Playing with Fire

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Playing with Fire!

 

 

All life, in its myriad variety, is sustained by the Five Elements—Earth,

Atmosphere, Water, Fire and the Wind. The absence of even one of these would

make life, as we know it, impossible to live. If there is no Earth, where do you

stand or sleep? Without air, can you breathe at all? And the skies are the

residence of the Sun and the Moon, which sustain life forms everywhere. Needless

to say, Water is an extremely essential input to life, its absence spelling

doom, as many of Chennaiites must have felt in months past. And Fire is perhaps

the most essential component of life-saving equipment that the Lord has blessed

us with, be it for cooking or warming oneself against biting cold. It is the

last-mentioned element that we shall be looking at in some detail in this piece.

 

The importance of Fire, or “Agni”, as it is called affectionately by the Shruti,

is chronicled quite elaborately in the Vedas, with more than two hundred Sooktas

in its praise. It would be no exaggeration to term Fire as among the most

important of the Vedic Pantheon of Deities. Two of the four Vedas begin with

eulogies to Agni. The very first hymn of the hoary Rig Veda is devoted to this

mighty bull among deities—“Agnim eedE PurOhitam Yagyasya dEvam Ritvijam” says

the first verse, exhorting us to pay obeisance to Agni as the leader and the

deity of all sacrifices. This is no mere flash in the pan, for we find the

venerated Sama Veda too devoting its very first verse to this fiery god—“agna

AyAhi veetaye, griNAnO havya dAtayE”.

 

What is the reason for the extremely high pedestal on which the Shruti places

the FireGod? Why should this august body of unauthored wisdom devote litany

after elaborate litany to this element? Though the other four elements are no

less in importance, we find the Vedas almost obsessive in

their focus on Fire. The reasons are not far to seek. It is Agni, which makes

Sacrifices, the various Yagas and Yagyas, possible. As we know, everything has

its roots in Yagyam--all Creation came out of a Yagyam performed at the Cosmic

Beginning, as described by the Purusha Suktam.

Yagyas are indispensable for the sustenance of mankind—“YagyE sarvam

pratishtthitam”—And Agni is indispensable for the performance of Yagyas. Is it

any wonder then that the Shruti waxes eloquent in praise of this sine qua non of

Sacrifices?

 

What exactly does the word “Agni” mean? A study of the etymology reveals the

profound regard the Shruti has for Fire, for the Fire God is termed a “Leader”,

(“agram nayati, iti Agni:”) one who leads us forward to better things, to better

worlds, through the performance of Yagyas. Agni is also termed “Purohitam”,

(refer the opening verse of Rig Veda) one who knows well what is good for us and

instructs us accordingly. Due to his indispensability in the household, Agni is

also called the Master of the House—“Griha pati:” (“Agnim grihapatim

abhisamvasaana:”). Because he carries the offerings meant for various other

deities (since propitiation of all deities is done by offerings in fire with

intonation of “Svaahaa”), he is known too as a venerated Emissary, a “Doota”

(“Agnim dootam vriNeemahE”). It is to Agni that we pray for leading us on a

safe and comfortable path, in this minefield of Samsara—“AgnE naya supathA rAyE

asmAn”. It is to this Fire God that we pray time and agai

n for everything—“bhooyishtthAm tE nama uktim vidhEma”. Due to Ghee (clarified

butter) being his staple food, Agni is also known as “Ghrita nirNik”, “Ghrita

mukha:”, “Ghrita kEsa:” etc. Because he leaves everything he touches black, he

is known as “KrishnavartmA” .Due to his indispensability to life, Agni is

glorified as the very creator of beings—“Agni: prajaanaam prajanayitaa”. When he

carries offerings to Devas, he is known as “Havya vaahana:” and when the

recipients are Pitru devataas, he is called “Kavya vaahana:”

 

The Aruna Prasnam of the Taittiriya Aranyakam enumerates another set of eight

haloed names of this blazing deity—“Agni”, “JAtavEdA, SahOjA, Ajiraaprabhu:,

Vaisvaanara: Naryaapasa:, Panktiraadhasa: and Visarpa:”.

