Mapping the Three Doshas

A Character Study of Gayatri and Walter Spies in Anuradha Roy's All the Lives We Never Lived

Abstract

This research paper examines the representation of the three Ayurvedic doshas viz-a-viz Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in Anuradha Roy's All the Lives We Never Lived (2018), focusing on the characters, Gayatri and Walter Spies. Drawing upon the Charaka Samhita, which stands as one of the seminal texts of Ayurveda, the study situates its analysis within the framework of the Tridosha theory, which understands human nature as guided by the harmony of these elemental energies. The research addresses the limited engagement of ancient Indian medical philosophy in literary interpretation and aims to show how indigenous epistemologies can deepen character analysis in contemporary Indian English fiction. Through qualitative, textual analysis, concepts of prakriti and vikriti are applied to the psychological and moral dimensions of the selected characters. Prakriti is an individual's natural body and mind constitution whereas Vikriti is the disturbed or altered state of this very natural constitution. The study finds that Gayatri reflects a Vata and Pitta constitution marked by creativity, passion, and restlessness and Walter Spies demonstrates a Vata-Pitta-Kapha prakriti that harmonizes artistic intensity with composure. The paper concludes that the reading not only enriches the understanding of Roy's characters but also underscores the continuing relevance of the tridoshas in how we understand the psychological state of human existence.