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Introduction
Acharya Karma-Marichi of natural and distorted Pitta said that the fire that resides under the Pitta in the body, being angry or not angry (healthy), is the one who performs auspicious and inauspicious actions in the body, such digestion of food, non-digestion, seeing with eyes., not seeing,temperature being normal in the body, presence of natural colors (forms)like Gaura-Krishna in the body and presence of unnatural (unnatural)colors, bravery (valour), fear (fear), anger, joy, attachment.Fire is represented by Agni in the living body. Physical fire cooks burns transform the structure of matter changes the properties of matter in the physical world Agni present in the body in the form of pitta digest ingested food help in absorption of digestive materials and transform digestive food into body entities.
Synonyms of Agni: Tejas / Teja / Tejo Bhuta / Tejo Mahabhuta / Tejo MahabhutaVahni/Agni Tatva/anala
AGNI IN NATURE
वायोः अग्नि ः
Agni or fire is created from vayu (air). There is chronology of formation of the five elements in nature according to Indian philosophical books.According to this the first element to be formed this Aakash or space orsky or ether.
Thus the whole creation take place from shunya that is zero or empty space from Aakash vayu is created.Vayu will have components of Aakash it's predecessor in it. Vayu will create Agni fire this Agni will have the components of its parents that is vayu and Akash from Agni jala or water is created.
Vayu has gati movements and we have seen that movements can produce heat of fire. This is to tell that movement create hit or fire when we rub two things against each other we cause movement of friction and this internal produces heat or fire.
PROPERTIES OF AGNI
Tej or Agni has the properties of Roop( sight,vision) and perspective is anatural property of agni Sparsh is inherited from its predecessor vayu. Thus we tell that vayu manufactures Agni and leaves its component in agni.Anything which processes the property of roop and sparsha is said to be agni On the other hand it also true that anything which has roop and sparsh quality embedded in it /them poses agni or tej in them.
The sign of (existence) of Teja or Agni Tatva (Fire factor) is the presence of Ushnata (Heat) i.e. Heat explains the presence of fire. The Ushnata is naturally present in Agni. Thus when we experience heat on touch we immediately imagine or get the knowledge of Agni.
CONCEPTUAL STUDY OF AGNI
The conversion of food substances are different levels in various ways till they ultimately become tissue of body is brought about by Agni. It means without Agni there is no tissue building no life. Living body is a product of Nutrition the human body is made up those dhaatu and Mala ,which is known as sharir dravya where is the source for the substances which are the external ones. Since the tissues of body are not exactly similar to the substances the later must be converted in such a manner that they are absorbed into the system to reach every cells of the body and that they become completely mast with the body tissue.
TYPES OF AGNI
In Ayurveda there are 13 types of Agni classified into the following threelarge groups.
1-JATHRAGNI
2 BHUTAGNI-5
3-DHATVAGNI-7
1-JATHRAGNI
Digestive fire is called Jathara Agni and it is the most important compared to all other Agnis. It mainly resides around the navel between the stomachand intestines. This fire digests food very quickly with its heat. This fire breaks whatever we eat into small pieces and makes them suitable for the body. Jathra Agni helps in keeping all the other Agnis active. The first change in the food we eat is done by the digestive fire. After that it further changes into other forms. To perform all these tasks, it is very importantfor Agni to be in a balanced state. There can be four stages of gastritis.
There are four variations in digestive fire
Vishamagni: This type of Agni changes between digesting food quickly and slowly. When this Agni is affected by the Vata Dosha, it creates different types of udargata roga.
Tikshnagni: Tikshnagni means very quick/very sharp/very fast. Tikshnagni is a state of very quick digestion of food, regardless of the type of food. Acharya Shushrut states that when the power of digestion is increasedfrom normal to above normal, food digests very quickly and produces hunger or the desire for food. When food is digested, the throat, the mouth cavity and the lips become dry with a burning sensation. This condition is known as “Bhasmak Roga” according to Ayurveda.
Samagni: The Samagni digests and assimilates food properly at the proper time. This thus increases the quality of the Dhatus (supportive tissues ofthe body). Persons having Samagni are always hale and healthy.
Mandagni: “Mand” means slow. The meaning of the Mandagni is slow digestive power or digestive capacity. Those who are having Mandagni eat very little and are unable to digest the smallest amount of food. Dhanvantri
says that Agni digests the least amount of food in the greatest amount of
time.
2-BHUTAGNI
Bhutagni is the one that is present in a basic element (Bhutas). There are five Agnis in each of the five basic elements, namely – Parthiva (earth), Apya (water), Tejas (Agni), Vayavya (vayu) and Nabhasa (akash).Each and every cell in our body is composed of the five mahabhutas orfive basic elements. Naturally, each cell (dhatu paramanu) consists of these five Bhutagni also. All the nutrients in this world that we eat also consist of the same five basic elements with their respective Agni or bioenergies. Thus, they are completely similar with respect to the five basic elements with their Bhutagni in our body cells as well in all the outside nutrient, that we ingest for the nutrition of our body. Acharya Charak has mentioned that the five Bhutagni digest their own part of the element present in the food materials. After the digestion of food by the Bhutagni, digested materials containing the elements and qualities similar to each bhutas nourish their own specific bhautika elements of the body (Cha. Chi.15/13, 14).[21] These Bhutagnis act after the Jatharagni present in the stomach and duodenum, acting on the food and causing their disintegration. In the modern physiological perspective, the action of Jatharagni can be equated with the digestion in the stomach and duodenum, and the action of the Bhutagni can be equated with the conversion of digested materials in the liver.
