Monday 18 September 2017

LIGHTING THE SACRED FIRE 2

This post is an extract from my book "FEEDING THE FLAME" revised for the blog.

Yagna: Lighting the Sacrificial Fire 

The Siddhas, men who became Divine through performing rituals and severe austerities, realized God and became one with him, knew that not everybody could realize God in themselves immediately. For one to attain Jnana on the onset is a difficult task, so besides tapping into the Akashic records and bringing us Divine revelations; through deliverance of the numerous Scriptures; and drawing up a systematic approach to Yoga and Agamas, the wise men paved the way where one would have to go through the four divisions of Yoga in a orderly manner. The most compassionate Siddhas take us through these four stages, from the most rudimentary and elementary level to the highest level of achievement or attainment of Jnana. The Siddhas devised these paths so that every individual could get on the band-wagon to Godhead and made sure no one was left out of the mainstream.

The first path is Taatamaargam (Sariyai), or Living in the World of Siva, also known as the Path of the Servant. Next is Sarputramaargam (Kriyai) or the Ritual Worship of Siva, known as the Path of the Son. The third path, Sagamaargam (Yogam) or Attaining the Form of Siva, is also known as the Path of Companionship. The final path is Sanmaargam (Jnanam), also known as the True Path.

Keeping alive the sacrificial fire Yagna and performing with ardor the religious acts associated with the sacrificial fire is categorized as the Path of Kriyai.

Yagna: In the Light of the Scriptures 

When Tavayogi suggested I carry out the lighting of the sacrificial fire, initially I followed his words with hesitation and reluctance for I was constantly reminded by him before that to leave the Bakthi path and come into the Jnana path. Now why the turnaround, I asked myself? Furthermore I had no idea about these rituals; I was not into rituals then and dreaded doing them. But I did it, since my Guru wanted me. Similarly Agathiyar had other plans for Tavayogi too, postponing his wish to go into Samadhi, instead bringing him to build and manage an Ashram cum temple cum meditation hall and have him conduct rituals as well.

Just as Professor Anil Kumar wrote that in order to experience joy and bliss in this ritual aspect of the activity the inner significance of the ritual or Jnana has to be understood, to bring me to do these rituals with commitment and understanding, Agathiyar clarified to me that it was done for the well being of all, and not for me or my personal gains. Both Professor Anil Kumar and Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya, too mention that the Yagna is never personal and is for the collective good of mankind.

Professor Anil Kumar provides a clear understanding of the approach needed in conducting rituals, on his webpage www.saiwisdom.com. He explains that there are three aspects to every spiritual activity that is: the ritual aspect of it or Karma; its inner significance or Jnana; and the third, devotion or Bhakti which forms the link between the two.

The Professor says men who conduct the Yagna and the offerings form the Karma Kaandam, or the ritual aspect. He says one needs to have the element of devotion or Bhakti in him to conduct these rituals ‘with sincerity, with steadfastness, with determination, with all its purity and with all the austerities that must go into it’. The path of Bhakti then paves the way for Jnana, and in the words of the Professor, renders ‘wisdom in all humility, in all its reverence because Jnana requires humility, reverence, receptivity, and sensitivity.’ I understood then that I was only a vessel to conduct this ritual.

Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya in his ‘FORM AND SPIRIT OF VEDIC RITUAL WORSHIP - PROCEDURE OF YAGNA’ reveals that Prajapati or Parameswara created man in his own likeness through a Yagna and ordained that both man and the Yagna had to contribute to the growth of each other, which all the more stresses the necessity of each individual conducting it. From an article on the net, the author (I could not trace the source, but will name him the Author henceforth) too quotes from the Bhagavadgita where Prajapati created human beings and Yagna simultaneously and instructed that they worked together for mutual gain.

The Author explains the Yagna based on his findings in the Vedas, the Puranas and from writings of the Rishis. He equates Yagna as the father of all material and divine or spiritual forces (Ridhi and Siddhi).

The Yajur Veda says Yagna nurtures all and the very Vedas that originated from the Yagna. The Author quotes from the Siva Purana that Yagna is the supreme means to please Lord Siva and as such the Rishis were instructed to come down to earth and perform Yagna for 1000 years. Hence in ancient India it was a practice to conduct massive Yagna by Rishis, Kings and householders. Besides conducting these rituals for material and spiritual gains, certain rituals like the Kaareerishta Yagna was done to create monsoon seasons; Bhaishajya Yagna to eradicate germs and bacteria; Putreshti Yagna to bless childless couples with a child; Balivaishwa Yajna to bring good fortunes to the householder; Vaajpeya Yajna to awaken latent soul forces; and the Rajasuya Yagna to solve problems in politics and governance.  According to the Author, as the Gayatri Yagna encompasses all these, the Yagna Yaag Samhita recommends that the Gayatri Yagna be conducted before every auspicious program.

