Ayurveda has regarded an important factor in digestion and metabolism of our body and it as an Agni. Agni means fire, in Ayurveda the term Agni is used in the sense of the digestion of food and metabolic products; Agni converts food in the form of energy which is responsible for all the vital function of our body
DEFINITION
A biological energy which causes digestion and metabolism is called as Agni. Ayurveda considers that all the digestive and metabolic processes of our body are under the direct control of Agni
Charaka says that “the nutritional value of food which nourishes our body tissues the vital essence, ojas, strength, complexion etc. all mainly depend on our Agni because and other dhathus cannot develop from an abnormal “Agni”. Agni present in the form of pitta in each and every cell of our body.
TYPES OF AGNI
Ayurveda regards that there are total 13 types of Agni or bio-energies in our body, they are
· Bhutagni (5) -Five Agni from five basic elements
· Dhathu Agni (7)– seven Agni present in each dhathu
· Jatharagni (1) - its present in the stomach and duodenum
Jatharagni
Jatharagni is main important Agni which controls the functions of all other 12.Agni.all the Agni are wholly dependent on Jatharagni
The food ingredients comprise six tastes namely Swadu, amla, lavana, katu, thiktha, kashya they under groove different types of changes through gastro-intestine digestion through the food ingredient
Jatharagni is the Agni or Bio energy present in our jathara (stomach & duodenum). The Jatharagni is considered to be the most important because each and every nutrient which we ingest first comes to jathara and subjected to action from Jatharagni
It’s also responsible for separation of the food material into the essence portion ant the waste products in our body
Bhutha agni
They are five numbers they help in the transformation of the external heterogeneous mahabhutas into internal homogeneous mahabhutas
Bhutagni is the one which is present in a basic element. There are five Bhutagni in each of the basic elements namely
§ Prithvi -Agni
§ Ap - Agni
§ Tejas - Agni
§ Vayu -Agni
§ Akasha - Agni
Each and every cell in our body is composed of the five mahabhutas; all the nutrients in this world which we eat also consist of the same five elements with their respective Agni. So there is full similarity in respect of the five basic elements with their Bhutagni in our body cells as well in all the outside nutrients. Which we ingest for nutrition of our body
Dhathu Agni
These Agni are located in tissue element of the body they help in the assimilation and transformation of nutrient material received after the Bhutagni into substance homogenous to the tissue element during the process of assimilation through the help of these agni many waste product are produce they are
o Rasa – phlem
o Raktha – Bile
o Mamsa – Excreta from ear , roots of hair
o Medhas – Sweat
o Asthi – Hair and Nail
o Majja – Uncounted substance which are present in eye ,stool and skin
o Sukra – No waste product
Dhathuagni means bio energies in the cells. Each Dhathuagni present in each dhathu synthesis and transforms the essential rasa dhathu required for particular dhathu or cell from the basic nutrients present in the anna- rasa or essence of our diet, which we consume.
Jatharagni or the Agni present in the stomach and duodenum has a great control over the action of all Dhathuagni. If the Jatharagni is hyperactive/hypoactive it will cause excessive retarded action of the Dhathuagni. This disturbed action cause’s disturbance in the whole metabolic process in dhathus which ultimately lead to various disorders.
Stages of Agni
There are four stages of Agni
1. Visama Agni
2. Tiksna Agni
3. Mandha Agni
4. Sama Agni
Visama Agni
When vata aggravated the digestion become irregular from time to time such digestive activity, it’s called as Visama Agni
Symptoms
Irregular appetite, gastric pain etc
Tiksna Agni
When pitta aggravated the digestive activity is very intensive even large quantity of food get digested quickly, there is a thirst during digestion .thus the condition is Tiksna Agni
Symptoms
Digest even large quantities of two frequent meals after digestion gelososa (Burning), Daha (Thirst)
Mandha Agni
When kapha is aggravated the digestive actively in very dull, poor, in adequate even small quantity of food get digestion for long time is known as Mandha Agni
Symptoms
Cannot digest even normal diet properly, kasa (cough), heaviness of abdomen, heaviness of head, and weakness
Sama Agni
All the three dosas are the digestion of food will be perfect in all respect that is Sama Agni.
Symptoms
Properly digestion from normal food
Concept of Agni in Ayurveda
Which refer to the maintaining function described to pitta at once comprehensive.
Ahara pachana in the kostha corresponding to gastro intestinal digestion which leads to separate sarabhaga (nutrient fraction) of the Ahara from the kitta bhasa (in digested) reside of the food hyper energy synthesis and maintenance metabolism
Conclusion
According to modern medicine, metabolic processes of division and multiplication are going on in every cell of our body from birth to death for these constant processes in all cells a biological energy is constantly essential without which the survival of our body will be quite impossible. The same biological energy is coined by ayurveda as Agni
