AGNI AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN HEALTHY AND DISEASED INDIVIDUALS: A REVIEW

Agni is a vital factor for life. Maintenance of health depends upon agni. Agni digests ahara on which strength of body, complexion, and ojas depends. Agni should be maintained for overall health. Due to improper lifestyle or bad dietary habits, agni gets vitiated, which leads to ama formation and diseases. Aamvata and udara roga are examples of agni vitiation, which decrease the quality of life and health. Ayurveda has elaborated that ahara vidhi vidhana and ahara vidhi visheshaytana, and dwadsha asana vichara are codes and conducts for a diet which is essential for physiological and functional activities. Ritucharya and dinacharya should be followed for the restoration of agni. According to digestive power, ahara vihara should be taken properly to keep agni healthy. The health of the agni is directly proportional to an individual's physical and mental health. This article aims to emphasize the importance of agni in a healthy state, the role of agni in an individual's diseased state, and what one should do to maintain agni.