3-DHATVAGNI
Dhatu meaning Tissue and Agni meaning Fire.Thus Dhatvagni means the fire which is located inside the tissue. This fire acts on the nutritive part they receive and convert them into finer components.
The components thus formed after the action of Dhatvagni on the food (incirculation) help in the formation of the same tissue, nourishes the next tissue in sequence, produce energy and tissue toxins or waste components which are meant to be expelled.
Thus, Dhatvagnis are the functional or physiological fire's related to the 7 dhatu's or tissues of the body and denotes regular operations taking place at the cellular level.
Dhatvagnis are 7 in number: Rasa Dhatvagni (fire in the plasma tissue) Rakta Dhatvagni (fire in the blood tissue) Mamsa Dhatvagni (fire in the muscle or flesh tissue)
Meda Dhatvagni (fire in the fat or adipose tissue)
Asthi Dhatvagni (fire in the bone tissue) Majja Dhatvagni (fire in the bone
marrow tissue)
Shukra Dhatvagni (fire in the semen or reproductive tissue)
If Jataragni is normally functioning, the Dhatvagnis also function normally in accordance.
If the Jataragni is hyper-active, the Dhatvagnis also will be hyper-active. This leads to tissue depletion (dhatu kshaya).
On the other hand, if the Jataragni is weak the Dhatvagni too will be weak. This depleted Dhatvagni will not be capable enough to metabolize the nutrients available at their disposal. There is an accumulation of unprocessed food (ama), improperly processed and formed dhatu and toxins in the cells of the tissue.
This will cause cellular blocks as the sticky ama cannot be expelled. As a result, the nutrition to the body tissues will reduce leading to weakening of tissue compliance and leading to weakening of tissue compliance and immunity. This leads to formation of various systemic diseases. In this condition the quantity and mass of the tissues will increase (dhatu vriddhi). Dhatu vriddhi and Dhatu kshaya - both are pathological conditions.
In the Dhatu's while the Bhutagnis are involved in digesting and micro-processing the fractions of food which are confined to them, Dhatvagnis are involved in utilizing the food portions in a different way.
With the help of self-generated heat, the Dhatvagnis digest and process themselves in a process called Dhatvagni paka and also on the fractionsprovided after the action of Bhutagnis. This process leads to the formation of 2 fractions i.e. Sara Bhaga or Prasada Bhaga (Nutrient part) and Kitta Bhaga (Tissue Wastes).
The Prasada Bhaga once again gets divided into 3 fragments. The first portion forms the Sthanika Dhatu (Local tissue) or nourishes it. The second portion forms the Poshaka Dhatu (The supporting tissue or tissue responsible in the formation of its subsequent dhatu). The third portion helps in the formation of Upadhatus (sub-tissues).
The Kitta Bhaga gets eliminated as tissue wastes and is finally eliminated from the body after joining the main metabolic wastes of digestion.
During Dhatupaka process heat and energy is liberated which is used for body functions.
Functions:
Dhatvagni when in normal condition helps in the formation of tissues and takes part in their nourishment and maintenance. It also helps in the formation of Upadhatus, heat and energy and causes elimination of tissue toxins
When Disturbed:
When Dhatvagnis get diminished or get sluggish (weak), the dhatu's accumulate along with toxins and cause pathological increase in the Dhatu's (Dhatu Vriddhi). When the Dhatvagnis get increased (vitiated, aggravated), the Dhatu's are burnt and undergo deterioration or get destroyed (Dhatu Kshaya).
Both these conditions lead to the formation of various diseases. Moreover, the tissue toxins are not eliminated, the Upadhatus are not properly formed, the consequent tissues are not properly formed, the consequent tissues are not properly formed and thus the immunity and strength get decreased making one susceptible for a wide array of health issues.
Agni as Pitta?
The origin of Pitta is from "Tapa," which means: (1) combustion/digestion –to give nourishment to the body by digestion of in- gested food, (2) to maintain heat - by means of heat, it maintains the color, lusture, etc. of the body (Su.Su.-21/5).[7]
Now, there is a question as to whether Pitta and Agni are both the same or are different? Does any area exist of Agni without Pitta, or is it that Pitta is Agni? This should be clearly understood. Different views have been suggested regarding Pitta and Agni by different Acharyas. Some Acharyas consider Pitta to be Agni while others speak differently.
According to Acharya Sushruta, there is no existence of any other Agni in the body with- out Pitta, because when there is increased di- gestion and combustion in the body due to Ushna guna of Pitta, the treatment is like Agni (Su. Su. 21/09).[8] Acharya Marichi has also emphasized that the Agni present in the Pitta gives good or bad results when it is nor- mal or vitiated (Cha. Su. 12/11).[2]
Chakrapani has commented on "Pittantargatta," that the function of Pitta in- side the body is not combustion but its work is to provide heat of Agni. Besides this, Acharya Shusrut has described five types of Agnis as the variety of Pitta. Acharya Bhoj also considered Pitta as Agni, digestive fire is Vincluded within Agni, which is specially meant for different enzymatic activities of the body, i.e. pachana, deepan, bhedana, etc. (Chakrapani Tika on Cha.Su.-12/11).[10]
Stay hungry and stay foolish.
Pooja Sharma
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