Agni is a sanskrit word for fire. Fire has wide range of uses such as burning, heating and cooking. Just like external fire is used to cook food and make it digest able, in the same way our body has internal fire to digest the food that we eat which is called Agni in Ayurveda. There are 13 types of Agni in Ayurveda
In Ayurveda types of Agni is one of the most important aspect for heathy living , in-fact Agni is considered as the life and absence of Agni result in death of living being . The concept of Agni and types of Agni is one of the most important contribution of Ayurveda to the healthcare system.
Humans are nothing but a crucible of Agni, constantly changing one thing into another at the micro and macro level. This ability is one thing that defines life. Try giving rice to a rock and it will become a dirty rock. Give that same rice to a a person and it will get transformed into a completely different thing. What was once “not me” becomes “me”.
Types of Agni in Ayurveda
Acharya has different view about types of Agni. However Agni is broadly classified into 13 types .
1. Jatharagni 1
2. Bhutagni 5
3. Dhatvagni 7
In Addition to this Achraya Vaghbhatt has added two more types of agni that is
Dosha Agni 3 and Mala Agni 3.
In relation to Agni acharya charak has given a precise view that agni is not in the form of flame as teresterial fire but it is repressed in the form of liquid which is called as pitta in Ayurveda.
Jathragni
अग्निरेव शरीरे पित्ततन्तर्गगत कुपिता कुपितः शुभाशुभानि करोति | ( Charak samhita sutra sthan )
Synonyms of Agni : The Agni is also known as Vaishwanara, Audarya, Tejas, Kayaagni, Jatharagni, Koshtagni, Pachakagni.
तचादृष्ट विशेषेण पकवमश्ये मध्यस्थं पित्तं चतुर्विधं अन्नं पचति विवेच्येति दोषरसमूत्रपुरिषणी, तत्ररथमेव चत्मशक्त्य शेषाणां पित्त स्थानानां शरीरस्य अग्निकर्मनानुग्रहं करोति नस्मिन् पित्त पचक्काग्निरिति संज्ञा (Sushrut sutra sthan 21/10)
Acharya Shushrut says that , Agni which is a part of Pitta is situated in between stomach and large intestine and is called Pittadhara kala. This is the place which hold the pitta. It helps in digesting the four type of foods that is aashit, khadit, peet, led and also helps in separating the nutrition, the urine and the stool. This is a also called as Pachak Agni.
According to Ashtang Hrudya , the Jathragni is situated in grahani ( deodenum) the second part of intestine. In Ayurveda Grahani is considered as a place which accepts the food and with hold it for certain type t0 facilitate the process of digestion. The strength of Grahani is dependent on the Pitta dosha.
विन्मुत्रमाहरस्येमला सार प्रगिरितो रस | तु व्यनेन विक्षिपित सर्वान् धातून् प्रतरप्येत ||
The nutrition part is absorbed in the body to give energy to cells and tissues, while the waste material is expelled out of the body.
The functions of Agni and its type
आयुः वर्णो बलं स्वास्थ्यं उत्साह उपच प्रभव ।
ओज: तेजो अग्नय: प्राणः च औक्ता देह अग्नि हेतुका ||
शान्ते अग्न्नो म्रियते युक्ते चिरं जीवयति अनामयः|
रोगी स्यात् विख्रुते मूलं अग्नि तस्मात् निरुच्यते ||
यत् अन्नं देह धातु ओजा बल वर्ण आदि पोष्कम् |
तत्र अग्नि हेतु आहार अन्न हि अपकात रसादयः|| Charak chikitsa 15/4-3
Bala : Strength and vitality
Arogya : Good health
Ayu : Good prolonged life
Utasaha : Enthusiasm
Tejo : Warmth and heat
Poshan : It gives nutrition
Varna : Color, complexion, glow and luster.
Bal : Strength and vitality
Pachan : Digestion, absorption,assimilation.
The Agni is also responsible for mental clarity, intelligence, courage, confidence, joy, laughter and contenment. Along with this it is also helps in reasoning and logic.
What are types Jathragni
Jathragni is further classified into categories according to its performance of digestion.
- Vishamgni
- TikshaAgni
- Mandagni
- Samagni
1.Vishamagni
Visham means variable or irregular so the Agni which varies is called as Visham Agni. When the Agni becomes irregular then the food is well digested and sometimes the food remains undigested. Because of this irregular nature of Agni there is accumulation of Ama (toxins) in the body. As a result of this diseases such as flatulance( Adhamaan), Abdominal pain (shula), Obstruction of free elimination of waste (udawarta), Diarhhea (Atisaar) as well as heaviness in abdomen (udargaurav) are very common . The Vata dosha is responsible for creating this type of imbalance in Agni.