He quotes from more Puranas: the Brihad Narada Purana states that one who performs the Yagna tends to ‘transport’ twenty-one generations before him to Lord Vishnu’s temple; and the Matsya Puraana states that Yagna helps one to attain salvation or Mukti where he/ she shall not take rebirth for thousands and millions of Kalpas.

He quotes Markandeya from the Kalikaa Puraana, the Manu Smriti and Vedas, revealing that the soul in us which is subtle needs subtle food too. The fire in the stomach, Jatharaagni transforms the gross food that we consume into a subtle form which is then imbibed by the soul. Similarly when sacrifices are offered into the Yagna it is consumed by the fire and made subtle. He says the gross fire too becomes subtle in nature. With the aid of subtle wind this then enters the atmosphere and Diu Loka where the Demigods receive their food in subtle form.
‘Prajaapati or world creator is performing Yagna in the form of sun/ moon sending rays to earth, sun sends heat and light, wind circulates life force and a group of Demigods join forces to obstruct ‘demons’ in the form of virus/germs/bacteria from making us ill or warding off imminent death by them.’
The Author mentions the Siddhas who had attained the eight Siddhis and nine Niddhis which included the ability to become invincible, invisible, reducing their size to that of an atom or expanding beyond the world (Vishwarupa), walk on water, and conduct space travel. He says, all these amazing feats were performed using forces of subtle nature termed as Demigods.

The Vedas mention Yagna as a means to fulfill man’s needs and again a means to keep away obstacles on the path of his material and spiritual progress. The Professor says that the Vedas is both Yagna Siddhi and Yagna Sthithi which means ‘to realize the purpose or to fulfill the objectives of every Yagna and the procedural aspects respectively.’

P.V.R. Narasimha Rao in his ‘CHANDI HOMAM - LAGHU PADDHATI’ and www.VedicAstrologer.org too mentions the same,
Most Vedic rituals are symbolic of certain inner changes that you bring about within yourself, to remove obstacles within your Sookshma Sareera that are blocking self-knowledge. The purpose of Veda is the knowledge of self (Aatman) and all rituals are ultimately for that purpose.
P.V.R. Narasimha Rao writes further, mentioning that the Rig Veda equates God as Divine Fire and fire as the Purohita. The Rig Veda recommends the form of fire as an image of God for meditation and devotion. Thus the person conducting the Yagna becomes divine.
‘Such a person’s psyche becomes an unlimited vault of jewels represented by sacred qualities. The Havan doer finds the same in the form of a vault of rare jewels. These are divine jewels of divine wealth which follows us in innumerable incarnations/rebirths that we undergo. They fill us up with so many divine glories (Vibhootees).’
If a spiritually enlightened person recited the Mantras, he creates a spiritually charged atmosphere, which elevates the consciousness of all living beings and harmonizes nature besides awakening the four Vanis: the first and most elementary Vaikhari, the Madhyama type which works in the domain of thought waves, which if refined further, leads to the subtler sounds of Para and Pashyanti, which are described as the Vanis for spiritual communications and conversation with the Brahma. The Author equates these Vanis to: the speech of man, Super Men, Rishis and God.

Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya says all the rituals and practices, the mind set and feelings, determination and discipline that go into the invocation of the Gods through the Yagna generates a tremendous energy that burns the impurities of our lower nature and transmutes them into good virtues. The Pandit adds, in his words, ‘the collective chanting of Mantras in rhythm produces unique sound waves and vibrations which have an infinite radiant effect in the outer space.’

He explains that one who meditates on God has him come onto the aspirant and receives the mantras and prayers through the internal fire created within. However, this fire is weak in most. So the need for having an external fire arises in the form of the Homam which is a powerful tool for spiritual advancement, aiding and eventually strengthening the internal fire in him.

During the Yagna the fire and the Mantras render the offerings and our thought subtle respectively, which then reach the higher subtle worlds. Chanting of the Mantra awakens certain energies and fire which acts as a vehicle transports these offerings the Demigods. Specific Mantras chanted for specific goals and endeavors result in the creation or manifestation of a specific sound vibration which in turn awakens the divine centers in those gathered at the Yagna establishing a strong bond with the subtle soul which attracts divine powers of the cosmos towards it hence attaining the eight Siddhis and nine Niddhis. 

