Spiritual Healing by Agnihotra |
Meditation Practice | Spiritual Technique
One of the oldest and easiest spiritual healing practice or meditation practice of Hindu
rituals related with agni/fire is agnihotra - the sacred homa. This spiritual technique is a type of
fire worship which was practiced by Indian saints thousands of years back. It is also known as small yajna (Yagna
is a form of fire-worship, but in larger scale). Agnihotra homa can become a complimentary shakti or energy for us
because all of us live in a very close relation with nature. The best place to do agnihotra is in the middle of
room as the smoke from this homa/yajna can cover the entire house.
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A few years back a devastating accident took place at
Bhopal which is known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Thousands of people died in that tragedy. In a radius
of 3km from the point leakage nobody had survived except a few. Surprisingly, scientists started
investigating this issue and revealed a shocking truth. They come to know that all the survivors and
their families were regularly performing agnihotra homa in their house. This makes us realize the
greatness of agnihotra. Read more about this in Wikipedia
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Time is the major factor for performing this
spiritual healing practice of agnihotra ritual. It should be started exactly at either sun rise or at
sun set and daily at the exact time of sun rise or sunset. You can get the exact timings by simply doing
a Google search. Fire for
agnihotra must be lit at that stipulated time & that one minute is very sacred. On that stipulated time
there is a greater change in nature’s energy. At this time the whole environment gets charged with positive
source of energy and we should make the best use of this positive energy. That is why timing is quite vital for
agnihotra ritual, not one minute earlier or one minute later. Many times the performer makes mistakes in
starting the ritual at exact time making it less effective. To become a master in this art one needs to put
consistent effort behind it. So the most important thing in this ritual is muhurat (starting time). If the
Muhurat is perfect and correct then everything will turn out to be good.
Items that are used in agnihotra - Spiritual
healing meditation
1) Native cows dried dung. (Handful)
2) Hand pounded red raw rice. (Fistful)
3) Inner husk of a coconut. (Handful)
4) A bowl of native cows ghee. (4-5 Teaspoons or more if you wish)
5) Small sticks of peepal tree or
choppings of jackfruit tree or
sandalwood tree or paalasha tree (Handful)
Method of Performing
Agnihotra- The Spiritual Healing
Meditation
Initialize Agnihotra – Preparation before lighting up
Yajna.
Take 10-15 minutes initial time before sun rise or sun set so that
you can get ready for this ritual. First required thing for this ritual is a clean pyramid shaped copper
vessel. This should be kept properly at one place and it should not touched once the agnihotra ritual
starts or till the fire extinguishes. (Once the fire extinguishes you can move the vessel to any room where you
usually spend more time, e.g bedroom).
Place handful of coconut husk at the bottom of the vessel. As an
alternate you can also place a piece of dried cow dung mixed with ghee (clarified melted butter). Take a big (half
inch) piece of cotton wick, fully immersed in ghee and keep it in center of the copper vessel. Now arrange the
sticks of peepal or jackfruit sticks and place it over the husk or around the dried cow dung piece in a row. One
can also add little pieces of camphor to induce more heat in fire. Leave enough place for air circulation. Now,
spread a handful of dried cow dung pieces around the base. Next spread little (around 20-30) grains of red raw rice
(not the polished white rice) dipped in ghee over the cow dung pieces or wood pieces. One can also add 9 varities
of grains and pulses along with rice.
Lighting the Fire/ Starting the agnihotra
ritual
When all the items have been placed in the copper vessel take
small lamp and light it up. And with the help of the same lamp light up that cotton wick dipped in ghee. One
can also use a match stick to light up the fire. Wait until it’s properly lit up. Let all the ingredients
get flamed up properly. Now when you are sure and confirmed that the fire will not get extinguished, you may sit in
a calm posture (any asana) and be ready to give your Namaskaras (chattting of specific mantra –
salutations).
