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CHEMISTRY OF

AGNIHOTRA• By • Ish Narang

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What is Agnihotra

• Agnihotra is one of the five great duties (panchamahayajna) of every householder.

• A daily ritual to be performed by every Arya twice a day.

• An integral part of the Indian tradition • All the 16 Sanskaras prescribed in our life

start with it• Every marriage ceremony includes Agnihotra

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What is Agnihotra ….

• It is also called by the names of Deva Yajna, havana and homa.

• The last word homa is interesting .It sounds similar to the word home in the English language.

• Could it be that a house is worthy to be called home only if homa is performed therein everyday?

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THE IMPORTANCE OF FIRE……

• Fire stands for all forms of Energy• On this earth, sun- prime source of energy• Life without fire or energy is unthinkable• All the technical gadgets,transportation

systems,even house hold cooking need fire or other forms of energy

• Thus in the faculty of the material sciences ability to generate fire at will must have been the foremost invention of our seers long ago

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Rig veda Starts with the Word AGNI

• The very first word of the Rig veda, the very first book in the library of the mankind is Agni, meaning fire, in addition to many other things.

• Agnimile purohitam……

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AGNIHOTRA - a multi-dimensionally useful affair

1. Spiritual Dimensions

2. Scientific Dimensions

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AGNIHOTRA - a multi-dimensionally useful affair…..

Spiritual Dimensions • a spiritually enlightening experience • performed in a group - becomes a family

/community affair -strengthening the bond of love & affection among Participants

• recitation of Mantras has preserved the texts of Vedas

• praying to God brings humility and helps get rid of selfishness and Vanity

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Spiritual Dimensions …Yajna..

• The word Yajna - derived from the root yaj - stands for devapuja, sangatikarana & danesu.

• devapuja- Yajna is a karma that should be in due honor of devas, both sentient and insentient,

• sangatikarana -an assembly of noble souls, and

• danesu.- in the nature of sacrifice.

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Spiritual…Agnihotra.. truly Yajna

• First, it is for cleansing of air, a devata of insentient ( Jarh ) nature.

• enhances the effectiveness of the herbal substances (that are also devatas in nature) multifold. -Devpuja

• Two-group activity- a number of people with a positive frame of mind and intellect assemble. (Sangatikaran )

• Three- amounts to making a sacrifice from a personal point of view- Idam na mum

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Spiritual --Agnihotra truly Yajna….

• The benefits would be obtained by all • The oblations of many valuable substances

offered into the fire -- sacrifice. ( Daneshu )• The Verses are chanted with the endings of

“idam na mama” i.e. this is not mine. • This reinforces in mind that all our material

possessions are actually not ours• but are merely for the purpose of transfer

and diffusion to others.

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Scientific Dimensions

• Cleans air - within and outside the Room • Most ancient science to fight air pollution• Fire breaks up the substances into vapor/

gaseous phase,( Sublimation)

- Producing buoyancy and other aerodynamic effects

- a mechanism to clean indoor – outdoor air

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Agnihotra and combustion science

• Essentials of Combustion • Combustion is said to occur if a fuel is

oxidized (generally by the atmospheric oxygen) giving rise to thermal energy

• Thermal heat is produced that was inherent in the particular fuel.

• Some fuels like fossil fuels –petrol ,coal etc release much more energy than others

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Combustion..Fossil Fuels

• Thermal energy -called Calorific Value- of fossil fuels is in the range of 10,000 calories / gram of fuel,

• Upon combustion of such fuels the final temperatures may be as high as 2500 degree Celsius

    

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Combustion –cellulose materials

• Fuels such as cellulose materials & wood have smaller calorific values.

• Typical firewood - calorific value around 3000 calories / gram of fuel – about one-third of the hydrocarbon fuels.

• Upon combustion, maximum temperatures may be in the range of 800 – 1200 degree Celsius.

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Comparison between Coal & Wood

S No Substances

Wood Coal

1 Carbon 48.51% 82%

2 Hydrogen

6% 5%

3 Oxygen 43% 12%

4 Nitrogen .4to .1% 1%

Source Yajna Vimarsh

Dr Ram Prakash

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Types of wood for Homa

• Dayanand Saraswati has mentioned certain types of wood to be used in Homa :

• Chandan –Sandalwood (Santalum album )• Palash (Butea frondosa )• Aam (Mangiflora indica ) etc.• Certain other types like Pipal (Ficus religiosa)

and Barh ( Wat ) (Ficus bengalensis can also be used

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Medicinal values of wood used for Homa

• All these types of wood apart from having low calorific value have medicinal properties also.

• Medicinal properties - well documented in several scientific books on Medicinal plants

• Thus the fire wood used in Homa is not only low in calorific value ( almost non polluting )

• but produces medicinal substances to help us get rid of common diseases

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Combustion… Harmful effects

•   Upon complete combustion, we expect formation of carbon dioxide and water vapor as the products

• Due to the deficiency in the availability of oxygen, or other possible reasons, some fuel remains un burnt,

• or gets only partially oxidized to carbon monoxide.

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Combustion –Harmful effects

• Un burnt fuel and carbon monoxide are undesirable pollutants for the atmosphere

• If the combustion gives rise to high temp --2000 deg. C or above - the atmospheric N2 & O2 may react to form the oxides of nitrogen –undesirable pollutants.

• Excessive volumes of CO2 are also undesirable

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Combustion in Agnihotra

• Agnihotra consists of a base fire generated in a specially designed vessel

• Burning firewood of certain specified characteristics forms the base fire.

