Difference between revisions of "Tretagni (त्रेताग्निः)"

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All Srauta yagnas or yaagas are associated with त्रेताग्नयः the three Agni's.<ref name=":022222222">Venkateswara Rao. Potturi (2010) ''Paaramaathika Padakosam'' Hyderabad: Msko Books</ref> However, not all three fires are lighted and maintained at all times. त्रेताग्नयः the three fires are kindled in performance of yaagas. Somayaagas require the kindling of all three fires whereas others do not require so<ref name=":122222222">Purkayastha, Dipanjona (2014) Ph. D Thesis from Assam University : ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/41946 A Study of the Asvalayana srauta sutra with reference to the principal sacrifices]''</ref>.
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All Srauta yajnas or yagas are associated with त्रेताग्नयः the three Agni's, and hence also called Srautaagni.<ref name=":022222222">Venkateswara Rao. Potturi (2010) ''Paaramaathika Padakosam'' Hyderabad: Msko Books</ref> However, not all three fires are lighted and maintained at all times. त्रेताग्नयः the three fires are kindled in performance of yagas. Somayagas require the kindling of all three fires whereas others do not require so<ref name=":122222222">Purkayastha, Dipanjona (2014) Ph. D Thesis from Assam University : ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/41946 A Study of the Asvalayana srauta sutra with reference to the principal sacrifices]''</ref>.  
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=== Tretagni and Ekagni ===
 +
The section in the Apastamba-sutras dealing with the offerings made in the three fires is called "Tretagni-kanda". One who worships the three Agnis is called a "srauti" and if he worships the srauta and grhya fires, he is called an "ahitagni". Ekagni is the sacred fire in which the the chaitanyam of the creating-energy is meditated and Vhree (Rice grain) is offered to the Agni with recitation of prescribed mantras and is called as Aupasana. If aupasana is a grhyakarma, Agnihotra is a srauta karma and it too must be performed twice a day.<ref>Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekhararendra Saraswati Swami (2000) ''Hindu Dharma.'' Mumbai : Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan</ref>
  
 
A few important features of the three agnis are summarized below   
 
A few important features of the three agnis are summarized below   
==== गार्हपत्याग्निः ॥ Gaarhapatya Agni ====
+
=== गार्हपत्याग्निः ॥ Garhapatyaagni ===
Information about of गार्हपत्याग्निः ॥ Gaarhapatya agni  
+
Information about of गार्हपत्याग्निः ॥ Garhapatya agni  
* It is used by grihastas for general domestic usage, to cook food and aahutidravyas used in other yagnas by reciting mantras.  
+
* It is kindled after marriage, and is be maintained and worshipped for the rest of the life by the grihastha along with his wife.
* It is placed to the west of the yagnavedi and placed in circular shaped kunda.  
+
* It is ceremonially established with the elaborate vedic procedure involving recitation of specific mantras during the process called Agnyadhana. The Aupasana Agni lit at the time of the grooms wedding is passed on from the father to the son. It is divided into two during the Agnyadhana process. One part becomes the Grhyagni and the other becomes the Srautagni called Garhapatya. 
* It is ceremonially established with the elaborate vedic procedure involving recitation of specific mantras and is called Agnyādhāna. 
+
* It is the only Agni that is maintained continuously and daily aahutis are to be made to this Agni by the grihastha.
* It is rekindled by a special process called "Punaradhana" if it gets extinguished for any reason.   
+
* It is used by grihastas for general domestic usage, to cook food and offering of aahutidravyas used in other yajnas by reciting mantras.  
 +
* It is placed to the west of the yajnavedi and placed in circular shaped kunda in Srauta yajnas.  
 +
* It is rekindled by a special process involving the Prayaschitta mantras called "Punaradhana" if it gets extinguished for any reason.   
 
* It is used in nityakarmas.   
 
* It is used in nityakarmas.   
* It is the only Agni that is maintained continuously and daily aahutis are to be made to this Agni by a grihastha.
+
* It is the source of other two Agnis.
* It is the source of other two Agnis
+
* Only a sapatnika yajamani (grihastha) of the three varnas is allowed to tend this Agni.  
* It is kindled after marriage and and is be worshipped for the rest of the life by the grihastha.  
+
=== आहवनीयाग्निः ॥ Aahvaniyaagni ===
* Only a sapatnika yajamani (grihastha) of the three varnas is allowed to tend the Agnihotram.
+
Some salient aspects about आहवनीयाग्निः ॥ Ahvaniya agni are as follows
==== आहवनीयाग्निः ॥ Aahvaniya Agni ====
+
* It is invoked only in special aabhicharika yaagas unlike Garhapatya agni.
Some salient aspects about आहवनीयाग्निः ॥ Aahvaniya Agni are as follows
+
* Ahvaniya agni is established from the Garhapatya agni along with the recitation of specific mantras.
* It is invoked only in special aabhicharika yaagas unlike Gaarhapatya agni.
 
* The first Aahvaniya agni is established from the Gaarhapatya agni along with the recitation of specific mantras.
 
 
* It is not maintained everyday and is considered as Laukikagni at the end of the specific yaaga for which it is invoked.
 
* It is not maintained everyday and is considered as Laukikagni at the end of the specific yaaga for which it is invoked.
* It is placed to the east of the yagnavedi, in a rectangular shaped kunda.
+
* It is placed to the east of the yajnavedi, in a rectangular shaped kunda.
* It is used to offer aahutis to the devatas only.  
+
* It is used to offer aahutis to the devatas only during Srauta yajnas.  
==== दक्षिणाग्निः ॥ Dakshinaagni ====
+
=== दक्षिणाग्निः ॥ Dakshinaagni ===
 
Salient aspects about दक्षिणाग्निः ॥ Dakshinaagni is as follows
 
Salient aspects about दक्षिणाग्निः ॥ Dakshinaagni is as follows
* It is invoked only in special yaagas similar to Aahvaniya agni.
+
* It is invoked only in special yaagas similar to Ahvaniya agni.
* The first Dakshinaagni is established from the Gaarhapatya agni along with the recitation of specific mantras during yagna karmas.
+
* Dakshinaagni is established from the Garhapatya agni along with the recitation of specific mantras during yajna karmas.
 
