AGNI - 1

"Awakened in the FLAME by the kindling of those who are born in the body (jana), towards the dawn he moves, who in return is approaching him as nourishing cow. We too like the flames of light rise full of power, springing upwards towards heaven." __________________________________The very first hymn in the Rig Veda (Hymns to the Mystic Fire) Interpreted most appropriately by Sri Aurobindo (by far the best interpretations available of the Vedas are by Sri Auribindo)is as follows:

"There is an interesting subtle association of AGNI with beings who are born here on earth in the material body. They kindle HIM from within themselves, for AGNI is their inner and innermost nature. That's why the Rishi says - 'we too rose up like the beams of the light of AGNI straight towards heaven.' This first verse makes association with AGNI completely subjective, for it speaks about us, those who are born in the material body."

My first tryst fire (AGNI) was over two years back. As a novice I had bought an aluminium hawankunda and in the most simple form of hawan without any mantra or any other preliminary rituals i used to do homams once in a while. Simple prayers along with the offerings of ghee, wood, flowers or sometimes hawansamagree (a mixture of herbs that are offered in fire...and it smells beautifully). Never realised at that time that its not all common to be so comfortable with fire in the first place. Many people would think twice before conducting any kind of fire ritual and hawans are generally the prerogative of the priests and generally done when there is a 'big' puja to be done. FIRE to me was though not yet a friend but I had neither any discomfort nor any pre-conceived notions about indulging in a fire ritual. Thankfully I also had the solitude required and a different room (otherwise mom would throw a fit...with all the walls, ceilings and utensils getting blackened with soot). Ofcourse there are the practical problems with fire. The foremost being....it burns and all the others are just the side effects...I mean the soot, the sweat, the smoke, the uncontrolled rage when there is a whiff of air,...etc...etc...But all these can be overcome with patience and an honest attempt of befriending the fire with ofcourse upholding the deepest respects for its innate nature. Once there are genuine efforts from your side...fire responds likewise. It may sound preposterous but I have seen a novice putting her hands in fire and she did not even feel the heat. That's also because she must have been an adept in fire rituals in her past births but all are not so lucky. Nevertheless initial apprehensions and the basic fear gone...fire can be nice and good. I had heard that a good sadhu lives for his fire, an Aghori is always near a fire. Every Sadhu maintains his own fire, which is called a 'dhuni' and no one else but only the Sadhu can sit there. You enter into such an intense relationship with the fire that only you two can share the experience (do you invire a third person into your room when you are making love?...Its something like that.). After two years of my consistent relation with fire...I realise this truth. So much so that I have intensely possessive about my hawankund now (I have bought one huge copper one now for myself). And my relationship with AGNI? Its a bond that I have developed for now two years and hopefully would continue do so. It still burns me when I am careless though but its a friendly nudge that it gives me...as in all relationships...you need to be attentive! Nevertheless with AGNI you can't take HIM for granted :-)