Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S
Agnimandya means ‘weakening of fireside’. It’s a situation whereby the digestive hearth is depleted when it comes to high quality and amount. Right here the digestive hearth, represented within the physique by pitta, may have misplaced the capability to digest the meals. Thus, the digestive capability of the particular person is hampered and compromised.
Pitta is claimed to be a consultant of agni within the physique. There’s a distinction of opinion, with reasoning, in order as to whether each these entities i.e. pitta and agni are one and the identical or totally different.
Associated Studying – ‘Relationship between pitta and agni’
Kinds of Agnimandya
Agnimandya, the time period apart from describing the sluggish nature of the digestive hearth additionally explains the imbalances occurring therein. It’s usually a generalized time period used to explain the disturbance of agni by the affect of doshas.
1. Mandagni – is a situation whereby the digestive hearth is influenced by kapha
2. Teekshnagni – is a situation whereby the digestive hearth is influenced by pitta
3. Vishamagni – is a situation whereby the digestive hearth is influenced by vata
Samagni – is a state of fireside which is in a state of stability, not influenced by any dosha. It’s also one of many instruments / parameters which decide a swastha – a superbly wholesome particular person.
Teekshnagni
मात्राऽतिमात्राऽष्यशितासुखंयस्यविपच्यते।
तीक्ष्णाग्निरितितंविद्यात्,समाग्निःश्रेष्ठउच्यते।।४।।
Teekshnagni i.e. sort of agni dominated and influenced by pitta digests the standard and even extra amount of meals with none issue. This agni is highly effective and might digest the meals inside a brief span of time. Such a agni causes pitta illnesses.
Query of battle?
So, when pitta influences the agni – digestive hearth, the hearth is teekshna – intense, robust and all burning. Technically, as and when pitta retains rising, the digestive hearth too ought to get intense and the digestion of the meals too ought to get speedy.
The query of battle is – ‘Can elevated pitta trigger depletion or weakening of agni’?
The reply for this query is given within the context of the reason of ‘Pittaja Grahani’ by Grasp Charaka. He explains this idea with an exquisite analogy.
Context of ‘Elevated Pitta inflicting Mandagni’ in Pittaja Grahani
कट्वजीर्ण विदाह्यम्लक्षाराद्यैः पित्तमुल्बणम्|
अग्निमाप्लावयद्धन्ति जलं तप्तमिवानलम्||६५||
सोऽजीर्णं नीलपीताभं पीताभः सार्यते द्रवम्|
पूत्यम्लोद्गार हृत्कण्ठदाहारुचि तृडर्दितः||६६||
Grasp Charaka on this context provides a ‘scorching water’ analogy to clarify the affect of elevated pitta over the digestive hearth.
The pitta aggravated because of its causative elements suppresses and extinguishes the agni (dilutes the digestive enzymes), identical to scorching water causes extinction of bodily hearth.
The logic is –
Water is antagonistic to the hearth, be it chilly water or scorching water. The recent water too will postpone the hearth when poured over it.
Pitta is liquid in nature. One among the many qualities of pitta is drava i.e. being liquid or fluid.
Since pitta is scorching in nature, the fluid constituting pitta too is scorching in nature. In easy phrases, pitta is ‘scorching water’.
Pitta aggravation additionally displays enhance within the ‘dravatva’ or fluidity of pitta. Now there’s loads of scorching water within the intestine in comparison with what it ought to be.
When this extra pitta – scorching water – places off the agni when it comes into contact it would result in weakening of digestive hearth. That is known as mandagni. Mandagni is taken into account as the basis reason for many systemic issues.
That is how the elevated pitta would postpone / extinguish the digestive hearth.
Signs of Pittaja Grahani
The affected person affected by pittaja grahani –
– voids free stool containing undigested materials, which is bluish-yellow or yellow in color
– suffers from eructation, foul scent and bitter style
– burning sensation within the area of the guts (chest) and throat,
– anorexia and
– extreme thirst
Causes of Pittaja / Paittika Grahani
Pitta will get aggravated by the extreme consumption of meals components that are
– pungent,
– which trigger indigestion (indigestion of meals itself could also be a trigger)
– which trigger burning sensation
– bitter
– alkaline and so on.
Out of context of Grahani
The above mentioned rationalization of elevated pitta extinguishing the digestive hearth is within the context of pittaja grahani. Grahani is a syndrome affecting the intestines and causes many sorts of issues. The bottom of those issues is mandagni. One amongst them is pittaja grahani.
Does elevated pitta even have an analogous impact on agni typically, in situations other than pittaja grahani?
The reply is sure. The golden rule is that the drava high quality of pitta ought to have elevated to extreme and irregular proportions. If different qualities of pitta are aggravated and never the drava high quality, it might not result in diminution of agni. Instance – the rise of ushna – scorching, teekshna – intense or robust and laghu – lightness properties / qualities of pitta will enhance the agni as an alternative of diluting or depleting. The rise of drava high quality can masks all these qualities of pitta and ultimately trigger agnimandya.
