Abstract

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF CONCEPT OF AWASTHAPAKA (PROCESS OF DIGESTION) AND ITS IMPACT IN DISEASE GENESIS

Dr. Yogendra Kumar, Dr. Ruby Kumari Singh, Dr. Anurag Pandey, Dr. A. K Dwivedi and Dr. P. S. Byadgi*

Abstract

Food provides nourishment to deha dhatus. The agni is primarily located in the grahani and it helps in the digestion of food of appropriate quality taken in required quantity and in right time. Thirteen types of agnis are responsible for paka (digestion & metabolism). The impairment of agni is responsible for the creation or causation of vyadhi. The description, here pertains to the transformation process of the ingested food, beginning with the entry into the oral cavity. It is the dravas present in the alimentary canal which are responsible for the splitting of ingested food into small particles. Avastha-Paka (the process of digestion) includes madhura awastha paka, amla awastha paka and katu awastha paka for the completion of digestion process associated with the development of kapha, pitta and vata respectively. Completion of all the three stages is important to get proper homeostasis of doshas, dhatus and malas otherwise it leads to development of many diseases.

Keywords: Grahani, agni, vyadhi, avastha paka, enzymes, carbohydrate, protein, fat, diseases.