Strength (bala)

The strong person does not lose fortitude even when his wealth is destroyed; his face stays radiant and calm like a blooming lotus, and his mind is not shaken even by very hard tasks.

The introduction defines bala as the strength of the body and says it is of three kinds: arising from time (kālaja), inborn (sahaja) and produced by proper means (yuktikṛta).

Excellent strength is said to grow from the subsidence, destruction or partial destruction and subsidence of the karma that obstructs energy (vīryāntarāya), and the strong person can endure many hardships (parīṣaha).

Strength is called chief for all undertakings, so the physician should consider it first, and success in treatment is to be expected in treatment given to the strong.

Some people who look thin are strong and some who look stout are weak, so strength should be examined not by the look of the body but by making the person run or lift a weight.