* It is not maintained everyday and is considered as Laukikagni at the end of the specific yaagam for which it is invoked.
 
* It is not maintained everyday and is considered as Laukikagni at the end of the specific yaagam for which it is invoked.
* It is placed to the south of the yagnavedi, in a half circle shaped kunda.
+
* It is placed to the south of the yajnavedi, in a half circle shaped kunda.
 
* It is used to offer aahutis to the pitrudevatas or forefathers only.  
 
* It is used to offer aahutis to the pitrudevatas or forefathers only.  
Shatapata Brahmana (11.8.2) mentions about four different fires and their association to the 4 directions.
 
 
११.८.२ अग्नेश्चातुर्विध्याभिधायकं ब्राह्मणम्
 
 
चत्वारो ह वा अग्नयः। आहित उद्धृतः प्रहृतो विहृतोऽयमेव लोक आहितोऽन्तरिक्षलोक उद्धृतो द्यौष्प्रहृतो दिशो विहृतोऽग्निरेवाहितो वायुरुद्धृत आदित्यः प्रहृतश्चन्द्रमा विहृतो गार्हपत्य एवाहित आहवनीय उद्धृतोऽथ यमेतमाहवनीयात्प्राञ्चं प्रणयन्ति स प्रहृतोऽथ यमेतमुदञ्चम्पशुश्रपणायाहरन्ति यं चोपयङ्भ्यः स विहृतस्तस्मात्प्रहार्येऽग्नौ पशुबन्धेन यजेत - ११.८.२.[१]
 
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
 
<references />
 
<references />

Revision as of 22:35, 25 February 2018

All Srauta yajnas or yagas are associated with त्रेताग्नयः the three Agni's, and hence also called Srautaagni.[1] However, not all three fires are lighted and maintained at all times. त्रेताग्नयः the three fires are kindled in performance of yagas. Somayagas require the kindling of all three fires whereas others do not require so[2].

Tretagni and Ekagni

The section in the Apastamba-sutras dealing with the offerings made in the three fires is called "Tretagni-kanda". One who worships the three Agnis is called a "srauti" and if he worships the srauta and grhya fires, he is called an "ahitagni". Ekagni is the sacred fire in which the the chaitanyam of the creating-energy is meditated and Vhree (Rice grain) is offered to the Agni with recitation of prescribed mantras and is called as Aupasana. If aupasana is a grhyakarma, Agnihotra is a srauta karma and it too must be performed twice a day.[3]

A few important features of the three agnis are summarized below

गार्हपत्याग्निः ॥ Garhapatyaagni

Information about of गार्हपत्याग्निः ॥ Garhapatya agni

  • It is kindled after marriage, and is be maintained and worshipped for the rest of the life by the grihastha along with his wife.
  • It is ceremonially established with the elaborate vedic procedure involving recitation of specific mantras during the process called Agnyadhana. The Aupasana Agni lit at the time of the grooms wedding is passed on from the father to the son. It is divided into two during the Agnyadhana process. One part becomes the Grhyagni and the other becomes the Srautagni called Garhapatya.
  • It is the only Agni that is maintained continuously and daily aahutis are to be made to this Agni by the grihastha.
  • It is used by grihastas for general domestic usage, to cook food and offering of aahutidravyas used in other yajnas by reciting mantras.
  • It is placed to the west of the yajnavedi and placed in circular shaped kunda in Srauta yajnas.
  • It is rekindled by a special process involving the Prayaschitta mantras called "Punaradhana" if it gets extinguished for any reason.
  • It is used in nityakarmas.
  • It is the source of other two Agnis.
  • Only a sapatnika yajamani (grihastha) of the three varnas is allowed to tend this Agni.

आहवनीयाग्निः ॥ Aahvaniyaagni

Some salient aspects about आहवनीयाग्निः ॥ Ahvaniya agni are as follows

  • It is invoked only in special aabhicharika yaagas unlike Garhapatya agni.
  • Ahvaniya agni is established from the Garhapatya agni along with the recitation of specific mantras.
  • It is not maintained everyday and is considered as Laukikagni at the end of the specific yaaga for which it is invoked.
  • It is placed to the east of the yajnavedi, in a rectangular shaped kunda.
  • It is used to offer aahutis to the devatas only during Srauta yajnas.

दक्षिणाग्निः ॥ Dakshinaagni

Salient aspects about दक्षिणाग्निः ॥ Dakshinaagni is as follows

  • It is invoked only in special yaagas similar to Ahvaniya agni.
  • Dakshinaagni is established from the Garhapatya agni along with the recitation of specific mantras during yajna karmas.
  • It is not maintained everyday and is considered as Laukikagni at the end of the specific yaagam for which it is invoked.
  • It is placed to the south of the yajnavedi, in a half circle shaped kunda.
  • It is used to offer aahutis to the pitrudevatas or forefathers only.

References

  1. Venkateswara Rao. Potturi (2010) Paaramaathika Padakosam Hyderabad: Msko Books
  2. Purkayastha, Dipanjona (2014) Ph. D Thesis from Assam University : A Study of the Asvalayana srauta sutra with reference to the principal sacrifices
  3. Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekhararendra Saraswati Swami (2000) Hindu Dharma. Mumbai : Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan