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Agnihotra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Agnihotra ( ) is a Vedic yaja (ritual or sacrifice) performed in orthodox Hinducommunities. It is mentioned in theAtharvaveda (11:7:9) and described in detail in the Yajurveda Samhita and theShatapatha Brahmana (12:4:1). The Vedic form of the ritual is still performed by theNambudiri Brahmins of Kerala [1] and by a small number of Vaidiki Brahmins in South Asia.[2] Modern versions of the Agnihotra are promoted by various individuals and groups as a nonsectarian ritual for the healing and purification of the atmosphere and as a primary source of vibhuti or sacred ash.[3]
Contents [hide] 1 The Vedic Agnihotra 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

The Vedic Agnihotra

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The central part of the Agnihotra consists of making two offerings of brown rice (unpolished) into the fire exactly at, slightly before, or even after the time of sunset and sunrise, along with Vedic mantras that relate the fire and the sun to each other: 'agnir jyotir, jyoti srya svh' in the evening, but the reverse 'sryo jyotir, jyotir agni svh' in the morning. This preserves the sun over night, which is also one of the interpretations of the ritual given in the Samhitas and Brahmanas.[4] This small rite is surrounded by a large number of additional actions and is followed by the worship of the three (or five) sacred fires (agny-upasthna). The ritual is performed by a Brahmin priest for his own or the benefit of a sponsor (yajamna). The Vedic Agnihotra takes about 15 minutes in current performances. There is a simplied version of the Agnihotra in the Grihyasutras and in later post-Vedic texts.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnihotra

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