Changes

== Agni in Upanishads ==

== Agni in Upanishads ==

=== Isavasyopanishad ===

=== Isavasyopanishad ===

In this Upanishad, the last two mantras, as given below are a prayer to Agni who is the divine witness to the actions of every life form<blockquote>वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं भस्मान्तम् शरीरम् । ॐ क्रतो स्मर कृतम् स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतम् स्मर ॥१७॥ (Isav. Upan. 17)<ref name=":3">Isavasyopanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%88%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%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%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%99%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D Mantras 17 and 18])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>vāyuranilamamr̥tamathedaṁ bhasmāntam śarīram ।oṁ krato smara kr̥tam smara krato smara kr̥tam smara ॥17॥ (Isav. Upan. 17)</blockquote><blockquote>अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान्विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान् । युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुराणमेनो भूयिष्ठां ते नम उक्तिं विधेम ॥१८॥ (Isav. Upan. 18)<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>agne naya supathā rāye asmānviśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān ।yuyodhyasmajjuhurāṇameno bhūyiṣṭhāṁ te nama uktiṁ vidhema ॥18॥ (Isav. Upan. 18)</blockquote>Summary : Let my vital force merge with the Immortal being or Hiranyagarbha and let the body be reduced to ashes, Om, O my mind (Fire is identified with the mind) remember your deeds. Let Agni, who knows all our deeds, lead us along the right path or the bright path of the Devas ([[Devayana and Pitrayana (देवयान मार्ग और पित्रयान मार्ग)|Devayana]] path from where there is no return to mortality), remove from us all crooked sins.<ref name=":22">Swami Gambhiranand, (1957) ''Eight Upanishads, With the Commentary of Sankaracarya, Vol 1.'' Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama http://estudantedavedanta.net/Eight-Upanisads-Vol-1.pdf</ref><ref>Swami Sharvananda (1943) ''[http://estudantedavedanta.net/ISAVASYOPANISHAD.pdf Isavasyopanishad]'' Madras:Sri Ramakrishna Math</ref>

In this Upanishad, the last two mantras, as given below are a prayer to Agni who is the divine witness to the actions of every life form<blockquote>वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं भस्मान्तम् शरीरम् । ॐ क्रतो स्मर कृतम् स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतम् स्मर ॥१७॥ (Isav. Upan. 17)<ref name=":3">Isavasyopanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%88%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%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%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%99%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D Mantras 17 and 18])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>vāyuranilamamr̥tamathedaṁ bhasmāntam śarīram ।oṁ krato smara kr̥tam smara krato smara kr̥tam smara ॥17॥ (Isav. Upan. 17)</blockquote><blockquote>अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान्विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान् । युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुराणमेनो भूयिष्ठां ते नम उक्तिं विधेम ॥१८॥ (Isav. Upan. 18)<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>agne naya supathā rāye asmānviśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān ।yuyodhyasmajjuhurāṇameno bhūyiṣṭhāṁ te nama uktiṁ vidhema ॥18॥ (Isav. Upan. 18)</blockquote>Summary : Let my vital force merge with the Immortal being or Hiranyagarbha and let the body be reduced to ashes, Om, O my mind (Fire is identified with the mind) remember your deeds. Let Agni, who knows all our deeds, lead us along the right path or the bright path of the Devas ([[Devayana Marga and Pitruyana Marga (देवयानमार्गः पितृयानमार्गः च।)|Devayana]] path from where there is no return to mortality), remove from us all crooked sins.<ref name=":22">Swami Gambhiranand, (1957) ''Eight Upanishads, With the Commentary of Sankaracarya, Vol 1.'' Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama http://estudantedavedanta.net/Eight-Upanisads-Vol-1.pdf</ref><ref>Swami Sharvananda (1943) ''[http://estudantedavedanta.net/ISAVASYOPANISHAD.pdf Isavasyopanishad]'' Madras:Sri Ramakrishna Math</ref>

