Panchagnividya (पञ्चाग्निविद्या)

Panchagnividya (Samskrit: पञ्चाग्निविद्या) deals with the essential principle of Origin of Life in सनातनधर्मः || Sanatana Dharma. Every aspect of life is a यज्ञः ॥ Yajna or 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, the son of उद्दालक-आरुणिः ॥ 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 उद्गीथ || udgitha, held that the Universe exhibits at every stage the principle of sacrifice.

परिचयः || Introduction

Panchagni vidya or knowledge appears in the छान्दोग्य-उपनिषद् || Chandogya Upanishad (Chapter 5 Mantras 3-10) and the बृहदारण्यक-उपनिषद् || Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (Chapter 6.2).

The Chandogya Upanishad, which belongs to the कौथुम-शाखा || Kauthuma Shakha of the 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.

Panchagni Tapas Vs Panchagnividya

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.

According to Puranic Encyclopaedia, रोहिणी ॥ Rohini - a daughter, सोमः ॥ Soma - a son and अग्निः ॥ 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.

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 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.

पञ्चाग्निविद्या ||Panchagni Vidya

पञ्चाग्निविद्या || Panchagnividya, thus, different from the Panchagnis, is a part of Brahmavidya or the knowledge to attain the परमात्मन् ॥ Paramatma. This vidya as expounded in the fifth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad, constitutes a brilliant study of the Absolute or ब्रह्मन् ॥ Brahman even for an ordinary person.

The King Pravahana Jaivali addresses Uddalaka and Shvetaketu saying, "you are the first one among the Brahmans to receive this knowledge, until now it was known only to क्षत्रिय-s || Kshatriyas" and explains the essence of the Brahmavidya of which the Pancha-agni (5 types of Fire) is a part of. The five fires according to this vidya are symbolized as follows:

द्युर्लोकः || Dyurloka

असौ वाव लोको गौतमाग्निस्तस्याऽऽदित्य एव समिद्रश्मयो धूमोऽहरर्चिश्र्वन्द्रमा अङ्गारा नक्षत्राणि विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.4.1)

asau vāva loko gautamāgnistasyā''ditya eva samidraśmayo dhūmo'hararciśrvandramā aṅgārā nakṣatrāṇi visphuliṅgāḥ || (Chan. Upan. 5.4.1)

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः श्रद्धां जुहोति तसेया आहुतेः सोमो राजा संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.4.2)

tasminnetasminnagnau devāḥ śraddhāṃ juhoti taseyā āhuteḥ somo rājā saṃbhavati || (Chan. Upan. 5.4.2)

द्यु्र्लोक || dyurlok: Here the द्युर्लोक || World is the अग्नि || Agni (fire), आदित्य || aditya (one of Surya's twelve names) is the firewood, his Light rays are smoke in the fire, the Day is the flame, the Chandra or Moon is the embers, Nakshatra or Stars are the sparks and in that fire the देवता || devata offer श्रद्धा || Faith as oblation and perform the यज्ञ || Yagna. This is how the first level of creation, सोम || Soma is born.

Here the activity of the celestial region is compared to यज्ञ || Yagna. This level comprehends the connection of the physical world to the higher regions, where Surya, Chandra, Nakshtra are a part of the natural phenomenon of the visible world. The first oblation is the universal vibration in the celestial heaven.

पर्जन्यः || Parjanya

पर्जन्यो वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्य वायुरेव समिदश्र्त्रं धूमो विद्युदर्चिरशनिरङ्गारा ह्रादनयो विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.5.1)

parjanyo vāva gautamāgnistasya vāyureva samidaśrtraṃ dhūmo vidyudarciraśaniraṅgārā hrādanayo visphuliṅgāḥ || (Chan. Upan. 5.5.1)

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः सोमाँ राजानं जुहोति तस्या आहुतेर्वर्ष संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.5.2)

tasminnetasminnagnau devāḥ somām̐ rājānaṃ juhoti tasyā āhutervarṣa saṃbhavati || (Chan. Upan. 5.5.2)

पर्जन्य || parjanya: Here the पर्जन्य || Parjanya (the water bearing cloud) is the Fire, fueled by वायु || Vaayu (Wind) which is wood, Clouds are the smoke, Lightning is the Flame, Thunder is the embers, the rumbling of the clouds is the spark of the fire. The just-created सोम || Soma at the first level is offered by the देवता || devatas as oblation to पर्जन्य || parjanya. That born during the second stage of creation is र्वर्ष || Rain. Here the descent to the intermediate stage between the physical world and the celestial realms is exquisitely connected through the world of parjanya or the clouds. Thus, rain falls by the activity of the higher celestial beings. Clouds as comprehended by the greatest of poets, Kalidasa in Meghadoota is a combination or sannipaata of

"धमू ज्योतिःसलिलमरुतां सन्निपातः क्व मघेः || (Verse 5)"

"dhamū jyotiḥsalilamarutāṃ sannipātaḥ kva magheḥ || (Verse 5)"

The second oblation is the reverberation of the universal vibration felt in the upper atmospheric regions.