During the Yagna, heat and sound combine to render desired ‘physical, psychological and spiritual benefits.’ The mantra acquires even greater energy when chanted collectively due to the combined vital, mental and causal energies of the masses.

Generally the mantra is in Sanskrit. Cle Latouf quotes a Professor Joshi, ‘it is believed that Sanskrit mantras contain the quintessential sound of life-sustaining energies.’ Just as the Pandit mentioned, Professor Joshi too states that the mantra that create specific vibrational patterns ‘penetrate the energy spheres at the subtle and cosmic levels.’

The Dr explains that Bhootaagni burns in the subtle body which is the very basis of one’s existence. It manifests in the gross body too in various forms of heat and fire. The furnace in the stomach that digest the food; the fire in the brain that makes one analyze and understand all experiences from the senses; and the ever vital body heat that keeps on alive are the result of Bhootaagni. It is weak in most people due to impurities and obstructions in their subtle energy channels or Nadis in the subtle body, thus unable to energize its existence and limiting the entry of the Divine. 

He says by overcoming the Malas which are desire (Kaama), anger (Krodha), greed (Lobha), ego (Ahangara), false prestige, wantonness (Mada) and jealousy (Maatsarya), and shedding all veils of delusion (Moha), and strengthening the good virtues, compassion, one-pointed devotion, detachment, eventually the impurities will be cleared and Bhootaagni will burn strong. The Dr adds that this is a very difficult tasks and time-consuming process. He suggests that one take advantage of an external fire to speed up the process. 

As the deity of Homam enters the external fire on a regular basis, his divine presence clears the mind off its previous conditioning due to Vasanas where in the words of the Dr., ‘one’s consciousness sinks into the ocean of delusion; strengthens the physical body or gross body (Sthoola Sareera); burns all the impurities in the Nadis in the subtle body or Sookshma Sareera which blocks the free flow of energy; and the karmas in the causal body or Kaarana Sareera and his presence eventually leads to the strengthening of Bhootaagni. Just as the Gods come into the Yagna, the idea is to develop Bhootaagni to accommodate more of the Divine. Then spiritual practices or sadhanas become more effective and give immediate results. 

The Dr says, "Homam facilitates this process quickly by burning various karmas that are creating various layers of conditioning and obstructing spiritual progress."

The Dr adds that of the five known elements, earth, water, fire, wind, and ether or space, the only elements that cannot be polluted are space (Akasa) and fire (Agni). Acknowledging that it is difficult to carry out spiritual sadhana through the medium of space he agrees that the best medium would be fire. One of the Sanskrit words for “fire” is “Paavaka”, which means “the one that purifies”. Fire is by definition pure and purifies everything that it comes in touch with. Homam is the most apt sadhana for most spiritual aspirants in this Yuga, especially as the Kali deepens.

Moving from the personal to universal benefits, the Dr. explains,
Apart from the personal benefits, there are universal benefits of Homam. The gross material body of the burnt offerings reaches the gross material body of Sun. The subtle body of the burnt offerings reaches the subtle body of Sun. It is the subtle body of Sun that feeds the subtle bodies of all beings on earth. Thus, feeding it is very important for the smooth running of life on earth. 
As we enter the Ghora Kali (terrible age of strife and disorderliness) phase, Adharma (un-righteous activities) will be on the rise in the world and as such the subtle body of Sun will become weaker. If more and more people perform Homam and strengthen the subtle body of Sun, it will balance the adharma and keep the world away from a total collapse.
The Dr advises that one take advantage of the Homam by meditating in front of the fire when the Poornaahuti burns because ‘the chances of losing consciousness of one’s body and immersing in the mantra fully are the maximum at this point of time than any other.’

Yagna: In the Light of the Wise 

It is said that God created this world through conducting the Yagna and inspired the Rishis, Siddhas and Munis to continue the heritage of lighting the sacred fire. They viewed Yagna is called the manifest image of the formless Lord Almighty. God was regarded as the personification of Yagna itself. 

The Author mentions the significance of lighting the Yagna to the Siddhas, Rishis and Munis. Eternally lit fires in the form of pyres were reinstated in the Ashrams or hermitages of great Rishis of yore. Rishis, through performing the Yagna attained, Sankalpa, resolve and eulogy to God considering fire as an image of God and medium of worship. The Author quotes the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata where it is mentioned that Vaivamvat Manu and humanity was created at the beginning of Tretaa Yuga. Performing Yagna was the norm during this era. The Author mentions that the Vedas talk of a fire within the material fire which was visual to the Divine Rishis.

