Prakriti self-check from Caraka Samhita

Pick the answer that fits you best, as you have generally been rather than how you feel today. Each answer names the verse it comes from. Where the text says nothing about a dosha on a question, that dosha has no answer there.

A self-reflection aid, not a diagnosis. Even trained practitioners agree poorly when they assess prakriti (see the evidence section of tridosha theory), and a self-check is less reliable still. Use the result as a way into the texts, not as a reason to take anything.

1. Which best describes your build?

Slight and lean; veins and tendons show Ca. Vi. 8.98 Delicate, fine-boned Ca. Vi. 8.97 Solid and compact; limbs full and well developed Ca. Vi. 8.96

2. Your skin is mostly

Dry and rough, tends to crack Ca. Vi. 8.98 Clear but with many moles, freckles or spots Ca. Vi. 8.97 Smooth, soft and glossy Ca. Vi. 8.96

3. Your hair

Rough and coarse, as are nails and teeth Ca. Vi. 8.98 Fine, soft, light-coloured or sparse; greyed or thinned early Ca. Vi. 8.97 Neither of these

4. Your hunger and thirst

Strong; I get hungry and thirsty easily Ca. Vi. 8.97 Mild; I can go a long time without either Ca. Vi. 8.96 Somewhere in between

5. How do you eat?

Lightly, quickly, and not the same way two days running Ca. Vi. 8.98 A lot, and I drink a lot Ca. Vi. 8.97 Slowly and moderately Ca. Vi. 8.96

6. Which bothers you more?

Cold: I feel it quickly, shiver and stiffen Ca. Vi. 8.98 Heat: I cannot stand it Ca. Vi. 8.97 Neither much; I seldom feel overheated Ca. Vi. 8.96

7. Sweat and body odour

I sweat a lot and notice a strong body odour Ca. Vi. 8.97 I sweat little Ca. Vi. 8.96 Somewhere in between

8. Your sleep

Light and short; I wake easily Ca. Vi. 8.98 I like to sleep, and sleep a lot AH Sha. 3.101 Neither of these

9. Your voice

Thin, weak or hoarse; it cracks or breaks Ca. Vi. 8.98 Clear, pleasant and mellow Ca. Vi. 8.96 Neither of these

10. How much do you talk?

A lot, and fast Ca. Vi. 8.98 Slowly and not much Ca. Vi. 8.96 Somewhere in between

11. How do you move?

Quickly and restlessly; hands, feet or eyes always moving Ca. Vi. 8.98 Slowly and steadily, with a firm tread Ca. Vi. 8.96 Somewhere in between

12. Your joints

Crack or click when I move, stand or sit Ca. Vi. 8.98 Loose and flexible Ca. Vi. 8.97 Firm and well knit Ca. Vi. 8.96

13. Starting things and getting stirred up

Quick to start, quick to get agitated Ca. Vi. 8.98 Slow to start, slow to get agitated Ca. Vi. 8.96 Somewhere in between

14. Your temperament

Quick to feel fear; likes, dislikes and moods change fast Ca. Vi. 8.98 Bold and forceful; quick-tempered Ca. Vi. 8.97 Calm and even-tempered Ca. Vi. 8.96

15. Strength and stamina

Not much physical strength Ca. Vi. 8.98 Moderate; I do not put up with hardship for long Ca. Vi. 8.97 Strong, with plenty of stamina Ca. Vi. 8.96

See my result

Or read Caraka's description of each type directly: Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

Sources

• Caraka Samhita, Vimanasthana 8.95-100. Sanskrit: SARIT TEI edition of the Trikamji (Nirnaya Sagar, 1941) text, CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Charaka-Samhita, tr. Avinash Chandra Kaviratna, Calcutta 1890-1908, pp. 594-598. Public-domain English translation; numbers the passage as paragraphs 111-115.
• Ashtanga Hridaya, Sharirasthana 3.83-104. Agrees with Caraka on every trait used here; cited only where Caraka is silent.

Traits the passage gives only as outcomes, such as lifespan, wealth and number of children, are not asked. Neither are popular modern quiz items the passage does not contain, such as dry skin in winter, a variable appetite or weight gain.