Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Prakrta Ajirna is one among the many six sorts of Ajirna – indigestion of meals – defined in Ayurveda.
– Prakrta = pure, regular
– Ajirna = indigestion
So, Prakrta Ajirna is a state of indigestion, however it’s also stated to be pure and regular, despite occurring every single day. This retains us puzzled. How can any ajirna which happens day by day be regular, pure or wholesome? Isn’t it a state of illness?
Because it happens every single day, it will also be known as as Prativasara Ajirna, although prativasara – occurring every single day is an indication of Prakrta Ajirna.
Seeing from the attitude of Prativasara Ajirna –
– Prativasara = every single day
– Ajirna = Indigestion of meals
Prakrta Ajirna is a kind of indigestion which is there every single day. This seems a bit bizarre. If Ajirna is a illness or root reason behind many ailments, then having Ajirna every single day sums as much as having Ajirna all through the life. Then the individual is diseased all through the life or susceptible to many ailments all through the life. And the tough half is that this ajirna, despite taking place every single day, is taken into account as regular or pure. Is that this even doable? Do such individuals exist?
Allow us to attempt to discover out what this Prakrta Ajirna is.
Prakrta Ajirna
Context
In Madhava Nidana treatise, whereas explaining the sorts of Ajirna, the creator after explaining the 4 sorts of Ajirna in keeping with Acharya Sushruta (Ama, Vidagdha, Vistabdha and Rasasesha Ajirna), additionally mentions the fifth and sixth variants in keeping with opinion of different authors / specialists. The fifth sort is known as Dinapaki Ajirna – whereby the digestion is delayed by someday and therefore is a kind of indigestion. The sixth sort is Prakrta Ajirna – the indigestion which takes place every single day.
Ref – Madhava Nidana Chapter 6 – Agnimandhyadi Nidanam, verse 6 (MN.6/6)
Definition of Prakrta Ajirna
वदन्तिषष्ठंचाजीर्णप्राकृतंप्रतिवासरम्।।६।।
Some specialists / authors contemplate Prakrta Ajirna because the sixth sort of Ajirna. This sort of Ajirna occurs every single day and is regular and pure.
How and why?
Why is it necessary to grasp Prakrta Ajirna?
Prakrta Ajirna, as its title suggests, is current every single day, in each single individual. By title, it’s also a ‘regular and pure sort’ of indigestion. It doesn’t even produce any indicators of indigestion or problems of indigestion.
Now allow us to perceive this.
The clarification has been given within the Madhukosha commentary of Madhava Nidana.
प्राकृतं प्रतिवासरमिति प्राकृतमवैकारिकं, प्रतिवासरम् प्रतिदिनम् क्रेयमाणम्।
अयमभिसन्धिः – अध्यैव भुक्तमन्नं किं जीर्णमजीर्णं वा?
न तावज्जीर्ण क्षुत्पिपासा मलोत्सर्गादेर्जीर्णलक्षणस्यानुदयात्, तस्मादजीर्णं, तत् च आध्मानादिकं न करोति इति पूर्वेभ्यो भिन्नम्।
तस्य च अभिधान प्रयोजनं – पाकार्थं वामपार्श्वशयनादि आचारसेवा।
न च अत्र आहार निषेधः, तस्य शास्त्रेण विहितत्वात्॥मधुकोश, मा.नि.६/६॥
Allow us to contemplate that we’ve got eaten meals / breakfast at 9am. Instantly after consuming meals, is it in a state of digested meals or undigested meals? Clearly, it’s within the type of undigested meals, isn’t it? Now we have simply provided meals to the abdomen. Now the meals will keep within the abdomen for some time and regularly get digested. The time of digestion of meals might fluctuate from individual to individual, however it should get digested on a mean inside 3 hours, if the abdomen is wholesome and if the amount is taken moderately, as per one’s capability and desires. So, allow us to say that the meals taken at 9am nearly will get digested by 12 midday. By 12 midday, the individual has indicators of correct digestion and can be feeling hungry and his abdomen is prepared for one more meal, indicating that the beforehand taken meals has been digested correctly. On this hole, i.e. between 9 am and 12 midday, the meals is in numerous phases of digestion however it’s nonetheless in a state of undigested meals. That is fairly pure and regular in all of us isn’t it?
Such sort of short-term state of indigestion which occurs every single day, each time we take a meal, extending from the second / time of consumption of meals to second / time of full digestion of that meal, resulting in indicators of correct digestion and inflicting starvation and curiosity within the subsequent meal, is known as Prakrta Ajirna.
So Prakrta Ajirna is a state of Ajirna which happens every single day, after each meal. It usually and naturally happens instantly after taking meals and persists till that meal has been digested. This indigestion is self-limiting and goes away as soon as the meals consumed in that meal-time has been digested.
This state of indigestion and its time interval differs from individual to individual and amongst individuals of various prakritis.
Intention of explaining Prakrta Ajirna
The principle intention with which this Prakrta Ajirna has been defined is to point that –
– One must know that there’s a sure time interval through which the digestion of meals is going down and that stage is a pure and regular stage of indigestion, which everybody experiences and likewise on day by day foundation. There isn’t any want to fret about that.
– Prakrta additionally means Avaikarika – that signifies that this type of indigestion doesn’t produce any uncomfortable indicators and signs nor hassle the physique, nor trigger any ailments or problems.
– The meals shall be thought-about as undigested meals till indicators of correct digestion like manifestation of starvation and thirst, well timed excretion of faeces and urine, lightness of the physique and stomach and so forth seem. These indicators will seem as soon as the meals has been digested.
– This sort of ajirna is not going to produce uncomfortable signs or problems like adhmana and so forth – and therefore differs from the opposite types of ajirna.
– It is usually to recommend that one ought to observe the ‘submit eating measures’ indicated by Acharya Sushruta like – strolling for 100 steps instantly after taking meals, sleeping on left lateral facet and so forth. critically and assist the intestine to digest the meals.
Does Prakrita Ajirna want any preventive measures or remedies to be adopted?
No. If the time hole between consumption and digestion of 1 or each meal extends past its pure and regular behaviour, in opposition to one’s prakriti and continues to be so, and produces signs of indigestion over a time period, it must be addressed, except that’s fairly regular. Sustaining self-discipline with respect to the standard, amount and timing of meals, and following the meals etiquettes religiously is the important thing to keep up intestine well being and to maintain the Prakrta Ajirna intact.
Can Prakrta Ajirna get severe and disturb the well being?
As a rule no, particularly so, in wholesome people who’ve wholesome consuming habits. It’s prakrta – regular and pure, which additionally means avaikarika i.e. that indigestion which doesn’t trigger any troublesome signs or problems.
How is Prakrta Ajirna totally different from different types of Ajirna?
Prakrta Ajirna differs from different types of Ajirna resulting from its cardinal options described already –
– It’s regular and pure
– It happens every single day, in everybody
– It’s innocent, doesn’t trigger any signs or problems like adhmana – distension of stomach and so forth
– It wants no preventive measures or remedy, its state must be maintained
– It’s self-limiting situation, goes away instantly after digestion of meals