The Author says that the spiritual seers and the great Indian Rishis through their subtle divine vision unearthed a science for their manifestation since these energies could not be contacted at the gross level. In his words, ‘they control virtually every aspect of Mother Nature/ Prakriti. Nature’s laws never obstruct their endeavors and hence they carry out acts which are beyond the ken of nature’s laws which seem to be against nature’s laws and impossible to execute.’

He adds that the great Rishis and Siddhas who had succeeded in attaining a supreme spiritual state where man becomes God and the soul becomes Cosmic Soul, gave immense importance to Yagna simply because not only were they means to attain material forces/ powers but that by making man’s body and psyche sacred, desire less and thought free he/ she attained spiritual bliss and peace on an eternal basis.

Dr Pranav Pandya says that the Siddhas, Rishis and Munis, who 'dedicated all their endeavors and all their deeds for the noble mission of enlightening others’, extolled the Yagna too. Warriors were known to perform Yagna before battle. Yogis performed Yagna as part of penance to attain Self Realization and God Realization. He goes on to narrate the achievements of former kings from performing the Yagna,

i. King Dashrathan performed the Putreshti Yajna and thus fathered four sons. 
ii. King Nriga entered heaven by performing Yajna and thus dethroned its King Indra. 
iii. King Ashwapati performed a Yajna and thus fathered a son. 
iv. King Indra of heaven attained all that he possessed via Yajna. 
v. Lord Rama too had performed the Ashwamedha Yajna. 
vi. Shri Krishna advised the Pandavas to perform the Rajasuya Yajna wherein the Lord himself welcomed guests and looked after their requirements. 

Dr. Pranav Pandya writes that one of the foremost Rishis, Maharishi Yagnavalkya besides dwelling in the research of medicinal herbs, was foremost in conducting research and experimenting on the science of Yagna which he did at his ashram in the land of King Janak. The adjacent jungle too provided many sources of plants, scrubs, vegetation and woods for his intensive research. Neither did he stop at that but went on to cultivate various crops that went into the Yagna. He had the inmates of his ashram to participate in the rituals and Yagna for he knew that it would benefit not only them but all of mankind and the entire creation. There was also a place designated to perform Yagna conducted to subdue demonic elements that caused mischief and chose to disrupt the harmony in nature and cause destruction to people and property. Rishi Kathak was responsible for administering this Yagna. Other Rishis like Dirghatama, Kutsa, and Grutsamada too joined MaharshiYagyavalkya in his efforts to maintain law and order in the universe. The significance of the Yagna was explained to all gathered on his ashram grounds.

Dr. Pranav Pandya writes Maharishi Yagnavalkya reveals that there are twenty-one different forms of these Yagna mentioned in Rig-Veda and infinitely many more sub-forms too.

Wood from various trees and herbs with different qualities where used in the sacrificial fire pit to generate ‘different amounts of physical energies (heat)’. Yagna Kundam or kunds of various shapes and sizes were ‘used to conserve and enhance the power of Yagna.’ Recitation of the potentially powerful mantras by the equally elevated aspirant or sadhak and the auspicious moment selected for the Yagna that coincide to utilize fully the prevalent flow of energies of the universe. All these three elements in place, generate a perfect blend of physical and spiritual powers.

Maharishi Yagnavalkya experimented on internal Yagna too just as he did the external Yagna. He says we are similar in form to the Yagna Kundam, having three steps: 

i. Mekhlas in the form of mind, and Brahma being its deity,
ii. Prana or life-force, and Vishnu its deity, and 
iii. the physical body through its actions represents the benevolent or the destructive form of Siva. 

The seemingly ordinary fire of our material world was looked upon them as so extraordinary that great Rishis authored a separate Veda for it in the form of Yajurveda. All this goes only to show that great Indian Rishis had attained knowledge of the subtle most form of fire element.

Yagna: Reviving the Yagna 

Professor Anil Kumar explains the three categories of Yagna categorized accordingly to the recipients.

1. The first category of Yagna is for the intellectuals and priestly class, the Brahmins who are committed full time to it, having dedicated their lives to Yagna and whose job is to perform Yagna. This category is further divided into three divisions: Avihavirva Yagna, Soma Yagna and Paaka Yagna.