पृथ्वी || Prithvi

पृथिवी वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्याः संवत्सर एव समिदाकाशो धूमो रात्रिरर्चिर्दिशोऽङ्गारा अवान्तरदिशो विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.1)

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः वर्षं जुहोति तस्या आहुतेरन्नँ संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.2)

पृथ्वी || prithvi : In the पृथ्वी || prithvi (Earth) is the Fire, संवत्सर || Samvatsaram (One year) is the firewood, the Sky is smoke, Nights are the flame, the Quarters or Directions are the embers, the उपदिशा || Upadisha (sub-directions) are the sparks. The देवता || devatas offer र्वर्ष || Rain, created at the second stage as oblation into पृथ्वी || prithvi. And from this fire, अन्न || Annam (all that is consumable, related to the sensorial level) is born.

Here, the sadhaka or seeker comprehends the descent to the earth, which is the sacrificial fire, into which the essence of time goes in as samidha or fuel. The third oblation is the reverberation at a much grosser level of the world.

पुरुषः || Purusha

पुरुषो वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्य वागेव समित्प्राणो धूमो जिह्वाऽर्चिश्र्वक्षुरङ्गाराः श्रोत्रं विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.1)

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः अन्नं जुहोति तस्या आहुतेरेतः संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.2)

पुरुष || purusha: In the fire called पुरुष || purusha (Man), वाक् || Vak (power of speech) is the firewood, प्राण || Prana is smoke, the Tongue is the flame, the Eyes are embers, the Ears are the sparks. In the पुरुषाग्नि || purushagni (personified fire), the देवता || devatas offer अन्ना || annam (a grain) as the fourth oblation and from this appears वीर्य || Virya (semen).

Here, the sadhaka comprehends the descent to the Man himself, who is involved in the entire activity and by consuming the food energises himself and produces virility. Thus at the fourth oblation the vibration of the higher celestial level has moved to the level of the individual man.

स्त्री || Stri

योषा वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्या उपस्थ एव समिद्यदुपमन्त्रयते स धूमो योनिरर्चिर्यदन्तः करोति तेऽङ्गारा अभिनन्दा विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.8.1)

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः रेतो जुहोति तस्या आहुतेर्गर्भः संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.8.2)

स्त्री || stri : Into this Fire called स्त्री || Stri (Woman), देवता || devatas offer the वीर्य || virya (semen) of the पुरुष || purusha as oblation. In this fire, अाप || Aapa (here denotes वीर्या || viryaa) is transformed into the masculine form and power of speech. From this appears the र्गर्भः || womb of the woman. This is the final stage and the Creation born of this fire प्राण || Prana stays within the र्गर्भः || womb of the woman for nine or ten months, and after birth is encompassed by जरायु || Jarayu (old age) until its life span. Before departing to परलोक || paraloka, it returns to the same source that it was created from, i.e. अग्नि || Agni.

By the interconnection, combination and harmonious adjustment of subtle and gross structures across these five stages of manifestation, birth takes place. This is applicable to any form of birth that happens, be it living beings of all creation or events at inorganic levels such as the formation of waves.

The activity of procreation (or of manifestation of any object) begins with the birth of the child (or with the production of an atom or molecule) whom the cosmos produces and not parents alone, then the child’s presence is felt everywhere mainly because the universe is intimately inter-connected. The शस्त्र || Śāstras teach that the macrocosm is in the microcosm; each manifestation is the quintessence of every particle of प्रकृति || Prakrti, and that Prakrti on its own accord takes care of each manifestation or birth and withdraws those manifestations as a part of the operation of the universal laws. This is the philosophical background of this vidyā which deals all events of manifestation not merely as the birth of a human child alone, and which vidyā is the contemplation of the mind in perceiving the reality that is transcendent to the visible parts of the inner sacrifice.

संवादः || Discussion

While Panchagni Vidya is a part of Creation in Brahmavidya as explained by the Chaandogya Upanishad, Naasadiya Sukta of the Rig veda explains more about the Creation of the Universe.

Brhdaranyaka Upanishad is more transcendent or aprapancha in its approach and provides meditation techniques that are beyond the comprehension of an ordinary mind, whereas the Chaandogya Upanishad is saprapanchaka and involves the path of ordinary experience, but both the ways lead the sadhaka or seeker to the Absolute Brahman only.