The action PACHANA is to be again understood from the perspective of AGNI because even in the description of this action like Deepana, there is involvement of AGNI. But the function that is more concerned here is with respect to the digestion or metabolic activity of AGNI. Thus it is to be understood that the substances that are considered to be purely PACHANA like NAGAKESHARA as exemplified by Sharangadhara. Even though they increase the ability to metabolize the substances in the body, they don’t increase the appetite of the individual. Thus, the action involves only AGNI and not any other factors SAMANA VAYU or KLEDAKA KAPHA that are involved in digestion or metabolism as a whole. It is because the function of SAMANA VAYU is to energize or activate AGNI along with facilitating movement of substances right from ingestion or acceptance to various processes. 

As the primary activity of AGNI is PACHANA which stands for transformation or metabolism, the substances should be of the similar nature such that the said action is resulted. Hence the properties that are desired to be present in the substances that have the potency to produce the PACHANA action are similar to that of AGNI Mahabhuta. Hence they should possess KATU, AMLA, LAVANA RASA; KATU VIPAKA; USHNA VEERYA and LAGHU, RUKSHA GUNA. 

Charaka while enumerating the 50 GANAS has not used the name of PACHAKA action and while analysing the different components of Deepaneeya GANA we can see that there are substances that can be considered to be having the both action of DEEPANA & PACHANA like CHITRAKA as exemplified by Sharangadhara.