What is Agnihotra
The process of Agnihotra consists of making two offerings to the fire exactly at the time of sunrise & sunset along with the chanting of two small Sanskrit mantras. Among devout smArtha Hindus who follow the vedic path of sanAtana dharma (Eternal Law) and its injunctions, Agnihotra is regarded a process of purification of the atmosphere as a cumulative effect of various scientific and sonic principles harnessed to give rise to an unparalled purifying and healing phenomenon. The benefits, both spiritual and mundane, that accrue to sacrificers is said to be enormous.
Agnihotra in Sanskrit is a karmadharaya compound (samAsa), meaning an offering, oblation, or sacrifice unto Agni (ignis, Latin cognate) or consecrated fire. It finds earliest mention in the Atharva Veda (1000 BC), vi 97,1, (source Monier Williams) though ritual fire was known as early as the later period of the Rg Veda (possibly 1400 BC), and a detailed explanation on its performance is given in Satapatha Brahmana (12:4:1, Fourth Adhyaya, First Brahmana).
Agnihotra as performed by several conscientious Hindus today, is a simplified version, sometimes accompanied by daily (nitya) karmas (duties) such as Sandhyavandanam and Samidhadanam. It can also be a kAmyakarma (optional obligation, not performed continuously) as mentioned in Manu or Yagnavalkyasamhita.
Though it is likely the Agnihotra ritual was originally performed exclusively by men, in this time and age it is open to both genders and all varnas and castes. What is required is an attitude of devotion (bhakti) and faith (saraddhA).
The process of Agnihotra consists of making two offerings to the fire exactly at the time of sunrise & sunset along with the chanting of two small Sanskrit mantras.
The offerings consist of two pinchfuls of uncooked rice grains smeared with a few drops of cow's pure ghee (clarified butter). The fire is prepared out of dried cowdung cakes in a small copper pot.
First, one takes a small piece of the cow dung cake and place it at the bottom of the pot. Then he puts Gugul, Camphor or a Cotton Wick duly soaked in cow's ghee on the bottom piece and then starts arranging the other pieces of cow dung cakes around it neatly. A matchstick or preferably camphor is used to light the fire (originally "pure" fire was produced by rubbing dried pieces of stick together, or transferred from such pure hearths.) If necessary, a hand-held fan can be used so that all the pieces are fully ablaze.
Two pinchfuls of clean, unbroken rice grains (raw) are grasped on one's left palm or in a small dish. These rice grains are smeared with a few drops of cow's pure ghee, and then divided in two parts. Keep an eye on your watch and sooner its needle touches the exact sunrise time, start uttering the first mantra 'Sooryaya Svaha' ("oblation unto the Sun"). While you start saying 'Svaha' offer one part of the rice grains to the fire. Continue and complete the mantra's first line 'Sooryaya Idam Na Mama' (this belongs to the Sun not to me).
Start uttering the other line of the mantra, 'Prajapataye Svaha' (oblation unto Prajapati. Lord of all Created beings), while offering the other part of the rice grains to the fire after saying and go on to complete the mantra, 'Prajapataye Idam Na Mama' ('this belongs to Prajapati, not me'). Concentrate on the fire till the offerings are fully burnt.
The morning Agnihotra concludes here.
In the evening before the Agnihotra time, remove very carefully the morning Agnihotra ash from the pot and put it in a bag or box specially kept aside for it. Repeating the morning process, prepare a fresh fire from the cowdung cakes in the pot. Also prepare two equal parts of the cow ghee smeared rice grains for the two offerings.
Exactly at sunset time, accompanied by the chanting of sunset Agnihotra mantras - 'Agnaye Svaha' (Oblation to Agni, Fire) offer the first part after saying 'Svaha' and complete the mantra by saying 'Agnaye Idam Na Mama' ('this unto Agni, not me').
Similarly, uttering the second line of the mantra offer other part of the rice grains to the fire after saying 'Prajapataye Svaha' and complete the mantra uttering 'Prajapataye Idam Na Mama'. Concentrate on the fire till the offerings are fully burnt.
This concludes the evening Agnihotra.
