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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).  

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 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>

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 yajna/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 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.   

[[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>, 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).  

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 [[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 Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) for obtaining material boons.  

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.   

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.   

<blockquote>पृथिवी वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्याः संवत्सर एव समिदाकाशो धूमो रात्रिरर्चिर्दिशोऽङ्गारा अवान्तरदिशो  विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.1)</blockquote><blockquote>pṛthivī vāva gautamāgnistasyāḥ saṃvatsara eva samidākāśo dhūmo rātrirarcirdiśo'ṅgārā avāntaradiśo visphuliṅgāḥ || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.1)</blockquote><blockquote>तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः वर्षं जुहोति तस्या आहुतेरन्नँ संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.2)</blockquote><blockquote>tasminnetasminnagnau devāḥ varṣaṃ juhoti tasyā āhuterannam̐ saṃbhavati || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.2)</blockquote>Prthvi (Earth) is the Fire, Samvatsara (संवत्सरः | One year) is the firewood, the Sky is smoke, Nights are the flame, the Quarters or Directions are the embers and the Upadisha (उपदिशाः | sub-directions) are the sparks. The devatas offer Rain, created at the second stage as oblation into Prthvi. And from this fire,  Anna (अन्नम् | all that is consumable, related to the sensorial level) is born.   

<blockquote>पृथिवी वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्याः संवत्सर एव समिदाकाशो धूमो रात्रिरर्चिर्दिशोऽङ्गारा अवान्तरदिशो  विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.1)</blockquote><blockquote>pṛthivī vāva gautamāgnistasyāḥ saṃvatsara eva samidākāśo dhūmo rātrirarcirdiśo'ṅgārā avāntaradiśo visphuliṅgāḥ || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.1)</blockquote><blockquote>तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः वर्षं जुहोति तस्या आहुतेरन्नँ संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.2)</blockquote><blockquote>tasminnetasminnagnau devāḥ varṣaṃ juhoti tasyā āhuterannam̐ saṃbhavati || (Chan. Upan. 5.6.2)</blockquote>Prthvi (Earth) is the Fire, Samvatsara (संवत्सरः | One year) is the firewood, the Sky is smoke, Nights are the flame, the Quarters or Directions are the embers and the Upadisha (उपदिशाः | sub-directions) are the sparks. The devatas offer Rain, created at the second stage as oblation into Prthvi. And from this fire,  Anna (अन्नम् | all that is consumable, related to the sensorial level) is born.   

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

Here, the sadhaka (साधकः | seeker) comprehends the descent to the earth, which is the yajnika agni, into which the essence of time goes in as samidha (fuel). The third oblation is the reverberation at a much grosser level of the world.

=== पुरुषः || Purusha ===

=== पुरुषः || Purusha ===

<blockquote>पुरुषो वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्य वागेव समित्प्राणो धूमो जिह्वाऽर्चिश्र्वक्षुरङ्गाराः श्रोत्रं विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.1)<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>puruṣo vāva gautamāgnistasya vāgeva samitprāṇo dhūmo jihvā'rciśrvakṣuraṅgārāḥ śrotraṃ visphuliṅgāḥ || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.1)</blockquote><blockquote>तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः अन्नं जुहोति तस्या आहुतेरेतः संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.2)<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>tasminnetasminnagnau devāḥ annaṃ juhoti tasyā āhuteretaḥ saṃbhavati || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.2)</blockquote>In the fire called [[Purusha (पुरुषः)|Purusha]] (Cosmic Man), Vak (वाक् | power of speech) is the firewood, Prana (प्राणः) is smoke, the Tongue is the flame, the Eyes are embers and the Ears are the sparks. In the Purushagni (पुरुषाग्निः | personified fire), the devatas offer anna (अन्नम् | a grain) as the fourth oblation and from this appears Virya (वीर्यः | semen).  

<blockquote>पुरुषो वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्य वागेव समित्प्राणो धूमो जिह्वाऽर्चिश्र्वक्षुरङ्गाराः श्रोत्रं विस्फुलिङ्गाः || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.1)<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>puruṣo vāva gautamāgnistasya vāgeva samitprāṇo dhūmo jihvā'rciśrvakṣuraṅgārāḥ śrotraṃ visphuliṅgāḥ || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.1)</blockquote><blockquote>तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः अन्नं जुहोति तस्या आहुतेरेतः संभवति || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.2)<ref name=":2" /></blockquote><blockquote>tasminnetasminnagnau devāḥ annaṃ juhoti tasyā āhuteretaḥ saṃbhavati || (Chan. Upan. 5.7.2)</blockquote>In the fire called [[Purusha (पुरुषः)|Purusha]] (Cosmic Man), Vak (वाक् | power of speech) is the firewood, Prana (प्राणः) is smoke, the Tongue is the flame, the Eyes are embers and the Ears are the sparks. In the Purushagni (पुरुषाग्निः | personified fire), the devatas offer anna (अन्नम् | a grain) as the fourth oblation and from this appears Virya (वीर्यः | semen).