedic classifications of hereditary disorders and their alignment with X-linked and Y-linked genetic conditions.

Methods: A systematic qualitative review of classical Ayurvedic texts including Charaka Samhita (Sharirasthana), Sushruta Samhita, and Ashtanga Sangraha was conducted, with comparative analysis against peer-reviewed literature on sex chromosome abnormalities published between 2013 and 2024.

Results: The Ayurvedic construct of Beejabhagavayava closely parallels the sex-determining segments of X and Y chromosomes. The clinical descriptions of Stree Vyapad (female sexual genetic disorders) map to conditions resembling Turner syndrome and Triple X phenotypes, while Purush Vyapad (male sexual genetic disorders) descriptions align with Klinefelter syndrome and 47XYY syndrome. The Ayurvedic classification of hereditary disorders into Matruja Sahaj Vikarani (maternal genetic disorders) and Pitruja Sahaj Vikarani (paternal genetic disorders) corresponds to X-linked and Y-linked inheritance patterns, respectively.

Conclusion: Ayurvedic classical texts demonstrate a conceptually advanced understanding of sex determination and chromosomal-level inheritance that predates modern genetics by millennia. Integrative research bridging Ayurvedic epistemology and contemporary genomics holds promise for novel insights into sex chromosome disorders.