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Panchagnividya (Samskrit: पञ्चाग्निविद्या) deals with the essential principle of Origin of Life in सनातनधर्मः || [[Sanatana Dharma (सनातनधर्मः)|Sanatana Dharma]].  Every aspect of life is a यज्ञः ॥ [[Yajna (यज्ञः)|Yajna]] (divine activity), not just an action or labour.  Yajna is a continuous activity offered to divinity on a moment to moment basis.

Panchagnividya (Samskrit: पञ्चाग्निविद्या) deals with the essential principle of Origin of Life in [[Sanatana Dharma (सनातनधर्मः)|Sanatana Dharma]].  Every aspect of life is a [[Yajna (यज्ञः)|Yajna]] (divine activity), not just an action or labour.  Yajna is a continuous activity offered to divinity on a moment to moment basis.

Panchagnividya is a specific kind of विद्या || vidya (knowledge) taught by the royal sage, Pravahana Jaivali to श्वेतकेतुः ॥ [[Shvetaketu (श्वेतकेतुः)|Shvetaketu]], the son of उद्दालक-आरुणिः ॥ [[Uddalaka (उद्दालकः)|Uddalaka Aruni]].  It was vested with the क्षत्रियाः || Kshatriyas and Uddalaka Aruni was the first ब्राह्मणः || Brahmana to receive this knowledge. Pravahana Jaivali, who was well-versed in उद्गीथः || [[Udgitha (उद्गीथः)|udgitha]], held that the Universe exhibits at every stage, the principle of sacrifice.  

Panchagnividya is a specific kind of vidya (knowledge) taught by the royal sage, Pravahana Jaivali to [[Shvetaketu (श्वेतकेतुः)|Shvetaketu]], the son of [[Uddalaka (उद्दालकः)|Uddalaka Aruni]] (उद्दालक-आरुणिः).  It was vested with the Kshatriyas and Uddalaka Aruni was the first Brahmana to receive this knowledge. Pravahana Jaivali, who was well-versed in [[Udgitha (उद्गीथः)|udgitha]] (उद्गीथः), held that the Universe exhibits at every stage, the principle of yajna.  

==  परिचयः || Introduction ==

==  परिचयः || Introduction ==

Panchagni vidya or knowledge appears in the छान्दोग्य-उपनिषद् || Chandogya Upanishad (Chapter 5 Mantras 3-10)<ref name=":0">Jha, Ganganatha. (1923). ''The Chandogya Upanishad and Sri Sankara's Commentary, Fourth Volume.'' Madras:The India Printing Works.</ref> and the बृहदारण्यक-उपनिषद् || Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (Chapter 6.2).  

Panchagni vidya or knowledge appears in the Chandogya Upanishad (Chapter 5 Mantras 3-10)<ref name=":0">Jha, Ganganatha. (1923). ''The Chandogya Upanishad and Sri Sankara's Commentary, Fourth Volume.'' Madras:The India Printing Works.</ref> and the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (Chapter 6.2).  

The Chandogya Upanishad, which belongs to the कौथुम-शाखा || Kauthuma Shakha of the [[Samaveda (सामवेदः)|Samaveda]], conceives the whole universal activity of creation as a kind of yajna (sacrifice) where everything is connected; this sacrifice/knowledge is known as the Panchagni vidya.<ref name=":1">Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya, Part I''. Hubli:​Sahitya Prakashana​.</ref>

The Chandogya Upanishad, which belongs to the Kauthuma Shakha (कौथुम-शाखा) of the [[Samaveda (सामवेदः)|Samaveda]], conceives the whole universal activity of creation as a kind of yajna where everything is connected; this sacrifice/knowledge is known as the Panchagni vidya.<ref name=":1">Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya, Part I''. Hubli:​Sahitya Prakashana​.</ref>

==  Panchagni Tapas Vs Panchagnividya ==

==  Panchagni Tapas Vs Panchagnividya ==

[[Panchagni (पञ्चाग्नि)|Panchagni]] means 5 Agnis or fires. In vedic and puranic literature, Panchagni has been mentioned as a methodology used for performing severe austerities. There are many instances of तपस् ॥ tapas (penance) for thousands of years, performed by different celestial beings including कुबेरः ॥ Kubera, पार्वती ॥ Parvati and असुराः ॥ asuras such as महिषासुरः ॥ Mahishasura and तारकासुरः ॥ Tarakasura, by standing or sitting in the midst of a set of five fires called Panchagni.   

