Agnibhedah - Types of digestion

This verse introduces the concept of agni. Agni means fire, the life force that is capable of constant transformation. It acts in our body on a very subtle level. It is like oxygen for cells, electricity for a PC, salt in a kitchen.

Nothing can happen without a motive force, including the process of things coming into being. It is like the "backbone" of anything that happens, that is done, that is made. All actions, even those that may not at first seem like action (lying down, sitting), require the exertion of force. Anything that is a verb, describing action, involves the exertion of force. The degree of force that is exerted will influence the action. When the force is proportionate, then the outcomes will be balanced, when it is disproportionate, there will either be "too little" or "too much" in the action itself and the outcome.

If we think of the flame from the wick of a candle or a lamp, the flame will manifest in a constant, unwavering form if the exactly right amount of fuel is present, if the pressure of the air around it is constant, etc. When there are changes, then the flame will respond by moving, becomeing more or less intense, changing direction, etc. Any process will be similarly affected by such fluctuations (Visham). The doshas are the imbalance of this force.

This essential life element, Agni, acts in time and space with different fluctuations. When a disproportionately greater mass is coming to be transformed (Kapha), the amount and strength of the fire will be proportionally decreased (mand). When Pitta enters a given time and space, fire (agni) is provoked (tīkṣṇa). If there is a phase when Vata is active, agni goes wild. However, fire is able to withstand these constant fluctuations, and in the final stage it will stay the same, as a strong, good quality. Such a fire is called sam agni, ie., balanced fire in the body.

Such a balanced agni can be disrupted by daily routine, desires and bad attitudes (behavior) toward the body. For example, excessive consumption of heavy foods slows down the agni. If this behavior is constant, agni is completely extinguished and the body will behave like a dead body. The body will be full of toxins, no transformation, no regeneration.

If one constantly provokes agni with the emotion of anger, by using spicy ingredients, drinking alcohol and coffee, or using ginger and pepper, agni will burn everything. The body will be full of inflammation and diseases of pitta kinds.

When one treats the body in an unstable, volatile, dissatisfied and restless manner, agni will constantly move without having finished its work. For example, if there is one burner on the stove, and if we cook potatoes on it, and if, before, they have been cooked, we remove them from the stove and start cooking dumplings, that means the potatoes will not been cooked, the water for the dumplings will not have been boiled yet, we will be putting a kettle on the burner for making tea, then we will replace it with a kettle for making coffee, etc - nothing will ever be completely produced. In other words, even if agni is sufficient in quantity, the long-lasting predominance of Vata causes the agni to be imperfectly applied. The body becomes a storehouse of toxins (amas).

The concept of sam agni in Ayurveda is very important, even it is a part of the definition of a healthy life. Ayurveda explains healthy life as agni sam, sam dhattu, sam dosha, mala kriya.