Mantras are to be said by joining the hands and sitting in the
praying posture. See image for reference. Start your Namaskaras with the creator - VISHWADEVA and Sun - SURYADEVA
because of which this whole creation would not have been possible. End with fire
- AGNIDEVA. Devote yourself totally and start chanting the following mantras.
Click here to listen
to all the mantras and know its
meaning
1) OM VISHVA-DEVAYA NAMAH.
2) OM VISHVA-DEVAYA SWAHA (now put the cow's ghee mixed with rice).
3) VISHVA-DEVAYA IDAM NAMAMA.
4) OM SURYAYA NAMAH.
5) OM SURYAYA SWAHA (now put the cow's ghee mixed with rice).
6) SURYAYA IDAM NAMAMA.
7) OM AGNI-DEVAYA NAMAH
8) OM AGNI-DEVAYA SWAHA (now put cow's, ghee mixed with rice)
9) AGNI-DEVAYA IDAM NAMAMA.
(Note :- In all the above mantras "OM" is not to
be chanted during the third line of each mantra)
After this chant the following Soorya
names
Om Mitraya Namaha Om Ravaye Namaha
Om Sooryaya Namaha Om Bhanave Namaha
Om Khagaya Namaha Om Pooshney Namaha
Om Hirangharbhaya Namaha Om Marichaye Namaha
Om Adhityaya Namaha Om Savitre Namaha
Om Savitrasurya-narayanaya Namaha
Next Chant Gayatri Mantra - 5 times
Om Bhurbhuvaswa, Om Tatsaviturvarenyam Bhargodevasya Dimahi
Diyoyonaha Prachodayat.
Thank the universe now now,
Om bhoomi Mangalam Om Udhaka Mangalam
Om Agni Mangalam Om Vayu
Mangalam
Om Soorya Mangalam Om Chandra Mangalam
Om Gagana Mangalam Om Jagat Mangalam
Om Jeeva Mangalam Om Deha Mangalam
Om Mano Mangalam Om Aatma Mangalam
Om Sarva Mangalam, bhavatu bhavatu bhavatu - repeat this line 3 times
Chant Mrytunjaya Mantra - 5 times
Om tryambakam Yajamahe, Sungandhit Pushti Vardhanam
Urvarukmavi Vabhandanat, myrutyur mukhsi yamamrutat.
Next,
Sarve Jana sukhino bhavantu, sarve jana sukhino bhavantu
Loka sansta sukhino bhavantu
Final prayer,
Asatoma Satgamaya, Tamasoma Jyotir gaymaya
Mryutyorma Amrutam gamaya...
Click here to listen
to all the mantras and know its
meaning
One should sit for meditation after doing the agnihotra homa as it gives
tremendous peace of mind and clarity of thought.
Scientific Explanation for Agnihotra
- The spiritual Healing
Meditation Practice
The five things which we have combined together are known as
PANCHABHOOTAS which illuminates a new Spiritual Healing Energy (CHAITANYA) into the nature. These are the cleaning
substance of environment which also cleans our mind. We need to connect our inner energy with this natural
energy.
1) Pyramid
shaped copper vessel
As we all know that copper is a very good conductor of heat and
electricity. All the Panchagni (fire with the five items burned together is called panch-agni) are organic material
and when they burnt in presence of copper it creates copper
oxide, copper sulphate, copper chloride and other gases.
Apart from its extensive heat transmission, copper is also considered as the best metal for this kriya due to its
productive nature of creating high end chaitanya shakti (spiritual healing energy) which cannot be achieved from
any other metal. The pyramid shaped vessel enhances the
spiritual and positive vibrations thus created from this process. Pyramids are capable of drawing positive energy and vibration from atmosphere. It is
therefore even very beneficial to do meditation by sitting beneath or under a pyramid. Read more
about pyramid meditation here.