This is the prayer for the dissolution of the individual prana into the infinite prana.  Agni is prayed to as the chief priest of the sacrifice and the divine witness of all actions done by the individual, when the body is being reduced to ashes. He is the principle intelligence which guides all thoughts and actions, a path to Universal Knowledge. Agni at the first step is like guide with a torch that illuminates the path of the soul.<ref>Swami Krishnananda's [https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/essay/essay_1.html Essays on the Upanishads, Isavasyopanishad] </ref>

This is the prayer for the dissolution of the individual prana into the infinite prana.  Agni is prayed to as the chief priest of the sacrifice and the divine witness of all actions done by the individual, when the body is being reduced to ashes. He is the principle intelligence which guides all thoughts and actions, a path to Universal Knowledge. Agni at the first step is like guide with a torch that illuminates the path of the soul.<ref>Swami Krishnananda's [https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/essay/essay_1.html Essays on the Upanishads, Isavasyopanishad] </ref>

Kaushitaki Upanishad associated with the Rig Veda describes the role of Agni in the transit of soul in Devayana marga.<ref>Warrier, Krishna A. G. ''[http://www.vedarahasya.net/kaushita.htm Kaushitaki Brahmana-Upanishad]'' Chennai:The Theosophical Publishing House</ref><ref>Kaushitaki Upanishad : http://cincinnatitemple.com/downloads/KaushitakiUpanishad.pdf</ref><blockquote>स एतं देवयानं पन्थानमापद्याग्निलोकमागच्छतिस वायुलोकं स आदित्यलोकं (Kaus. Upan. 1.3)<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D Kausihitaki Brahmana-Upanishad]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>sa etaṁ devayānaṁ panthānamāpadyāgnilokamāgacchatisa vāyulokaṁ sa ādityalokaṁ (Kaus. Upan. 1.3)</blockquote>

Kaushitaki Upanishad associated with the Rig Veda describes the role of Agni in the transit of soul in Devayana marga.<ref>Warrier, Krishna A. G. ''[http://www.vedarahasya.net/kaushita.htm Kaushitaki Brahmana-Upanishad]'' Chennai:The Theosophical Publishing House</ref><ref>Kaushitaki Upanishad : http://cincinnatitemple.com/downloads/KaushitakiUpanishad.pdf</ref><blockquote>स एतं देवयानं पन्थानमापद्याग्निलोकमागच्छतिस वायुलोकं स आदित्यलोकं (Kaus. Upan. 1.3)<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D Kausihitaki Brahmana-Upanishad]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>sa etaṁ devayānaṁ panthānamāpadyāgnilokamāgacchatisa vāyulokaṁ sa ādityalokaṁ (Kaus. Upan. 1.3)</blockquote>

=== Chandogya Upanishad ===

=== Chandogya Upanishad ===

Chandogya upanishad (Chap 5 and 6) describes ''[[Panchagni Vidya (पञ्चाग्नि विद्या)|Panchagnividya]]'', the meditation on the five fires (symbolic). Panchagnividya, however, is not actually fires in the physical sense, or an outward sacrificial activity, nor a penance or tapas but deals with the knowledge or meditation to know the inner meaning of the common phenomenon of birth and death.  

Chandogya upanishad (Chap 5 and 6) describes ''[[Panchagnividya (पञ्चाग्निविद्या)|Panchagnividya]]'', the meditation on the five fires (symbolic). Panchagnividya, however, is not actually fires in the physical sense, or an outward sacrificial activity, nor a penance or tapas 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 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. It explains the interconnectivity of everything that exists, with creation as a kind of sacrifice. Each manifestation, the microcosm, is a manifestation of ''Prakrti'', the macrocosm.

It is a method of meditation wherein evolution and the cycle of 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. It explains the interconnectivity of everything that exists, with creation as a kind of sacrifice. Each manifestation, the microcosm, is a manifestation of ''Prakrti'', the macrocosm.