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'. 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.


More Resources

Anxiety & Panic - Two Steps to Take Before the Healing Process Begins
Anxiety sufferers are usually at a loose end after trying methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Techniques, Hypnosis, Sessions with psychologists, Meditation, Herbal Alternatives and probably the most popular of them all is Medications such as anti-depressants and Benzodiazepine's.Now I was no different to any other sufferer, I was pulling my hair out in the hopes of one of these alternatives would kick in and free me of this dreadful nightmare that I lived, day in and day out for years.
Revolutionary Medicine: Shockwave Therapy for Chronic Pain Sufferers
Stripped from the scenes from science fiction novels and films, shockwave therapy is a newage alternative to chronic pain sufferers. Utilized not only on humans for over 25 years for urologic and orthopedic conditions, shockwave therapy has even been introduced to veterinary and equine medicine as well.
The Causes Of Stuttering In Childhood
Stuttering is a problem that affects approximately one in every hundred people. It is mainly men who stutter, seven out of ten people who stutter are male.
Not Sure About the Mind-Body Connection? You Already Use It To Produce Pain Relief
But Not Nearly Often EnoughIf you're skeptical about your ability to use your own subconscious to ease pain, consider this: you already do it. But you do it by accident, so you don't notice.
Breathing Your Way To Health
Breathing, yes of course we do it, if not we'd be dead, obvious isn't it. But in the far east Breathing techniques have been used for thousands of years.
Complementary Medicine
Complementary Medicine is the use of natural therapy and medicines to restore and maintain health in addition to conventional medicine. Dating back to 420 B.
Natural Pain Relief Through Magnetic Therapy is Possible
No one can deny the power of magnets, racing pigeons find their way home across thousands of miles, and Salmon use the earth's magnetic pulses to travel through oceans to make their way back to their spawning grounds. The ancient Celts built their places of worship at points where the earth's magnetic ley lines intersect.
Once You Discover and Act on This 'Secret' to Health and Energy, You May be Changed for the Better
I discovered something completely, 100% amazing about 5 years ago. The first thing it did for me health- wise was get rid of my back problem to the point that I no longer needed the chiropractic treatment that I would get once or twice per month.
Reiki
REIKI is a form of natural healing through direct application of Universal Life Force Energy, or CHI (the term used by Chinese mystics and martial artists for the underlying Universal force, otherwise, energy). Through Reiki, energy is thought to be effected by thought.
Nature, An ADHD Natural Treatment
My mother's warning; "You are going to rot your brain out..
The Simplest Asthma Solution
During the Democratic convention the Reverend Al Sharpton quoted a shocking statistic: One third of the children in Harlem suffer from asthma. This shouldn't be completely surprising since asthma cases have been consistently increasing over the years, especially in the cities, escalating recently during the rollback of some key environmental laws, but it is a trend we must turn back.
Citronnelle
Remember the last Dumpling Festival? Did your mother or grandmother hang a pair of small bundle of sweet-scented grass in the morning on top of the door? Did they claim that the grass has the power to dispel evil when you use the water boiled with the leave for bathing? Did you remember the distinct, unmistakable lemon-like fragrance that left you feeling very invigorated? That leaf is none other than Citronnelle.Description of CitronnelleLike lemongrass and rosemary, citronnelle also belongs to the grass family, which is rich in essential oil.
Dopamine Relieves Pain - Try Encouraging Your Subconscious To Supply It
Dopamine has long been known to be linked to positive experiences such as eating and sex. But it's now known to be released when you're in pain, so you may want to try increasing your supply of it--naturally.
Watch Out for Alternative Medicine Charlatans!
Forget those CrystalsAs an integrative medical practitioner, I keep an open mind to new modalities of evaluating illness and treating disease. My interest and pursuit of complementary or alternative medical therapies has led me to selectively incorporate some of what I have come across.
Alter Your Perceptions
This article first appeared in The Sept. 2004 issueof The ZoneNet newsletterNo matter how fast we run, many of us are haunted by the urge to look back.
Bird Flu : A Disease You Can't Ignore
AS BIRD flu, or Avian Influenza, raged through Asia, countries such as Vietnam, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, Korea and Taiwan are stepping up on massive culling of their poultry as they are seized by a realisation that the animal virus could eventually threaten human lives.Their fears are not unfounded.
Precious Gems of Wisdom
The New Age should also be called The Stone Age, because along with aromatherapy, healing with the vibrations and frequencies emitted by gemstones is at the crux of the movement.Below I have listed seven popular gemstones that also correspond with the divine energies of the Seven Archangels.
The Health Care Crisis - and a Solution
We are presently facing a health care crisis that is getting more dire every day. Health care costs are increasing so rapidly that many companies who offered free health insurance to their employees are now passing a lot of the high cost on to their employees.
Use Essential Oils and Herbs in a Sitz Bath for Hemorrhoid Relief
Sitz bath using juniper and lavender oilsIf you have swollen hemorrhoids, a sitz bath can help youreduce them and speed your recover. Fill a tub with warmor hot water.
Allergy Control: Reducing Airborne Allergens in Your Home
Those who are plagued by allergies are always struggling to diminish those irritants that cause watery eyes, runny noses and rashes that sometimes translate into full-blown hives. These and other symptoms can be brought about by a number of contaminants that infiltrate the very air that people breathe within their own homes.

