What is Agni?

Last evening I had written about dinacharya, ritu charya, traya upastambha etc. Skipping the first two I want to focus over the traya upastambha (three sub pillars) i.e. Aahara (food), nidra (sleep), abramhacharya (sex).

Tritayam cha idam upastmbhanam aaharah swapnoabrrahmacharyam cha. 

Ebhih yukti  

yuktaihupastabdham upastambhaih sariram bala barna upachya upachitam 

anuvartate yavat ayushah samskarah..

Three upstambha (sub pillars) are described in Ayurveda called Aahara, Nidra and Abramhacharya. The body will remain full of bala (power), barna (looks) and pusti (nourishment) till the end of life.

Before describing the Aahara (food), we have to take into consideration,        “Mandagnau sarva rogaah”. All diseases arise from Mandagni (low agni).

Agni is 13 in number. 5 mahabhootagni (from earth, water, fire, air, ether), 7 dhatu agni ( from Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Meda, Asthi, Majja, Sukra) and above all the Jatharagni, the fire of the intestine.

Again to high light the importance of Agni (power of appetite and digestion) they say

Valam aarogyam ayuscha pranascha agnau pratisthhita.

Annapaana indhanaischa agnih jalati byeti anyatha..

Vala (energy), aarogya (good health), ayu (life), prana (the energy of life) are nourished by Agni. Aahara is the fuel to keep the fire burning. Absence of fuel will calm down the Agni.