 

It is another measure of greatness of this deity that his worship is stipulated

as a daily duty (“nitya karma”) for everyone. “Agnihotram” and “OupAsanam” are

supposed to be performed twice a day, in the morning and evening, just like

Sandhyavandanam. And the beneficial effects of this Agnihotram were demonstrated

for all to see, during the Bhopal gas disaster, when only the family, in whose

house Agnihotram was performed, remained unaffected by poisonous fumes of the

Union Carbide Pesticides plant, when thousands of others perished. Times have

come to such a pass that this daily duty of “Oupasanam” is performed these days,

only as a prelude to some other major Vaidika karma such as a Marriage,

Seemantonnayanam or Shraddham. Time was, when this Agnihotram was performed by a

large number of vaidikas, who used to preserve the Agni in pots of chaff, never

to be extinguished till their last breath. The importance attached to Fire

Worship can be fathomed from the fact that this i

s compulsory for all men from age eight onwards, when they undergo “Upanayanam”.

From the day they adorn themselves with the Sacred Thread and become

Brahmachaaris, boys are supposed to perform “Samidaadaanam” twice daily. Upon

marriage, they take on the duties of “Agnihotram” and “Oupaasanam”, to be

performed by every man till life leaves his body. Interestingly, SanyAsis are

exempted from Agni Kaaryam—the moment they don the ochre robes, they are

relieved of any duties to the sacrificial fire.

 

Another little-known piece of information—every bride, before becoming the wife

of a man, is offered to Agni, says the Mantra Prasnam—“Soma: prathamo vivide,

Gandharvo vivida uttara: triteeyo Agnishte pati: tureeyaste manushyajaa:”. Thus,

according to this mantra, all married ladies would have to call themselves,

“Mrs. Agni”, irrespective of other appellations they may sport.

 

In the order of Creation, Agni is the third to emerge, the first being

Atmosphere, says the Shruti—“Atmana Akaasa: sambhoota:, Akaasaat Vaayu:, Vaayo:

Agni:”. Only from Fire did the other two elements, Earth and Water, came into

being—“Agne: Aapa:, Adbhya: Prithivi”. The Purusha Sukta ascribes exalted

origins to Agni—right from the Lord’s face (mouth)—“Mukhaat Indrascha Agnischa”.

 

Apart from being one of the five basic elements, Agni is also acclaimed to be

the hidden essence of Water—“na apsu mootra pureesham kuryaat--guhyo vaa esha:

Agni: iti vadanta:”. The very same Shruti tells us that birds do not stay on

earth in the night, because it appears to burn in the night. Thus, Agni’s

influence extends over the other elements too.

 

Devas were readying themselves for their one of their frequent battles with

Asuras. The question arose as to which Deity was to be propitiated first, to

ensure victory in the ensuing encounter. Agni, the Leader, declared boldly,

“Worship Me first!”. And wonder of wonders, other Deities, who were quite

egoistic, did not dispute Agni’s claim and, recognising his supremacy, were

quite content to be worshipped next. The Devas worshipped Agni first (Soma,

Savita and Vayu later) and, as a result, emerged victorious, says the Prathama

Ashtakam—“sa: Agni: abraveet, maam agre yajata,…te Agnina mukhena asuraan

ajayan:” Since he burned down Rakshasas, Agni is also known as

“Rakshoghna:”—“Agnaye Rakshoghne svaahaa!”

 

Agni’s primacy is on display throughout the Shruti. He is the lord of the very

first star too, among the twenty-seven. The Krittika aphorism has Agni as its

devata—“Krittikaa nakshatram Agni: devata”. Vedas recognise Krittika as the

first nakshatram, contrary to our practice of counting Asvini first. Why then is

Asvini allowed to usurp Krittika’s place as the first among stars? The Shruti

itself tells us the reason—because deeds done under this star are likely to burn

down the doer’s household, people prefer to relegate Krittika to the third

place—“Agni nakshatram iti apachaayayanti, Grihaan ha daahuko bhavati”.

 

The Yaju: Samhita narrates another interesting tale about Agni. The Fire God had

three younger brothers, (“Agne: trayo jyaayaamso bhraatara aasan”) all the four

carrying out unfailingly their arduous job of carrying the offerings by human

beings to their respective celestial recipients. The three younger brothers, due

to the heavy workload and meagre returns, came to a bad end ultimately.

