Have you ever wondered about the significance of lighting a Candle, Deepak or performing a Yagna during worship?
Fire is symbolic of Light - and is an integral and significant part of worship across almost all religions of the world.
Fire is symbolic of Light - and is an integral and significant part of worship across almost all religions of the world.
Hindus light a Deepak at Temples or perform Yagya, Christians light a lamp or a candle at Church, Parsis worship at the Fire Temple, Buddhists and Jain followers do the same.
Therefore the world over- Fire is related to worship in some way or the other. So it’s pertinent to ask why is Fire so important in worship? What does it mean and signify when we light a lamp, candle or perform a Yagya? If we understand the relevance of “Fire” in worship and what it signifies, we can make our worship that much more meaningful. The enclosed article aims to do just that.....
Quoted Text : The below mentioned excerpt is from the Book "Super Science of Gayatri" authored by the Divine Saint and Scientific Spiritualist -Acharya Shriram Sharma, founder of the Gayatri Pariwar (The enclosed text has been modified for ease of reading in some places ).
“Of all the Vedas, Rigved was the first to come into existence. In its first Mantra: “Agni Mide Purohitam”- “Fire” has been described as the first name of God.
Everything which is worth attaining in human life can be achieved through the power of Agni, which has been described as Purohit (a religious priest). God being Omni-present has no form but HE can be experienced in the form of divine attributes of Sat, Chit, Anand. There can be no better visible symbol of God than fire and it is for this reason that God has been described as divine fire in the first Mantra of Rig-Ved. He is also called as Brahma-Tejas, latent light, divine light, holy light etc.
Everything which is worth attaining in human life can be achieved through the power of Agni, which has been described as Purohit (a religious priest). God being Omni-present has no form but HE can be experienced in the form of divine attributes of Sat, Chit, Anand. There can be no better visible symbol of God than fire and it is for this reason that God has been described as divine fire in the first Mantra of Rig-Ved. He is also called as Brahma-Tejas, latent light, divine light, holy light etc.
The ancient Indian masters were, therefore, called fire-worshipers by several noted research scholars. Aryans who lived in Iran and who called themselves as Parsis also worship Fire. Fire temples are their places of worship. In India fire is worshiped in the volcanic mountains in the northern region. In Rishi-Ashrams, fire was kept alive through perpetual fumigation, known as “dhooni”. Panchagni used to be installed in all Vedic Karma-kanda and daily Yagya used to be performed. Thus Agnihotra (Daily simply performed Yagya) is nothing but symbolic worship of God in the form of fire.
Why do we regard the sacrificial fire of Yagya as purohit (priest)? Because, Fire or its symbolism as a lighted candle, a Deepak, or performing a Yagya, inspires us to imbibe its five idealistic qualities in our life.
1. Fire has the characteristic of always being hot and bright. We are inspired to lead bright, radiant, active lives like fire, full of wisdom and brilliance. Like a lamp or candle dispels darkness and illuminates the environment, so should we dispel the darkness in our lives and illumine our own lives and the lives of others around us.
2. The flame of fire always goes upwards. One may apply any amount of pressure but its flame never goes downwards. It teaches us that despite immense pressures of fear and temptations, our flame of wisdom and foresight should ever be kept-alight and up-turned.
3. Anything coming in contact with fire becomes fire itself. We should also have such a quality of excellence in our character, so that anyone coming in our contact may become refined.
4. Fire accumulates nothing. Whatever is offered into the fire gets vaporized or sublimated through Fire. It is scattered throughout the atmosphere and becomes universal. We should also not accumulate possessions for our selfish ends but utilize all our resources and qualities for advancing the good of people. We should be generous and lovingly kind.
5. The residue of fire are ashes. Ultimately physical forms of all human beings are going to be reduced to a handful of ashes. The Hindu idea behind applying (ashes of Yagya) on the forehead is that man should always remember the inevitability of death and utilize each and every moment of his life in the best possible manner.
These five teachings are known as "panchagnividya' which the priest (purohit) in the form of fire teaches to every human being. A man is truly blessed if he imbibes these teachings in his daily life by performing symbolic worship in the form of Yagya.
The real purpose of Yagya( Yagya is a Hindu Fire worship performed with offerrings of wood, clarified butter,sweet meats ) is to imbibe virtues like self-sacrifice, self- restraint (sanyam), charity, beneficence, generosity, compassion etc. in our daily life. It inspires us to surrender everything, body, mind, ego and soul to God.
A Sadhak on surrendering himself to God, has been described as Yagya-Purush in the scriptures, becomes one with Yagya- just as samidhas (offerings of wood) on being consumed in the sacrificial fire of Yagya become fire itself. In fact the real Yagya is to follow the directions and inspirations of our indwelling divinity and imbibe righteous tendencies. Constant remembrance of the Divine, maintaining an attitude of detachment and remaining engrossed in regular sacred studies and devotion amounts to leading a Yagyiya life. Such a person sees the presence of God in everyone, everywhere and becomes free of evil deeds and sins.
The Bhagvad Gita describes several categories of Yagya, just as Deva-Yagya, Atma- Yagya, Brahma- Yagya, Tapa- Yagya, Yoga- Yagya, Swadhyaya-Yagya, Gyan-Yagya etc. and enunciates that whatever is done for realization of God or for self-realization is known as Yagya. Agnihotra or performance of material part of Yagya is a first step which culminates in the ultimate goal of spiritual Yagya. In the beginning, a Sadhak starts with symbolic idol worship but after some practice he starts meditating on the formless Omnipresent Brahma. Yagya is a specific and an inseparable part of Gayatri Sadhana which purifies a person’s thoughts, emotions, sentiments and actions, to be able to surrender himself at the lotus feet of the Almighty and become Yagya (One with God).
(The above article explaining the symbolisms of lighting a Deepak, a Candle, or performing a Yagya- is an excerpt from the book " Super Science of Gayatri", authored by Shriram Sharma Acharya).
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