2) The soft
husk of coconut
The husk of coconut that is placed at the bottom of the vessel is
taken from the outer covering of the fruit of the coconut tree - KALPAVRIKSHA - meaning, a complete tree, because
each and everything of this tree is beneficial to human beings in some or the other way including the roots,
leaves, trunk, fruits etc). This is the only tree which serves us by giving nuts round the year. Its leaves are
used to build up roof which in turn returns continuous blessings and love. That’s why coconut tree is known as
DEVADHOOT - (God) of all trees in the nature, and when it burns, the love and sacrifice it has for the human beings
and living beings joins the atmosphere. To eliminate the poisonous elements from atmosphere, burning of coconut
husk is required. Still on date there are several places in this nation where the people put empty coconut shells
while cooking rice so as to purify the cooked rice.
3) The sticks
of the peepal tree
Peepal tree emits stimulated oxygen (0+ activated oxygen). This is
the reason behind the tradition of circumnutating the peepal tree everyday. Sandal wood is also an important
ingredient of agnihotra homa not only for its good fragrance but also for its medicinal values too. This is also
helpful for cleaning the atmosphere.
4) The dried
cow dung
The dried cow dung contains anti - bacterial elements such as
ammonia, phenol, indal and formalin. Cow is the most supportive animal in human civilization. From the beginning of
human civilization it has nourished human beings through its godliness and by its satwik (pure) nature and is an
idol of nature. The dung acquired from the cow which grazes in forests and hills and which is strong in physique is
even more beneficial. The Indian red coloured country cow produces a special medicinal element known as "GORACHNA"
in its milk.
These country cows reject the red color from the sun and accept
the remaining 6 colors. This is the reason why we can have the milk of these cows without any tension. Red color
denotes abnormality. People who drink the milk of these cows and do meditation are tension free and have peace in
life. These qualities are found in the dried cow dung also which is used in the spiritual practice of agnihotra
homa. The smoke of the agnihotra has superior medicinal value, which works as an anti bacterial and filtered the
atmosphere. This is the reason why MALARIA and other bacteria, viruses does not affect homes where agnihotra is
performed daily. Read more about cow dung uses.
5) Hand
pounded red raw rice
The red color of hand pounded rice comes from its bran. Bran is
the inner-husk of the rice. The inner husk of any seed is a precious gift of nature which contains essential
multi-vitamins. So it is always advisable not to eat white polished rice because polishing robs the rice of vital
nutrients. The bleaching of rice to white color adds harmful chemicals to it which makes it even more harmful for
human consumption. The rice used for agnihotra homa should be non polished rice. This same principle is
applied in this spiritual healing practice too. When the unpolished red rice is burnt all its good elements are
released into the atmosphere.
6) Cow's
ghee
Cows ghee helps to boosts immunity, intelligence and good health.
Cows ghee are extensively used in preparation of ayurvedic medicines in India and world wide due to its medicinal
and preservative properties. We have a very old tradition of burning lamp with the cow’s ghee. Even in the century
old document of Charak and Patanjali; cow’s ghee has been considered as one of the best medicinal element. Cows
ghee acts as a burning agent and fuel and when its burnt along with all the other ingredients in the agnihotra it
helps in creating copper oxide, copper sulphate and copper chloride. These gases are very beneficial for the
atmosphere.
The smoke emits from these six items is excellent like those from
all other YAJNAS and YAGAS. And this is also proven that places where agnihotra is performed on a regular basis
those places are free from any diseases.
This is known to everybody now that the smoke of agnihotra brings
a special change in nature. The life of human friendly, plant friendly, bacteria and microbes are encouraged and
those creatures which are not beneficial are either destroyed or are made to run away to a far of place. Due to
emission of positive energy the nature becomes clean and clear.
Quite interestingly this special spiritual healing technique and
practice of agnihotra was known to ancient Indians. Many believe that agnihotra was in vogue before all yagas and
yajnas began. There are several other medicinal plants or herbs which can be used in agnihotra for keeping the
environment clean. People with ill health can be cured of their diseases. It is a special boon for the all round
progress of agriculturist. Science has still to understand more about this age old ritual.
Please go through our other resources on this wonderful meditation and
spiritual healing practice called as Agnihotra.
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