A Critical Review of Agni in Kriya Sharir With Special Reference to Metabolic Homeostasis

Agni is the fundamental physiological principle in Ayurveda responsible for digestion, metabolism, and transformation at systemic and cellular levels. In Kriya Sharir, Agni governs the functional integrity of Dosha, Dhatu, and Mala, thereby maintaining health and preventing disease. Modern physiology explains similar regulatory mechanisms through the concept of metabolic homeostasis, which ensures internal stability by coordinating enzymatic, hormonal, and cellular metabolic activities. This review critically analyses the Ayurvedic concept of Agni with special reference to its role in metabolic regulation. Classical Ayurvedic texts were reviewed and correlated with contemporary physiological principles to understand the functional similarities between Agni and metabolic homeostasis. Balanced Agni (Samagni) reflects an efficient metabolic state, whereas deranged Agni leads to metabolic imbalance and disease manifestation. The review highlights that Agni can be interpreted as the Ayurvedic representation of metabolic homeostasis, offering a holistic and integrative approach to understanding metabolism, preventive healthcare and disease pathogenesis.