Concept of Agni in Ayurveda

Being one of the panchamahabhoota, agni (fire) has the characteristic that it cannot exist without a base. In the body it exists in pitta dosha.

Agni is responsible for the following functions:

Digestion - indigestion (Pakti- Apakti)

Vision- absence of vision (Darshanam- Adarshanam)

Degree of heat (Matra- Amatratvamushmanala)

Normal -abnormal complexion (Prakrit - Vikarit varnam)

Prowess- fear (Shaurya- Bhaya)

Anger - exholoration (krodham- Harsham)

Confusion- clarity of mind (Moha- Prasadan)

For the metabolic processes in the body, there are three main groups of biological factors, probably exhibiting enzymatic functions (agnis).

Jatharagni or Koshthagni:

Present in the pachak pitta. It is responsible for the digestion and the absorption of nutritious substances during this process.

The process of digestion (ahar pachan) is divided in three stages, which collectively is called awastha paka and can be divided in the following.

Amavstha (Madhuravastha) Paka - in stomach

Pachymanavastha (Amlavstha) Paka - in 'grahani' (Duodenum)

Pakavstha (Katuavstha) Paka - in small and large intestine

As the rasa changes in different phase of digestion these phase of digestion are called avsthapaka. At the end of the digestion the digested food have their original rasa which is in accordance with the rasa of the ingested food. This is called as Nistha paka .It is also called popularly as Vipaka.

Madhur rasa & Lavan rasa have Madhura Vipaka, Amla rasa have amla vipaka and Katu, Tikta & Kashaya rasa have Katu vipaka.

Panchabhutagnis :

In ayurveda it is believed that everything is made up of five elements and so is the body. These five elements are the panchmahabhoota and are responsible for constituting every living being in the world. Agni transforms the Asharir Mahabhoota (external mahabhoot) to Sharir Mahabhoota. Example - When we drink water Jala Mahabhoota (water) dominates and later the water is transformed by Jala Mahabhoota agni to the Sharir Jala Containing five types of biological factors, it is responsible for the processing of the five basic elements into a composition useful to the body.

Dhatvagnis : The third group contains seven types, each for the assimilation of the seven tissues This assimilation takes place successively. From the absorbed nutritious substance, plasma (rasa) is produced first; from plasma, blood (rakta) is formed, then muscular tissue (mamsa), adipose tissue (meda), bony tissue (asthi), bone marrow (majjan) and the reproductive cells (shukra).

Besides performing all the metabolic functions agni takes care of digestion (ahar pachan) and in the absence of ahar it acts on the ama pachan i.e. properly metabolize the improper metabolites. When ahar and ama are absence Agni does the function of dhatu i.e. rasa, rakta etc. Digestion of dhatu is a fatal condition in which dhatus are broken down to get energy. The reduction or deficiency of the quantum of dhatu in the human body leads to the disease called 'Kshaya roga'.

In ayurveda it is believed that all the pathology occurs due to the impairment in Agni (Kaya). Hence the correction of Kaya i.e. Agni is called the treatment or 'Kaya Chikitsa' in ayurveda

Agnis are also classified into four categories according to how they manifest in the human being:

Tikshnagni -sharp,

Mandagni - mild,

Vishamagni - irregular, and

Samagni - regular or Balanced.

About The Author

Dr.Shashikant Patwardhan is practicing as 'Ayurvedic Consultant' for last 25 years at the city -Sangli , Maharashtra -India. He has done his graduation in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery [B.A.M&S] and post graduate Fellowship of Faculty of Ayurvedic Medicine [F.F.A.M.] From Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya, Pune University , India, during the years 1970-1976. He is a chief editor and Ayurvedic Consultant of a 'Comprehensive website on Ayurveda - http://www.ayurveda-foryou.com He is an author of many books on Ayurveda and is first to publish them in ebook format.Up till now he has written four ebooks - 1. Ayurvedic Cure of Diabetes 2. Home Remedies in Ayurveda 3. Treat Common Diseases with Ayurveda & Yoga and 4. Ayurvedic Principles Revealed He regularly writes articles on various topics in Ayurveda in Ayurvedic health magazines and alternative medicine sites.

editor@ayurved-online.com

---

Ayurveda - The Natural Remedy

The word Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words... Read More

With A Little Help From Our Friends

The quality of one's life to a large extent is... Read More

Junk Food Is Not Easier To Eat

There is something to be said about fast food being... Read More

Alternative Medicine vs Conventional Medicine - Part 1

The term 'alternative medicine' that is so commonly used today... Read More

Hypnotherapy ? Does It Really Work?

Okay, so some of you are familiar with hypnotherapy. You've... Read More

Headaches/Migraine

"Oh, how densely packed your head is, my sweet," sighs... Read More

MSM: Enhance Your Overall Beauty, Your Hair, Nails, And Skin While Reducing Allergic Reactions

Welcome to another exciting issue of "The Home Made Medicine... Read More

Mercury Detoxification

An interesting area of alternative medicine that is advancing rapidly... Read More

Dandelions! This Common Weed is a Wonderful Spring Tonic

Those Glorious Dandelions! Taraxacum officinale (composite family)Spring is coming! Starting... Read More

A Free Natural Medicine Which is also Your Strongest, Most Abundant, and Easiest to Use

We've all heard, haven't we, that a 40-year-old was considered... Read More

Preventing Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Through Ayurveda

Definition: Benign prostatic hypertrophy is swelling of Prostate gland. The... Read More

The Many Uses of Mint

There are many varieties of mint plants. If you want... Read More

Basic Reiki

This is a very simplified primer on basic Reiki. It's... Read More

Sleep And Massage Therapy

Hands-On Therapy for Peaceful SleepOne alternative medicine approach is a... Read More

Fruits and Juices Important for Relieving Hemorrhoids Part I

Foods to AvoidChili Peppers It has been found that when... Read More

Constipation Home Remedies Using Juices

Apple Juice, Figs and RaisinsHere's another constipation home remedy using... Read More

Green Drink For Constipation

A green drink is a powerful drink that can help... Read More

Home Remedies, Treatment To All Ailments By Herbal Homemade Remedies

Given below the list of Best Home Remedies for all... Read More

Drugstore Hemorrhoid Medications

There are many drugstore and alternative Internet products for treating... Read More

Using the Subconscious for Pain Relief - What?s In It For You?

If you're in chronic pain, you probably want 7 things.... Read More

Manipulate The Body And Mind With A Portable Massage Table

A portable massage table can be very essential tool. Massage... Read More

How to Stop Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums can be one sign of periodontal disease, gingivitis,... Read More

Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine, also referred to as Herbalism or Botanical Medicine,... Read More

Alternative Health Care is Under Attack by a Hidden Standard - The Unfortunate Case of Dr. Shortt

A recent case in the news highlights an alarming trend... Read More

Aromatherapy at Home: Beating the Cold Bug

It seems that nearly everyone I know has been either... Read More

Neuro Emotional Technique

NET or Neuro Emotional Technique is one of the newer... Read More

Constipation Remedy Using Apples and Other Juices

Here are two constipation remedies that you can use for... Read More

Can Tea Strengthen Your Bones?

It has long been said that caffeine is not good... Read More

Treating Arthritis - Naturally

There are actually three common types of arthritis. These are... Read More

Breathing and Mental Concentration

In spirituality, there are number of exercises available that help... Read More

Food Combining for Indigestion

I'd like to share with you some basic food combining... Read More

Could You Have Lyme and Not Know It?

If you have ever been bitten by a tick, flea,... Read More

Cold Laser Therapy: Hope for Arthritis

Having had the rare, first-hand opportunity to observe cold laser... Read More