2. The second category is for rulers and kings. This category is further divided into three divisions: Aswamedha Yagna, Raja Sooya Yagna and Sarvamedha Yagna.

3. The third category is for the rest of us, the householders. This category is further divided into five divisions: Deva Yagna, Rishi Yagna, Pitru Yagna, Manushya Yagna, and Bhutha Yagna. Deva Yagna is an expression of thanks to God for this beautiful gift of life, body, and health. As the Rishis gave us our scriptures, Rishi Yagna is performed to show one's gratefulness for the heritage and legacy, passed on to us through the scriptures. Pitru Yagna is done to express thanks to ones parents. Manushya Yagna implies two things, acquiring good values and serving fellow men. Bhutha Yagna is showing concern for other beings and animals, trees and plants.

P.V.R. Narasimha Rao writes,
My spiritual master Dr Manish Pandit hails from Pune, India and lives in Manchester, UK. The idea of spreading Homam in the world was revealed to him in a dream a few years ago. He saw eight elevated beings in a dream. They transported him across blue skies to Chennai, India, where he was shown the big fire that was to be lighted in future. They told him to start the work. They assured him that Homam as a spiritual sadhana was very appropriate in Kali Yuga. As spiritually inclined people have fewer and fewer hours to spend on spiritual Sadhana everyday with the progressing Kali Yuga, sadhanas that work fast are more relevant. Homam works much faster than Japam and other spiritual sadhanas. They told him that the practice of Homam would transform into a movement that would reach across caste, class and race barriers.’
Dr. Pranav Pandya in ‘YAGYA-SHALA - THE LABORATORY OF RISHIS’ from ‘SCIENTIFIC  SPIRITUAL FRAGRANCE OF P.T. SRIRAM SHARMA ACHARYA’ writes, "…Homam is ten times more powerful than Japam. If one does a mantra 1,000 in a Homam, it is equivalent to doing the mantra 10,000 in japam."

True to the words of Dr Manish Pandit, that the practice of Homam would transform into a movement that would reach across caste, class and race barriers, Horst Heigl, author, composer, publisher and initiator and project leader of the Homa-Hof Heiligenberg, Germany, was introduced and told to apply and make this ritual accessible to the public by Shri Vasant Paranjpe in 1974. Horst brought together many people interested in carrying out these Vedic fire techniques, and made a move towards reducing pollution since then, at the Homa-Hof Heiligenberg. 
Agnihotra is a fire technique which was already described in the millennia-old Vedas. Through its revival, a remedy was given for numerous problems of our era. Agnihotra makes possible a purification of earth, air and water; it promotes the health of men, animals and plants; it helps to regenerate the psyche, to harmonize the climate and much more. (From the book “Agnihotra - Ursprung, Praxis und Anwendungen” (published by Verlag Horst Heigl; only available in German at the moment). (Source: http://www.homa-hof-heiligenberg.de
Cle Latouf in his book ‘AGNIHOTRA - AN ANCIENT SOLUTION FOR AGRICULTURE OF THE 21ST CENTURY’ observes that the Yagna if performed at sunrise and sunset and ‘if coordinated correctly, the vital, life sustaining energies of the solar system will be attracted.’ Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya too observes that it would be ideal if one could conduct a Yagna or Agnihotra twice a day, once at sunrise and again at sunset, 
The beneficial effect of sunrise Agnihotra sustains the atmosphere till sunset and the sunset Agnihotra sustains the atmosphere till the sunrise. Synchronizing performance of Agnihotra with these activated moments results in attracting a stream of vital, life sustaining energies of the solar system. Hence the process of Agnihotra which coincides with them plays an important role in harmonizing the natural functioning of human mind and body. In this manner, an unending and active healing cycle is established in the houses where this Agnihotra is performed every day.’,
The Author too ends his article beautifully with a wish that, ‘The tradition of Agnihotra must recommence in every household the world over. There was a time when this did happen in ancient India and hence it was a period of heavenly comforts and inner bliss too. The fruit of Yajna is not comfort but it is attaining more opportunities to serve the world.’

The Sidhas, Rishis and Munis had dedicated their lives towards research and experimenting for the sake of and betterment of mankind and the world at large. Their wives were equally capable and knowledgeable in these related fields. They trained their students in these fields too so that these knowledge and practices would be passed on over the ages to help maintain, nourish and sustain the world and its inhabitants. They were all working for the welfare of the community and people at large. Let us start conducting the Homam in our homes and the Yagam in the temples regularly, doing our small part in building a bond between Mother Earth and us and keeping her harmonized.