More Alternative Information:

Related Articles

With A Little Help From Our Friends
The quality of one's life to a large extent is determined by the quality of our relationships with others. When we feel we have no choice but to face the world alone, we suffer emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and no degree of outward success can replace or repair the lonely feeling in our heart.
Are You Suffering From Chronic Constipation?
Embarrassing as it may be, we have all suffered from constipation at one time in our life or another. According to the National Health Interview Survey as many as 3 million Americans suffer from frequent if not chronic constipation.
Kokoro no Kaze: Does Your Soul Have a Cold?
Feeling sad? Have you lost interest in things you used to enjoy? Perhaps you're suffering from a cold of the soul.That's the concept that has taken Japan by storm in the last five years, thanks to a culturally savvy marketing campaign launched by pharmaceutical companies to turn mild depression into an acceptable malady that a simple prescription can cure.
Sick Building Syndrome and Indoor Climate Control
The problem of high levels of CO2 in ambient air appears to be a modern one. Yet, this is not one of the new fads that crop up from time to time and then disappear again, never to be mentioned again.
Pa-Kua Feng Shui Basics
FENG SHUI BASICSFeng Shui (literally "Wind and Water" in Chinese), is all about balance and harmony between us and our environment. Just like the Yin and Yang energies, Feng Shui is about balance.
Superb Skin Disorder Relief found in Common Diaper Rash Ointment
"Accidental" discoveries are made each day. Common substances can sometimes be utilized for other purposes in which they were initially intended.
Healing the Elements
The Nature Elementals, most commonly known as Faeries, are the unseen guardians of the planet. As much as we would like to believe that their survival depends on our beliefs and ability to clap loud enough so as to restart their dying hearts, these energy beings have very little need for us.
Acupuncturists
An ancient Chinese method of pain relief and disease treatment; acupuncturists have used acupuncture effectively over several centuries. Acupuncturists use a treatment where fine, hair-like needle insertion is done over several, specific areas of the body.
Ayurveda, Indias Science of Life, Health and Longevity
Ayurveda is India's ancient science life, health, and longevity. It is thought of by many scholars to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
The Importance of Touch
Through the simple process of touch, Reflexology is so effective in the healing process. In the hi-tech world that we live in, touch has taken second place to machines.
Do-Sa-Do For Mindfulness
When I was 12, one of my best friends was a square dancer. Twice a week, her family would pile into the Country Squire station wagon and head to the Grange Hall, where they'd gather with their square dancing club for an evening of music, friendship and do-sa-do.
Some Tips on Stopping Smoking
Are you looking for tips on stopping smoking? And would you like to know what are some ways to help quit? Now let me remind you that when we come to the actual quitting process, that it is not going to be easy. Please do not consider yourself to be superhuman so be ready to get external help if you need it.
3 Natural Cures For A Migraine Headache
Only a migraine sufferer understands the pain. Regardless of how the migraine starts the end result is the same - excrutiating pain that renders you helpless.
Hidden Benefits of Reflexology
The holistic therapy of reflexology has been used over the years to promote physical health and wellbeing in many thousands of people from all walks of life, but there is also a subtler aspect to its benefits that can be applied to the more vulnerable amongst us, to expand awareness and enhance everyday living.When a client asked if she could bring her sister, who had learning disabilities, for a reflexology treatment with me, I was only too glad to concur.
Can We Sleep For Three Hours and Still Function Normally?
Polyphasic sleep - also known as *Uberman's Sleep Schedule*, consists of six daily naps taken every four hours instead of one long sleep every night (monophasic sleep)The naps can last from a minimum of 10 minutes up to 30 or 40 minutes. 25 minutes is considered optimal.
The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Allergies
Allergies: The Ayurvedic AnswerIn a healthy body, the allergic response serves to protect against invasion by harmful agents. Secretions and inflammation help our immune cells get into the affected tissue, dilute the toxic agent and help wash it away.
Bladder Infections
"If you let that fiery wise blood just sit there in your belly, great granddaughter," admonishes Grandmother Growth, "you'll get the urge to quench that heat. You'll get a tickle, a twinge, an urgent call.
Reiki-Seichem
Seichem - The Elemental Healing RaysSince the emergence of Reiki at the beginning of the last century, and its introduction to the west, there have been many variations in the way energy healing is taught. As it has developed, people have added information and understandings and have also had similar experiences to that of Mikao Usui, the man who founded Reiki for the present time.
Water: The Best Medication Ever Created!
How much water do you drink every day? The majority of people do not drink enough!In 1995 Dr. F.
Our New Years Resolution - Get Rid of The Toxins in our Lives
It is hard to believe, almost unthinkable. Everyday we are exposed to so many toxins in our lives.