• Firewood has much lower calorific value. and produces much lower temperatures than in the typical engines.

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Combustion in Agnihotra

• To this base fire,we add oblations comprising:

• Ghee (ghritam)• Several herbal substances which should be

1) wholesome, i.e. health givers, • 2) anti-bacterial, 3) aroma-builders, i.e.

deodorants and 4) sweeteners.

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Agnihotra --Possible production of pollutants

• The base fire is generated by burning firewood - lower calorific value

• Amount of firewood burnt is minimum• This ensures lower temperatures - oxides of

nitrogen cannot be formed. • Design of vessel ensures plenty of oxygen. • Therefore Carbon monoxide & un-burnt

hydrocarbons are minimal

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Agnihotra- Possible pollutants & Remedies

• Carbon dioxide is definitely formed, • our Rishies knew this & prescribed that :• the Agnihotra ought to be performed during

and after sunrise, • and well before sunset i.e. Sandhya Kaal• WHY ? To get the benefits of Photosynthesis

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What is Photosynthesis ?

• A process by which Plants make their food from CO2 and water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll.

• Chlorophyll -Pigment which gives green colour to the plants

• During this process Oxygen is released.

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Photosynthesis –Biochemical Reaction

• Bio-chemical reaction in photosynthesis

• 6CO2 + 6H2O + Sunlight + Chlorophyll=C6 H12O6( Glucose i.e. Food for Plants )+ 6O2 

 

 

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Factors Affecting Photosynthesis

• Red Effect - Rate of photosynthesis is maximum in red light

• Hence Photosynthesis is maximum in mornings and evenings when there is a red glow in the sky

• Thus, the air is richer with oxygen during morning and before sunset in the evening.

•   This is what is described as SANDHYA KAAL

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Our Rishies knew the Science of Yajna

1. Our Rishies understood these phenomenon of science and prescribed that :

• Agnihotra ought to be performed during and sunrise & before Sun set

• Be performed in an area with good green cover to ensures that CO2 is well utilized by the green cover in the vicinity

• And give rise to oxygen and greenery.

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Our Rishies knew the Science of Yajna

2.They also understood the the principle of Conservation of Mass,

• “No mass is created or destroyed.” • Oblations of different substances into fire

appear to vanish, but they actually do not.• Merely change to gaseous form -Sublimation

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Our Rishies knew the Science of Yajna

3. Need for purifying air was also understood

4.Basics of combustion too were known i.e.• Low calorific value of Wood -hence lower

temps produced by burning wood

5. medicinal values of herbs-prescribed herbs as oblation to cure diseases.

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Our Rishies knew the Science of Yajna

6.Production of aerodynamic effect of fire- described by Dayanand Saraswati as Bhedak Shakti

7.Inhaling is more effective than eating thru mouth

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Overall effect of Agnihotra

• Agnihotra drives the indoor air out • Causes outdoor fresh air to move in. • Effectively neutralizes the stale indoor air due

to the characteristics of the herbal substances utilized.

• A typical air freshener, simply attempts to neutralize the stale air,

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Overall effect of Agnihotra

• The desirable substances can be inhaled through the nostrils by one and all.

• Mechanism of inhaling as opposed to intake through the mouth (liquid & solid ) is more efficient by a factor of several hundreds.

• Also, it seems to be the only way to cleanse the indoor air.

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Air fresheners vs. Agnihotra

• The commercially available air fresheners cannot purify the indoor air.

• Their purpose is very limited to reduce the undesirable foul odor,

• and even for that purpose their side effects have to be fully understood.

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Agnihotra –Absolute necessity

• There is no other method to purify the air once that has been polluted by us.

• This requirement is of enormous proportion for the in-door air because that is what we breathe most of the time.

• Our life style of remaining in-doors is doing more and more harm to the environment.

• In the given circumstances, Agnihotra has become AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY

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CONCLUSION

• Burning of firewood not the purpose of Agnihotra.

• Minimum quantity is burnt to generate base fire to vaporize the oblations

• Desirable herbs offered as obelations .

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CONCLUSION…

• The Base Fire vaporizes these herbal substances

• It does not cause their independent combustion process.

• Herbal substances inhaled in their vapor or gaseous form thru the nostrils have much greater efficacy

• – many hundred times more

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CONCLUSION…..

• Thus Agnihotra magnifies the advantages of the desirable herbal substances.

• The thermal and aerodynamic effects of the fire cause the vaporized substances to spread & diffuse into every part of the enclosed surroundings

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CONCLUSION…..

•  The overall temperatures in the combustion of firewood are lower

• Hence production of the oxides of nitrogen -safely ruled out.

• Design of Havan Kund -Supply of more than adequate oxygen

• No significant production of unburned hydrocarbon or carbon monoxide.

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Need of the Time

• Further documented research into various types of Agnihotras

• Like Vrishti Yajna, ( to simulate rain ), Putreshthi Yajna ( to enhance fertility ) etc

• To perfect procedure on all these types • To secure patent on different forms of

Yajna• Make practical use of these procedures in

times of draughts and other similar situations

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• We pollute the environment by various biological & chemical means

• It is our duty to purify the environ at least to that extent

LET US PERFORM AGNIHOTRA

EVERY DAY

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Further Readings

• Yajna Vimarsh - Dr Ram Prakash Former

V C of Kurukshetra University• Chemistry of Agnihotra - Dr(Swami ) Satya

Prakash former head of Department of Chemistry Banaras Hindu University

• both the authors :Doctorate in chemistry

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THANKS