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Background: Ojas is described in Ayurveda as the essence of all tissues and the basis of strength, immunity and mental stability. Classical texts state that grief, anxiety, anger and fear deplete Ojas. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), the study of interactions between the mind, nervous system and immune system, has shown that psychological stress alters immune function and that inflammation contributes to depression. Objective: To compare the classical concept of Ojas and its disorders with current PNI evidence, and to identify testable hypotheses for research. Methods: Narrative review of the Brihattrayi (Charaka, Sushruta and Ashtanga Hridaya) and of selected PNI literature, including meta-analyses on stress, immunity and inflammation in depression, and studies of Rasayana drugs on stress markers. Results: Classical texts describe three grades of Ojas disorder: Visramsa (displacement), Vyapat (vitiation) and Kshaya (depletion), with symptoms that include fear, weakness, anxiety, loss of clarity and susceptibility to disease. Psychological causes are listed explicitly. Modern evidence shows that chronic stress suppresses cellular and humoral immunity, slows wound healing and increases susceptibility to infection, while major depression is associated with raised interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha. Rasayana drugs such as Ashwagandha reduce perceived stress and serum cortisol in controlled trials. Conclusion: Ojakshaya shows strong conceptual parallels with stress-induced immune dysregulation. Ojas should not be equated with any single molecule, but its clinical descriptions can be operationalised through composite markers of immune, endocrine and psychological status for testing in clinical studies

Keywords: Ojas; Ojakshaya; Vyadhikshamatva; psychoneuroimmunology; stress; inflammation; Rasayana