Demoralised by their fate, Agni decided not to function as a mere carrier

anymore and hid himself deep in the ocean. Denied of their diet of sacrificial

offering, Devas searched for the Fire God high and low. When they entered the

waters and enquired among marine inhabitants, the Fish gave away Agni and

revealed his hiding place. Angered at this, Agni cursed that Fish should meet

their end daily, being killed by fishermen who would catch them as and when they

wished. We see this happening till date. When Devas requested Agni to resume his

services, he agreed subject to the condition that al

l material, which fell outside the sacrificial fire, while being offered, should

reach his late brothers. Devas readily agreed and Agni too became the divine

carrier once more.

 

Management experts speak of having a “Fire in the Belly”, to describe an

unquenchable urge for achievement. They would be surprised to know that everyone

has fire in their belly—achievers as well as others. Shastras tell us that it is

the “Jaataraagni” or the digestive fires located in the intestines, which enable

assimilation of food and afford nutrition to the body. The Lord says in the Gita

that it is He Himself, who resides in beings as this “Jaataraagni” and enables

digestion of all kinds of food—

 

“aham Vaisvaanaro bhootvaa praaninam deham aasrita:

Praana apaana samaayukta: pachaami annam chatur vidham”.

 

The BrihadaaranyakaUpanishad too bears out this proposition of the Lord being

the Digestive Fire, without whose aid no food could be assimilated—

“ayam Agni: Vaisvaanaro yo yam anta: purushe yena idam annam pachyate”

 

If you wanted to see the Paramatma, where do you think you would find Him? The

Lord is to be found in the form of the sacrificial Fire, says Srimad

Bhagavatam—“Agnou tishtati vipraanaam”. All important events which require

witnessing, are done in front of the sacred fire—whether they be bonds of

matrimony or those of friendship. We are told that when Sri Rama and Sugreeva

sealed their agreement of friendship and mutual assistance, they did it with the

Fire as witness—“chakaara sakhyam Ramena preeta: chaiva Agni saakshikam”

 

What are the various types of Fire? At the time of marriage, the Fire with which

marriage rituals and Oupaasanam are performed first, is divided into two (with

the aid of a specific ritual known as “Agnyaadhaanam”). The first of these Fires

becomes the Grihyaagni, with which further Oupaasanam is performed twice daily.

The other part acquires the name “Shroutaagni”. This again is divided into three

categories—Gaarhapatyam (which is to be preserved without ever going out)

Dakshinam and Aahavaneeyam. It is these three that Sri Tirumangai Mannan refers

to as “Mutthee naanmarai iyvagai velvi”. One who worships these two Agnis

(Grihya and Shrouta) is himself known as an “Aahitaagni”.

 

Forgetting that he is after all another creation of the Paramatma, Agni dares to

oppose Sri Krishna, in His encounter with Baanaasura and is thoroughly

vanquished, says Sri Nammazhwar—“Tiripuram chettravanum maganum pinnum Angium

por tulaya”. In the relative commentary, Sri Periyavaacchaan Pillai tells us

that Fire is of forty-nine categories, all of which met their nemesis in Sri

Krishna.

 

With all this, and after heaping all sorts of encomiums upon Agni, the Veda

Purusha lets the Fire God down with a bump, when he calls Agni the lowest of all

Gods and Vishnu, the highest—“Agni: avamo devataanam, Vishnu: parama:”. While

the supremacy ascribed to the Lord is understandable, why this rough treatment

to the Fire? Perhaps because he acts as a mere messenger, conveying the

offerings of human propitiators to their divine recipients?

 

All this is interesting, but how should we Prapannas, who have surrendered

ourselves to Sriman Narayana, regard the Fire God? Do we worship him as called

for in innumerable Veda vakyaas? Do we accord him the exalted status he

obviously enjoys among the Vedic Deities?

 

As people who have entrusted our fortunes here and in the higher worlds to the

Lord of all Lords, Sriman Narayana, we have no call to worship any other deity,

for whatever purpose. All the mantras addressed to Agni, Indra, Varuna and other

devas, which we use in our nitya karmas like Sandhyavandanam, are in fact meant

for the Lord, who is as much the Inner Dweller of these Devatas, as He is of us.

