Tejas

Tejas is the burning flame of pure intelligence. The principle of tejas embraces both light and heat — the sun's illumination is tejas, and it is also responsible for heating the Earth. In our food there is solar energy (tejas) as well as life energy (prana) and vital protective energy (ojas). Tejas is the primary energy involved in the digestion and transformation of everything we take in and experience: food, liquids, thoughts, actions, and emotions.

The essence of digestive fire is tejas, which manifests physically as enzymes, hormones, and amino acids that govern cellular metabolism. Tejas governs deha agni (bodily fire), bala (strength), arogya (positive health), ayuh (longevity), prana (vital life force), varna (complexion), upachaya (nutrition and muscle tone), prabha (glow and luster), and ojas (natural immunity).

The relationship between ojas, tejas, and prana is delicate: if tejas is low, there is undue production of raw ojas; if tejas is high, it will dry and burn ojas. Therefore the nature of ojas depends entirely upon the quality of tejas. Ojas, tejas, and prana are not readily available from raw grains — we need transformative processes like cooking, chewing, fermentation, and sprouting. Cooked food becomes soft, light, and smooth, easily broken down in the intestinal folds so that gastric fire can transform food energy into pure consciousness.

In summary: tejas is the energy of biological intelligence; ojas is the vital protective energy, a subtle substance; and prana is the life force, the flow of intelligence.

Tejo-visramsa is displacement of tejas caused by either vishama dhatu agni (vata, leading to vata problems) or manda dhatu agni (kapha, leading to kapha problems). Tejo-kshaya is depletion of tejas caused by manda dhatu agni, resulting in kapha problems.

Tejo-vruddhi is an increase of raw tejas caused by tikshna dhatu agni (pitta or vata), leading to pitta problems. Tejo-vyapat is qualitative disturbance of tejas caused by any doshic disorder.

Tejas expresses itself through a set of distinctive qualities that govern the body's intelligence and structure. Sankhya (number) governs cell division and maintains the proper count of doshas, dhatus, srotamsi, and malas, and even determines the X and Y chromosomes of the fertilized ovum. Parinama (dimension) governs the three-dimensional size and shape of the body through the expansion and contraction of ether by heat.

Pruthaktva (separation) arises from the sharp, penetrating (tikshna) quality of tejas and creates passages between molecules or cells; when excessive, it manifests as peptic ulcer. Samyoga (union) provides kapha the intelligence to unite molecules of similar quality into a compact mass; if tejas is too high, kapha becomes too dry and cannot unite, which can lead to ulcerative colitis. Vibhaga (distinction) defines the size, shape, and margin of each organ and cell, giving it a distinct form.

Paratva (priority) is the subtle cellular intelligence that, at the time of crisis, shifts the body's resources toward healing — for example, raising temperature to burn toxins during fever. Aparatva (postponement) is the wisdom to defer normal functions until the crisis is over. Both come from tejas, the supreme intelligence present in pitta and the supreme order present in agni.

Dravatva (fluidity) gives tejas the capacity to liquefy mucus and toxins so they can drain from the body — the basis of oleation and sudation therapies. Gati (directed velocity) gives pitta its vector movement and stimulates the elimination of sweat, urine, and mucus. Bhasvara (self-illumination) makes every cell self-luminous. Urdhva gamitva (upward movement) lifts us physically and mentally, allowing us to transcend fear, anxiety, depression, and to enter meditative states. Finally, nitya means eternal — tejas is the deathless flame of life.