"The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can't be created or destroyed, but it can be changed. The law forms the basis of the principle of conservation of energy. This means that anything that uses energy is changing the energy from one kind of energy to another." ~ Wikipedia

"In the first richa of the Rig Veda, the importance is given to the Agni ~ for everything, all the transformations everywhere, Agni is the main source."

• We are in the solar system. In our solar system, everything is depending on the sun ~ same for all the solar systems in the universe. For everything, any transformation, without the Agni it is not possible. It is the Agni that transforms one thing to another thing (another state), like for example the food which we are eating: first we are cooking on the fire and then we are eating.

• The sun transfers its energy to the planet, ripening the fruits and grains through the plants and trees. Still, the transformation is not complete and we cannot take the food direct (except ripe fruit for the strong digestion). So we have to cook by the Agni. In the solar system, sun is the main source for Agni. For digestion, our digestive fire is the main source ~ "As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm."

There are 13 Agnis in the Body that Transform & Digest Our Food:

• When the food enters into our body, it is not ready to be absorbed by the whole physiology. So it has to be cooked in our stomach ~ this is the digestive fire.

• Still it is not ready to be absorbed by all the systems in the body. Because of this there are 13 Agnis in the body ~ the digestive fire in the stomach plus 12 more Agnis (5 elemental fires & 7 Dhatu/tissue fires). Then only is our digestive system complete.

Proper Absorption of Food Depends on Digestive Fire at every Level:

• When the food essence reaches all the 7 tissues (Rasa/plasma, Rakta/blood, Mamsa/muscle, Medhu/fat, Asthi/bone, Maja/bone marrow, Shukra/reproductive tissue) it has to be transformed at each step to be accepted by the body.

• The plasma-level Agni has to digest & transform the food, otherwise for the plasma it is foreign-body & cannot be metabolized ~ same for Rakta (blood). Only when the food essence is transformed by the blood-level Agni can the nourishment be accepted by the blood. This is the process for all the 7 tissues. Because of this, our digestive system is most important ~ only when it is digested can the food be absorbed by our physiology.

“As is the human body, so is the cosmic body.

As is the human mind, so is the cosmic mind.

As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm.

As is the atom, so is the universe.”

The Upanishads