Agni and the Hotri

Environmental pollution has become a complex problem today, since the planet is in a perilous condition because of it. Just as bad, however, is today’s pollution of thoughts and emotions. Both ethics and the morality of human beings have hit rock bottom. Violence and overemphasis on sex have become rampant, as can be seen most clearly in the media, such as television and the internet. Lack of conscience, injustice and irresponsibility dominate to a critical extent.

It is not the first time that such conditions prevailed in the history of mankind, even though it is difficult to imagine that they happened on such a global scale. Similar times were often the reason for the decay of entire civilisations. Usually Messengers of God, or heavenly beings like angels, intervened to restore law and order again.

For example, in the Bible, one reads about the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (1st Moses 18-19): At that time, two angels appeared to Lot. According to Jewish Midrash texts, it is believed that these were the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. Despite many attempts to save the two sinful cities, it was not possible. To prevent even worse from happening, they had to perish.

In Christian mysticism, the primordial elements of fire, air, water and earth are assigned to one archangel respectively:

Even though angels predict incidents, these events tend to happen mostly in a natural, earthly manner. According to the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed via sulphur and water. Water means rain or floods. The sulphur was certainly of volcanic origin, which means that fire also contributed to the destruction. The archangels Michael and Gabriel, as symbols for fire and water, would be indicative of that.

Archangel Michael (Hebrew: Mi-ka-el; translated: ‘Who is like God?’) is described as the ‘Lord of Light’ and ‘Viceroy of Heaven’ in the scriptures of the Dead Sea that were discovered in 1947. In Christianity, he is the leader of the heavenly legions and conqueror of Satan in the form of a dragon. In the Jewish tradition, he mediates between God and humans and guards the gate to Paradise. In Islam, he is known as the Angel of Justice who is also responsible for natural forces. In illustrations, he can mostly be seen with a sword of flames and a scale, the symbol of justice. In the biblical book Daniel, one can read about a prediction that Michael (fire) will appear and deliver justice during the end time, the time of greatest distress (Daniel 12.1-3).

If one turns towards the Vedas, then it is interesting to find that things are essentially similar, such as the arrangements of the elements where each is assigned a deity (Deva):

It is striking that the Gods or deities, called Devas, are differentiated distinctly from God the Almighty, who is never called a Deva. Some translate the term ‘Deva’ as Angel. We are, therefore, not dealing with polytheism here, but rather it is expressed that the divine powers of the one God correspond to heavenly embodiments. This is explained in the Upanishads in the following way (Chandogya Upanishad 5.12-18):

The fact that greater importance is today assigned again to Agni, Fire, is already due to the passing of the ages. To understand this, we will take another look at a biblical happening. In the first book of Moses (1st Moses 6-9), one reads about the flood. This flood is interestingly also mentioned in one of the Indian Brahmanas, namely the Shatapatha Brahmana 1.8.1. The time during which the flood happened is significant. In astrology, the different ages are assigned to the zodiac signs. The flood took place in the age of Leo. Leo is a fire sign that is ruled by the sun. At that time, therefore, a negative event through the element of water took place in a fire sign. According to the cosmic path of the ages, we are now at the beginning of Aquarius. Because Aquarius is the antipole of Leo, this means that the medium of this age has to be fire. Fire in its positive aspect, because the water back then worked negatively. Fire will also become the element of purification in this age.19

In the Vedas, we can find manifold explanations that help us to understand how fire can purify without destroying. Agni is a core topic in the Vedas.

He does not only embody the element of fire or fire in itself, but rather his being encompasses the entire range of the fire principle. Causally, Agni is described as the originally created Light (compare with Bible: 1st Moses 1.2), but then also as the fiery life force, the fire of knowledge and even as the fire of digestion. All manifestations that are connected to Light (spiritually, as in divine light; for example: the light of knowledge, of realisation) and warmth (spiritually, the warmth of the soul; for example: love), with burning and transformation, are contained in the term Agni.

Agni is praised in the Vedas in all his manifest forms, pictorially and symbolically decorated to the maximum, and his being is illuminated and extolled as comprising both material and spiritual realms.

It is possible that the intellect of the reader soon becomes tired upon reading so many eulogies. It withdraws, and that seems to be intended. Now the mind can be activated, that part of us that does not need any descriptions of procedures and detailed explanations, but that instead suddenly comprehends a divine power that impacts countless domains.

When one reads Vedic translations, none resembles the other. Sometimes it is almost impossible to believe that the translation is supposed to deal with the same passage. Even though Sanskrit-English dictionaries exist, these are just an attempted approach. Vedic Sanskrit cannot be translated successfully word-by-word, as happens with the intellect, but only with help of the trained mind. That is why long explanations are often needed to exemplify just one word like Agni.

To approach the power that is symbolised through Agni, we will first describe its earthly reflection in the human being. Here, it is the fire of digestion, which is regarded as one of the most important bodily functions in Āyurveda. The fire of digestion removes waste products and toxins from the body and is, therefore, purifying. Vital energy develops through the transformation of food. To provide the body and its digestion with food is described as a sacrificial act, a Yajna, in itself when it is conducted with the right consciousness (see Maitrāyana Upanishad 6.34 and 36).

Furthermore, there is a purely spiritual aspect of Yajnas. During meditation or prayer, one surrenders all of one’s wishes and weaknesses to the divine light. The spiritual fire (Agni) should purify them so that the state can be reached with which the divine will can take place. In certain types of meditation, the breath is ‘sacrificed’ while one imagines that all that is superfluous and not good leaves the body with the exhalation, and that divine energy rushes in with the in-breath. Therefore, a ‘transformation’ of the breath, which is regarded as a connecting link between God and the human being, takes place.

In the Vedas, God is described as both resting in itself and as creating. The part that is resting in itself lies beyond earthly understanding. The creating part, which is also termed as the feminine part of God, is the one with which we can establish communication, because it created us and laid a seed in each one of us.

Amongst other things, this connection can happen through prayer and meditation. Yet, there is also an outer action that we can perform and which facilitates this connection many times over. This action is Agnihotra and other Yajnas, as described in the Vedas.

The visible fire is the medium that is helpful for it. Fire is neither subtle nor gross. Therefore, it is not surprising that Agni is seen as the messenger and intermediary between Heaven and Earth. In the Bible, we can read how Moses was once allowed to see the Lord. He saw God in the form of a fiery flame inside a thorn bush (2nd Moses 3.2-14). Later, he received the Ten Commandments on top of Mount Horeb, where he saw God in the form of fire (5th Moses 5.4-24). Fire is indeed the connective link between God and the human being.

The performance of Agnihotra can be compared to the process inside the earthly body. We give the fire (the ‘divine mouth’) nourishment, which is burned under specific conditions. This results in transformation, purification and energy. The latter is not the same as the energy inside the human...