Hence, whenever we worship Agni in our nitya karmas, we do it with the full

recognition that Agni is the mere body of the Lord, as we too are, and the

prayers are in fact addressed to the Antaryaami of all beings.

 

This apart, Agni has an extremely close association with Emperuman. We find that

in the Ramavatara, the Lord could very well be said to owe His origins to the

(Putrakaameshti Yaga) fire, from which the Yaksha with the Paayasam emerged,

upon imbibing which Kousalya and other wives of Dasaratha gave birth to the

brothers Rama. Again, to demonstrate His closeness to Fire, we find Sri

Varadaraja emerging from the fires of the Asvamedha Yaga performed by Brahmaa at

Kanchi. To commemorate this, we can see Sri Varadan’s celestial countenance

still looking slightly scorched. Though no fire can really affect Emperuman, He

sports such a visage to remind devotees of the extents to which He would go, to

gladden their hearts.

 

Agni can boast of an extremely close association with Piratti too. For, when She

wanted to prove Herself to the whole world to be pure as driven snow, it is Fire

built on the shores of Lanka that She enters. Agni presents himself before Sri

Raghava and proudly proclaims Piratti to be the purest of pure. From that day,

Agni Pariksha or Ordeal through Fire, has come to be regarded as the greatest

test of one’s bona fides. Earlier too, Sita Piratti prays to Agni not to hurt

Hanuman, whose tail had been set afire by Rakshasas—“seeto bhava Hanoomata”

 

The destructive potential of Agni is on full display, when Sri Hanuman sets fire

to Lanka, transferring the fire of sorrow raging in the mind of Sita Devi to the

city of Lanka, burning it down—“ya: shoka vahnim Janakaatmajaaya: aadaaya

tenaiva dadaaha Lankam”. With his burning tail, Maruti leaps over the houses of

Ravana’s courtiers, choosing with care the magnificent residences of ministers

and military commanders. With a mild swipe of his tail, Hanuman sets fire to

these residences, which crumble to mere embers in a matter of minutes, due to

the intensity of the heat. Paradoxically, Agni Bhagavan, who has no effect on

the Monkey God, rages with all the fury at his command while burning down the

Lankan houses. The list of victims reads like a Who’s Who of the Lankan high

society—Prahasta, MahApArsva, Vajradamshtra, Suka, SAraNa, Indrajit, JambhumAli,

SumAli, RashmikEtu, Suryashatru, HrisvakarNa, Damshtra, ROmasa, Vidyutjihva,

KumbhakarNa and so on. Amidst all this spree of

arson, Agni carefully spares the residence of Sri Vibhishana, venting his fury

instead on the splendorous palace of Ravana. From a glorious and teeming city

filled with beautiful mansions with towers studded with gems, pearls and

precious stones, roads and pathways full of rich adornments and valuable

vehicles, Lanka is transformed within seconds into a blazing inferno, with huge

tongues of fire leaping with facility from one beautiful building to another.

The raging fire is fuelled by strong winds fanning the flames and fuelling their

destructive potential. Viewed from the sky, Lanka resembles a huge burning

ground, with most of its dastardly inhabitants forming live fuel for the raging

fire. In the space of an hour, the entire city of magnificence and incredible

beauty is reduced to glowing embers and burnt cinders. Azhwars too adulate the

Lord for burning down arrogant Lanka—“Ilangai eri ezha chettra villi”.

 

The influence of Agni in our lives is all-pervasive. Most of the forty

Samskaaraas or enabling processes that human beings are supposed to undergo, are

with the aid of Agni, be it Upanayanam, marriage or others. And when we finally

leave our mortal coils, it is again to the flames that the physical remains are

consigned. This act of cremation is held in high esteem and deemed to be the

final sacrifice or Ishti that the human being participates in. During one’s

lifetime, one is supposed to perform many Yagyams with differing materials as

“Ahuti” (food for fire). In this Antyeshti, it is the body itself which is

offered as sacrificial material.

 

Thus, from birth to death, our association with Agni is extremely close.

Paradoxically, this Holy Fire is more beneficial to us, the closer we get to it,

and tends to scorch us only if we stay away due to indolence or ignorance. That

is to say, the more we perform the rituals ordained upon us, the more Agni

protects us with all his might.

 

It would appear from all this that “Playing with fire” is indeed good.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan