Pranam
Agni is Fire; people selective are termed as Fire; its an encomium; and
one regret is it is uttered by a kid! KR IRS
On Sun, 30 May 2021 at 12:04, 'gopala krishnan' via iyer123 <
[email protected]> wrote:
> *DIVINE INFORMATION PART 20*
>
> Dear friends,
>
> While going through one of my external memory device, I came across some
> good information from Kanchi Sankara Matam. I thought of sharing
> interesting ones from them as a series.
>
> In part 20 , I am starting with 77th item in this posting.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Gopala Krishnan 30-05-2021.In72
>
> *77 **Different types of Agni (fire)*
>
> As already mentioned, the Daksinagni and the Ahavaniyagni are made from
> the Garhapatyagni.
>
> When srauta rites for the fathers have been performed in the Daksinagni
> and other srauta rites in the Ahavaniyagni, the two fires no longer have
> the exalted name of "srautagni" and are just like any other ordinary fire
> and *they have to be extinguished.*
>
> Only the Garhapatya and Aupasana fires are to be kept burning throughout.
>
> On every Prathama (first day of the lunar fortnight), a pakayajna and a
> haviryajna have to be performed in the grhyagni and srautagni respectively.
>
> The first is called sthalipaka. "Sthali" is the pot in which rice is
> cooked and it must be placed on the aupasana fire and the rice called
> "caru" cooked in it must be offered in the same fire.
>
> The rite that is the basis of many others (the archetype or model) is
> called "prakrti". Those performed after it, but with some changes, are
> known as "vikrti".
>
> *For the sarpabali called sravani and the pakayajna called agrahayani,
> sthalipaka is the prakrti.*
>
> The haviryajna performed on every Prathama is "darsa-purna-isti", "darsa"
> meaning the new moon and "purna" the full moon. So the "istis" or
> sacrifices conducted on the day following the new moon and the full moon
> (the two Prathamas) are together given the name of darsa-purna-isti. The
> two rituals are also referred to merely as "isti". This is the prakrti
> for haviryajnas.
>
> For soma sacrifices "agnistoma" is the prakrti, the word "stoma" also
> meaning a sacrifice. In conjunction with "agni", the "sto" becomes"sto" --
> "agnistoma". "Sthapita" becomes "establish" in English: here the " sta" of
> the first word becomes "sta" in the second. Some unlettered people
> pronounce "star" and "stamp" as "istar" and "istamp". Such phonetic changes
> are accepted even in the Vedas.
>
> I will now deal briefly with the remaining paka, havir and soma
> sacrifices.
>
> *77A pakayanja and Yagasala*
>
> Pakayajnas are minor sacrifices and are performed at home. Even srauta
> rites like the first four haviryajnas - adhana, agnihotra, darsa-purna-masa
> and agrayana - are performed at home.
>
> *The last three haviryajnas - caturmasya, nirudhapasubandha and sautramani
> - are performed in a yagasala.*
>
> *The yagasala is also known as a "devayajna". The Kalpa-sutras contain a
> description of it, not omitting* minute details. There are altars called
> "cayanas" to be built with bricks. (There are no cayanas for havir and
> pakayajnas. )
>
> As I said before there is the application of mathematics in all this.
>
> *Several kinds of ladles are used in making offerings in the fire,
> "tarvi", "sruk" and "sruva".*
>
> Their measurements are specified, also the materials out of which they are
> made. No detail is left out.
>
> In a nuclear or space research laboratory even the most insignificant
> job is carried out with the utmost care, so is the case with sacrifices
> which have the purpose of bringing forth supernatural powers into the world.
>
> To repeat, pakayajnas are simple, "paka" meaning "small", "like a child".
> Cooked food is also "paka"; that is why *the art of cooking is called
> "pakasastra" and the place where cooking is done is called "pakasala*".
>
> Just as in sthalipaka cooked rice is offered in the fire, so too in
> pakayajnas cooked grains are offered in the fire. *The watery part is not
> to be drained off - this rite is called "caruhoma*".
>
> But in aupasana unbroken rice (not cooked) is offered.
>
> *In the pakayajna called "astaka" purodasa
> <http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/referp19.htm#PURODASA>** is
> offered in the fire. Astaka is performed for the fathers.*
>
> The bright half of a month (waxing moon) is special to the celestials
> while it is the dark half (waning moon) for the fathers.
>
> The latter is called the "apara-paksa" since during this fortnight rites
> for the fathers are performed.
>
> The eighth day of the dark fortnight (Astami) is particularly important
> for them. *The astaka sraddha must be performed on the eighth day of the
> fortnight during the Sisira and Hemanta seasons* (the first and second
> half of winter) - in the [Tamil] months of Margazhi, Tai, Masi and Panguni
> <http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/referp19.htm#MARKAZHI,%20TAI%20,%20MASI,%20PANGUNI>.
