Yogi Baba Prem

Agni: Fire of the self.

By Yogi Baba Prem Tom Beal Veda Visharada, CYI, C.ay, C.va

Earlier someone mentioned that the Vedas did not need to tell us that "fire is hot" or "how a nose works", while it could be easy to dismiss such statements, I thought this could be used as a thought provoking idea. As even the Indian Supreme court has ruled that the primary factor in Hinduism is the acceptance of the authority of the Vedas. The Vedas offers a multifaceted approach, providing very practical advice and education about our own bodies, and facing the challenges of the world; as well as deep mystical information about the realization of Brahman.

While often it has been taught that the Vedas is only a reference to Brahman, in reality, the Vedas manifests on multiple levels of the human incarnation and beyond. While we may not need the Vedas to tell us that “fire is hot”; certainly the Vedas can describe and reveal the different manifestations and functions of fire. Taking an aspirant well beyond the fundamentals and into a deep and enriching exploration of fire.

To examine this let us look at the Vedic Fire deity—Agni. Agni is a fire of worship, revealed in the first sloka of the Rg Veda (1.1.1) which says, Agnim iile… “I worship Agni”. So we know that the fire is to be worshiped. What is more interesting about this mantra is that the mantra continues to say “Purohitam” [Agnim iile purohitam]. Literally saying, “I worship Agni, the ruling priest.” This can also be interpreted as, “I worship Agni, the sacred fire.” What is interesting about the first literal interpretation is that Agni is considered the ruling priest (purohit). Most notably, Agni performs as several of the priests, making the concept of priest an internal process and Agni as the actual performer of the ritual. This is an extremely important teaching about the function of the priest in the Vedic ritual. It is not an external priest as commonly viewed but is an internal process. This view has been supported by Sri Aurobindo and T.V. Kapali Shastry among others. But this view of the word purohit is a later interpretation. The older interpretation of purohit is either “sacred” or “placing in front”. Giving a literal reference to worshiping the sacred fire or fire placed in front. This outer fire “placed in front” is a reflection of the “sacred fire” placed within. They merely reflect two different approaches (one inner and one outer) toward the same result. But the most practical application of this teaching in the Vedic yoga system is the immediate introduction of Bhakti yoga. In fact, bhakti yoga must hold a very important role in the Vedas as it is the first yoga introduced in the Rg Veda. Though several other systems are implied though not directly mentioned. These would include pranayama, mantra, dharana, and dhyana.

But this fire also has an anointing quality as it is reveled that the fire is ‘born of Manu and a light that anoints’ (Rg Veda 1.45.1) Being born of Manu represents many qualities but is also commonly taught to be a reference to the mind. So one can conclude that the sacred fire is born of the mind. But is this just the mind of man? While manu can mean intelligence, in this respect Agni being born of manu is a reference to cosmic intelligence. Though in the Vedic ritual on a lower level the repetition of the mantra would be to give birth to Agni in ones own mind. Strengthening the mental powers of will with the practitioner.

Another function of the Divine fire is purification. Agni has the ability to purify the mind and body. As stated in Rg Veda 1.12.4, Prati Shma Rishato Daha… Burn up the opposing foes. This purification is a cleansing of the mind and body. It is a cleansing of the samskaras, and purification of the previous actions in life that can be purified. As the Yajna itself is an attempt to purify and alter the manifestation of karma, among other things. Agni’s purifying qualities are also found in the Krishna Yajur Veda—Taittiriya Samhita 4.1.3, which also appears in the Rg Veda 6.16.14.

The sacred fire is also a friend according to the Vedas. Sloka 1.94 mentions this friendship, as and example, Oh Agni, May we not suffer from separation with your friendship. (1.94.1) This same message is repeated in 1.94.2-1.94.14.

Agni is a son born in each of us through our worship or antar yajna in Rg Vedas. He is also the father or primal cause of this birth. This is illustrated in Rg Veda 1.69.1

These examples are only scratching the surface of the important lessons on fire found in the Vedas.

From an adhyabutic standpoint, Agni is the literal fire. For it is Agni’s heat that sustains the earth with renewing energy and heat. (Krishna Taittiriya Samhita 4.1.3) On the adhyatmic level, Agni is the ability to digest and resolve experiences. It is our power of discrimination and mental transformation.

Within Samkhya, Agni maintains a close relationship with Buddhi, though it manifests with all the tattvas of this system. Within the yoga system, Agni is also the kundalini and is referenced in the Krishna Yajur Veda Tittiriya Samhita (4) which mentions Agni with the defeat of Vrtra and the releasing of the waters.

Within the Sukla Yajur Veda, one finds Agni referred to as the master of all branches of knowledge (21.3)

As Ayurveda is an upveda, it offers an interesting view of Agni. In Ayurveda, Agni is the first guardian of health. This manifests through “Jatharagni”, the digestive fire. Each time one eats, they are in a sense making an offering to the fire. Only this time it is the digestive fire. The offerings are transformed into nutrition and short-term prana for the body. In Ayurveda, the Vedic deity Agni, is the subtle force behind Tejas, which is the subtle form of the Pitta dosha.

In Vedic Astology, a Vedanga, Agni serves as a lord, and used in healing for some astrological remedials such as fever. And of course, Agni is common in longer astrological remedials such as Yajna’s.

Within the yoga tradition, Agni commonly manifests as tapas or psychic heat. This heat purifies the mind and body, preparing both for deeper levels of meditation and self realization.

Again this is only scratching the surface of the numerous manifestations of fire. Mantra to Agni can strengthen and balance all of the manifestations and more. So it seems that the Rg Vedas does have a very practical teaching about fire that applies to every being in the world.

Roots of the word.

The word agni is most commonly believed to come from “Ag” or “Ang”. Both words can mean “to move”, giving Agni a mobile quality. Ang is commonly translated as “anointed one”, but this may be a later translation. As the brahmanical view of the word “ang” would be as the bija mantra of Surya. This commonly appears in some modern Tantra systems. This would certainly associate Agni with the soul and sun, as Surya certainly is a metaphor for the soul. This is also supported by the nighantu and nirukta, which states that Agni is also the lightening and sun as well (7.16). This creates a strong link between Agni and its strong association with the earth, and the higher worlds or heavens represented by the sun. Though there are clearly older meanings for “ang” as well. Examining the etymology of the word, according the Nighantu and Nirukta, A comes from the root “I” meaning “to go”. “G” comes from the root “anj” meaning “to shine” and “ni” means “to lead”. Allowing for a much deeper exploration of the word through meditation.

While one may not need the Vedas to teach us that “fire is hot”, it certainly can be very beneficial teaching the different manifestations of “hot” and how to use the heat of fire for personal and planetary transformation.

A similar approach could be taken with the nose in relation to prana and the nadi’s of the body. The Vedic deity would be Vayu. But this can be covered another time.

If you enjoyed this article. You might enjoy Yogi Baba Prem's new book, "Yoga Secrets of the Vedas". You might also enjoy "Agni, Meditation on the Sacred Fire" CD, which is a recording of the meditations of Dr. Frawley's (Pandi Vamadeva Shastri's book.