Five Fires of Pitta

Pitta, formed from the elements of fire and water, also is said to reside in five sites. These sites are the centers of operation and systemic outreach through which the Pitta dosha influences the entire organism; they are: pachaka, ranjaka, sadhaka, alochaka and bhrajaka.

 

Fire of the Stomach: Pachaka

Pachaka is referred to in Ayurveda as the first fire of the body. It exists in the small intestine, duodenum, gall bladder, liver, and pancreas, and supports the remaining four fires, to be discussed below. Pachaka’s main action is to dissolve and digest  the food we eat. It also regulates body temperature. Once digestion has taken place, pachaka separates the food’s nutritive elements from its waste elements. An imbalance in this first fire, pachaka, causes indigestion as well as a revulsion for food.

 

Fire of the Blood : Ranjaka

True to its name, ranjaka, the second fire of Pitta, controls the formation and preservation of blood. Located in the liver, spleen, and stomach, ranjaka provides the blood with its colour and oxygen. When ranjaka is impaired, bile compounds may appear in the blood and diseases such as anaemia and jaundice may follow.

 

Fire of the Heart: Sadhaka

The finest of the fires, sadhaka, the third fire, is central to the activity of Pitta. It reigns, along with prana, in the heart. With udana, it governs memory and the retention and wellness of all mental functioning. When sadhaka is impaired, there may be psychic disturbances, mental disorientation, extreme emotional states, and craving for extreme foods, drugs, and so on.

 

Fire of the Eyes: Alochaka

Alochaka, the fourth fire of Pitta, exists in the pupils of the eyes. It  gives the eyes their lustre and diffuses light and its spectrum of colours throughout the body, When the fourth fire is vitiated, there is impairment of vision and yellowness may appear in the eyes.

 

Fire of the Skin : Bhrajaka

The fifth fire, bhrajaka, is located in the skin, given the skin its lustre and gleam. Bhrajaka protects the body from extreme atmospheric conditions and facilitates the assimilation of light, wind, water, and oil through the skin. When this fire is disturbed, skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, and leukoderma may result.

 

Table -5

 

Doshas	Site	Normal function	Ailments caused by its vitiation
Pachaka	Stomach & small intestines,gall bladder,liver,pancreas,	Digesting and dissolving of food,regulating body temperature,separation of nutritive elements from wastes	Indigestion, Anorexia
Ranjaka	Liver, spleen and stomach	Blood formation and preservation	Anemia, Jaundice Hepatitis
Sadhaka	Heart	Memory and other mental functions.	Psychic disturbances, Cardiac diseases, mental disorientation and extreme emotional states
Alochaka	Eyes	Vision, lusture of eyes	Impairment of vision, yellowness of eyes
Bhrajaka	Skin	Colour and glaze of the skin	Leucoderma, Other skin  diseases eg psoriasis, eczema

 

 

Pitta Dosha Imbalance

All the above mentioned functions of pitta and its various subtypes are executed when they are in their balanced state. Due to various reasons *pitta gets imbalanced and causes the following results. If pitta dosha is in excess it results in:

 

Table -6

 

Ambition		Hate
Anger		Jealously
Envy		Judgemental or critical tendencies
Fear of Failure		Lack of discernment
Sarcastic speech and actions		Pride
Skepticism		Burning sensations
Excessive thirst		Craving for cold
Loss of sleep		Fever
Frustration

 

Decreased Pitta results in:

 

Indigestion		Loss of luster in the skin
Abnormal loss of body heat		Irregular bowel movements.