>
>
> The astaka performed in Masi is said to be particularly sacred. The rite
> gone through on the day following the astaka is "anvastaka".
>
> *"Parvani", one of the pakayajnas, is the prakrti (or the* archetype) for
> sraddhas. Since it is performed every month it is called "masisraddha".
> (This is according to the Apastamba-sutra. According to the Gautama-sutra
> "parvana" denotes the sthalipaka performed during each "parva" ).
>
> *77b Sarpabali*
>
> The pakayajna "sravani" is also called "sarpabali". On the full moon of
> the month of Sravana caru rice and ghee are placed in the fire and flowers
> of the flame of the forest are offered similarly by both hands. *Designs
> have to be drawn with rice flour over an anthill or some other place and
> offerings made to snakes with the chanting of mantras*.
>
> This ceremony must be held every full-moon night up to Margazhi
> (mid-December to mid-January).
>
> On the Margazhi full moon, apart from completing the sarpabali, the
> pakayajna called "agrahayani" must be performed. Like "sravani", the name
> "agrahayani" is also derived from the name of the month of the same name -
> Agrahayani is Margazhi.
>
> "Hayana" means "year" and the first month of the year is "Agrahayana". In
> ancient times the year started with this month. The first of January [of
> the Gregorian calendar] falls in mid-Margazhi. It was from us that Europe
> took this as their new year. Though we changed our calendar later, they
> stuck to theirs.
>
> *There are two more pakayajnas called "caitri" and "asvayuji": these fall
> respectively, as their names suggest, in Cittirai and Aippasi
> <http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/referp19.htm#CITTIRAI,%20AIPPASI>*
> *.*
>
> *77c Caitri*
>
> *Caitri is conducted where four roads meet. Since it is performed for
> Isana it is called "isanabali" :*
>
> Isana is Paramesvara (Siva). In the other pakayajnas the deities
> worshipped are different but through them Paramesvara is pleased. It is
> like a tax paid to the ruler through the sub-collector. *In Caitri it is
> as if the tax is paid directly to the ruler. *
>
> *In Aippasi, kuruva
> <http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/referp19.htm#KURUVA>** rice
> is harvested [in Tamil Nadu]. This is first offered to Isvara in the rite
> called "asvayuji" before it is taken by us. Similarly samba
> <http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/referp19.htm#KURUVA>** rice
> is eaten only after agrahayani is performed in Margazhi.*
>
> *77d Haviryajna and Somayanja*
>
> The haviryajnas are more elaborate, though not so large in scale as the
> somayajnas. Anything offered in the sacrificial fire is called "havis". In
> Tamil works like the Tirukkural it is referred to as "avi".
>
> However, ghee is specifically referred to as "havis". Sacrifices in which
> the soma juice is offered are called somayajnas and *those that are not
> elaborate are categorised as pakayajnas*. Now the other srauta sacrifices
> among the forty samskaras are called haviryajnas.
>
> 78 Different priests
>
> When I spoke to you earlier about sacrifices I referred to the men who
> conduct them. The sacrificer is the yajamana and those who perform the
> sacrifice for him are rtviks (priests) who consist of the hota, adhvaryu,
> udgata and brahma.
>
> In pakayajnas there are no rtviks; the householder (as the yajamana)
> performs the rites with his wife.
>
> In haviryajnas there are four rtviks and the yajamana. But the udgata's
> place is taken by the agnidhra. The udgata is the one who sings the Saman.
> It is only in somayajnas that there is Samagana, not in haviryajnas.
>
> *79 Chaturmasya*
>
> *In caturmasya and pasubandha there are more than the usual number of
> priests. But there is no need* to deal with them here. *I wanted to give
> you only a basic knowledge of the important sacrifices that had been
> conducted for ages until recently. *
>
> "Agrayana" is performed on the full moon of Aippasi
> <http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/referp19.htm#AIPPASI>. In
> this syamaka grains are offered in the fire. Caturmasya gives the
> impression that it includes a number of sacrifices. Some of you probably
> know that "caturmasya" is a term that refers to sannyasins staying at the
> same place during the rainy season. But it is also the name of a
> haviryajna to be performed by householders once every four months, in
> Karttigai,
> Panguni, Adi
> <http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part19/referp19.htm#KARTTIGAI,%20PANGUNI%20,%20ADI>.
> From this onwards the sacrifices are to be performed in a yagasala [built
> in a public place].
>
> *I will continue with Haviryanja in next posting*
>
>
>
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