2.Tikshaagni
Tikshna means strong so the agni which digest the food very quickly is called Tikshna Agni. It creates health problems such as burning sensation, heartburn, sour belching, feeling of hot fumes and other such problems. The Pitta dosha is responsible for creating this type of imbalance of the Agni.
3. Mandagni
Mand means weak . Therefore the Agni because of weakness , cannot digest even little quality of food in stipulated time, and it is known as Mandagni in Ayurveda. Diseases related to mandagni are heaviness in abdomen, statis of food for long period, difficulty in breathing and such others troubles in the body. It is normally found in persons of kapha prakriti and develop in others by use Kapha vardhak vihaar. The kapha dosha is responsible for creating this type of imbalance of the Agni
4. Samagni
Sam means in equilibrium. Therefore the Agni which digest the food properly without any difficulty and produces good nutrition and helps is proper absorption of nutrition as well as elimination of the waste from the body is Sam Agni. When all the three dosha are in balance in the body then the Agni will be Sam . This Samagni is considered to be the best of all the types of Agni.
Effect of Imbalanced Agni
When the above three kind of Agni ‘s that is Tikshna (Strong), Vishama ( Irregular) and Mand (Slow) are present in the body then the digestion of food will not be proper. In case of Mand Agni the food will be in Apaka ( inadequately digested or not digested at all), Secondly in case of Tikshagni it will be Dagdha( means overburnt) and in case Visham Agni it will be Pakwa-Apakwa ( means mixture of digested and undigested) and also different from one period of digestion to the other. In all these conditions there will be accumulation of Ama (undigested material remaining over) in Rasa dhatu. This Ama is believed to be the root cause of most of the diseases in the body.
Bhutagni
भौम आप्य आग्नेय वायव्यः पञ्च ऊष्माणः स नाभसः|
पञ्च आहार गुणान् स्वान् पर्थिवदिन् पचन्ति हि ||
Ref (Charak samhita chikitsa sthan 15/13)
1.Prithvi mahabhut have Prithvi Agni
2. Jal mahabhut have Jal Agni
3. Vayu mahabhut have Vayu Agni
4. Agni mahabhut have Tejas Agni
5. Akash mahabhut have Nabas Agni
This panch mahabhut are also present in the food we eat, the water we drink and each and every substance in this world consist of these five elements. Once the food we eat, enters the body then it is first digested by jatharagni, these bhutagni gets the energy form the main digestive fire . After that the these bhutagni’s digest their own part from the all the five elements present that is present in the food.
Dhatvagni
यथा स्वेन ऊष्माणः पाकं शारिरा यान्ति धातवः |
स्रोतसां च यथा स्वेन धातुः पुष्यति धातूत: || (च. चि. ९/३९)
सप्तभिः देह धातरो धातवो द्विविध पुनः |
यथास्वं अग्निभिः पाकं यान्ति किट् प्रसादवत || ( च. चि. १५/१५)
the body) contain their own Agni to metabolize the nutrient materials supplied to them through their own Srotas( Channels)
1. Rasagni present in the Rasa Dhatu.
2. Raktagni present in the Rakta Dhatu.
3. Mamsagni present in the Mamsa Dhatu.
4. Medagni present in the Meda Dhatu.
5. Asthyagni present in the Asthi Dhatu.
6. Majjagni present in the Majja Dhatu.
7. Shukragni present in the Shukra Dhatu.
The seven Dhatu are formed after the action of agni on the ingested food some waste products are also formed. Each Dhatu receives its nourishment from the previous Dhatu. The
seven Dhatwagni work at the cellular level. Acharya Charaka has mentioned the fact that the seven Dhatus that are a support of the body contain their own Agni, and by their own
Agni they digest and transform the materials supplied to them to make the substances alike to them for assimilation and nourishment.
Conclusion
Explaining briefly the digestive and metabolic functions of Agni, Acharya Charaka has mentioned that various types of dietic materials are digested by their own Agni (Bhutagni), encouraged and enhanced by Antaragni (Jatharagni), which is further digested and metabolized by Dhatwagni to associate the body with the nutritional strength, complexion and happy
life along with providing energy to the seven Dhatus. The Tridosas, Dhatus and Malas are maintained normal and healthy by the Agni itself, present in each of them. Such is the importance of Agni to life.