[[Panchagni (पञ्चाग्नि)|Panchagni]] means 5 Agnis or fires. In vedic and puranic literature, Panchagni has been mentioned as a methodology used for performing severe austerities. There are many instances of tapas (तपस् | penance) for thousands of years, performed by different celestial beings including Kubera, Parvati and asuras such as Mahishasura and Tarakasura (तारकासुरः), by standing or sitting in the midst of a set of five fires called Panchagni.   

According to Puranic Encyclopaedia<ref>Vettam. Mani, (1975). ''[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft Puranic encyclopaedia : A comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature].'' Delhi:Motilal Banasidass.</ref>, रोहिणी ॥ Rohini - a daughter, सोमः ॥ Soma - a son and अग्निः ॥ [[Agni (आग्निः)|Agni]], were born to निशा ॥ Nisha, the third wife of मनुः ॥ Manu. Besides them, they begot five sons in the form of Agni (fire) and these five are called Panchagnis. They are वैश्वानरः ॥ Vaishvanara, विश्वपतिः ॥ Vishvapati, सन्निहितः ॥ Sannihita, कपिलः ॥ Kapila and अग्रणी ॥ Agrani.  

According to Puranic Encyclopaedia<ref>Vettam. Mani, (1975). ''[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft Puranic encyclopaedia : A comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature].'' Delhi:Motilal Banasidass.</ref>, Rohini - a daughter, Soma - a son and [[Agni (अग्निः)|Agni]], were born to Nisha (निशा), the third wife of Manu. Besides them, they begot five sons in the form of Agni (fire) and these five are called Panchagnis. They are Vaishvanara (वैश्वानरः), Vishvapati (विश्वपतिः), Sannihita (सन्निहितः), Kapila (कपिलः) and Agrani (अग्रणी).  

Such a penance that is performed amidst the five agnis is said to be very austere and is performed with an intention to please ब्रह्मा ॥ [[Brahma (ब्रह्मा)|Brahma]] or the others in the Trinity for obtaining material boons.  

Such a penance that is performed amidst the five agnis is said to be very austere and is performed with an intention to please [[Brahma (ब्रह्मा)|Brahma]] or the others in the Trinity for obtaining material boons.  

Panchagnividya, however, is not actually fires in the physical sense, or a वैदिकयज्ञः ॥ vaidika yajna, nor a तपस् ॥ penance but deals with the knowledge or meditation to know the inner meaning of the common phenomenon of birth and death. It is a method of meditation wherein evolution and the cycle of the संसारचक्रः ॥ samsara-chakra is understood such that a householder frees himself from the bondage of the samsara-chakra. This all inclusiveness and comprehension of various aspects of the world and their relationship to the Universe is the secret of the meditation that is Panchagnividya.   

Panchagnividya, however, is not actually fires in the physical sense, or a vaidika yajna, nor a tapas (penance) but deals with the knowledge or meditation to know the inner meaning of the common phenomenon of birth and death. It is a method of meditation wherein evolution and the cycle of the samsara-chakra is understood such that a householder frees himself from the bondage of the samsara-chakra. This all inclusiveness and comprehension of various aspects of the world and their relationship to the Universe is the secret of the meditation that is Panchagnividya.   

==  पञ्चाग्निविद्या ||Panchagni Vidya ==

==  पञ्चाग्निविद्या ||Panchagni Vidya ==

पञ्चाग्निविद्या || Panchagnividya, thus, different from the Panchagnis, is a part of ब्रह्मविद्या ॥ [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|Brahmavidya]] or the knowledge to attain the परमात्मन् ॥ Paramatma. This vidya as expounded in the fifth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad<ref name=":0" /><ref>Chandogya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AB Fifth Adhyaya)]</ref>, constitutes a brilliant study of the Absolute or ब्रह्मन् ॥ Brahman even for an ordinary person.   

पञ्चाग्निविद्या || Panchagnividya, thus, different from the Panchagnis, is a part of ब्रह्मविद्या ॥ [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|Brahmavidya]] or the knowledge to attain the परमात्मन् ॥ Paramatma. This vidya as expounded in the fifth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad<ref name=":0" /><ref>Chandogya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AB Fifth Adhyaya)]</ref>, constitutes a brilliant study of the Absolute or ब्रह्मन् ॥ Brahman even for an ordinary person.