Agni (self-revealing Universal Consciousness)
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Agni
praaNaagni
(Self-revealing Universal Consciousness) (This is an expanded version of the previous publication)
The words in italics are the Sanskrit words. These words can be read in the Sanskrit English dictionary by Sir Monier Williams, available in Internet at
Debkumar Lahiri}
The word ''Agni'' (agni) in Sanskrit means fire or more precisely the life burning. You are alive means life is burning you. You are warm, dynamic, communicating. In fact the applications of this word in Vedas vividly express all the aspects of fire, light and electricity, communication and also kinetics. An Upanishad called "Prashnopanishad'' on
praaNa has mentioned praaNa as praanagnayo ( praaNa , the fires). praaNa means life or the Consciousness flowing as life in every one, flowing as activities in any thing.
praaNa, (also called mukhya praaNa) is the Consciousness who is the origin of the creation and of all the activities in Creation. Agni, fire is self-expressing. He is self-illuminant. That is praaNa, Consciousness expresses HIM/HER as creation by HIMSELF/HERSELF.
agni also means agram (in the front) nayati (brings)--that is, who brings forth everything or forward everything--because praaNa is there beyond any expression, so praaNa is
agni. Everything you know is the expression of your consciousness, nothing is known or expressed without praaNa, agni, consciousness. When we say Soul or immutable Soul (aatman), there Consciousness, energy is at rest. Everything is in the ONE absolutely; everything is in an absolute Oneness there. When
aatman becomes active, that active aspect is praaNa. The differentiation or duality starts as aatman becomes praaNa. What we feel as Time is the praaNa. In us praaNa is life, praaNa is expressing HIM/HER as our activities and as activities HE/SHE is ruling over us. In the Vedas, in the rituals, wherever agni is mentioned, agni stands for praaNa. It is for this reason we cremate a dead body, because we know that our origin and termination both are in praaNa. Upanishads have cited that we have originated from agni and that we are annihilated in agni. It is strange to note that the words ''animation'' and ''annihilation'' in English has the component ''an'' which is also the component ''an(a)'' of the word
praaNa(=pra +an(a)). pr =Principal, First; an(a)=animation. praana, agni is one whose animation has made us animated. He is the ''first animation'', ''first expression'' of the
aatman- absolute ONE. The word "pra" in Sanskrit conveys the meaning 'prathama' which means 'first'. The first mantra (Rik) of Rik-veda says 'agnim iirey purohitam..... "we hail
agni, the purohita (priest)''. The word purohita (commonly meaning priest), means puro (in front) + hita (exists, placed). agni is there before any expression, any revelation, any creation, any activity. In the Chandyogya Upanishad, where the tale of Upokoshal (disciple of Sattyakama) has been narrated, three aspects of agni has been described: gRihapati agni, dakShiNaagni,
aahavanIya agni. gRihapati= gRiha (House) + pati(lord).The word gRiha means the house or the body. It is related to the word grahaNa meaning the act of receiving. The body, mind, instincts all those which we have received are our identities by which we live.
gRihapati is the agni, praaNa, Fire, who is dominating on this aspect of ours and running our daily show. gRihapati is also known as the Father, because from ''Father'' (plane of
ancestry) we owe our instincts. The Fire, the drive, agni, praaNa, who is beyond our dear life running through its routine course every day is gRihapati ! We remain as seed in father. We get our separate, distinct entity after we enter into mother’s domain. Each of us is made of instincts. These instincts are like seeds. These instincts characterize us. In every birth, some of our instincts are activated and those make us in that birth. This activation of instincts happens by the Mother, but this state of remaining in seed forms is in father’s domain. As per the activated instincts we are formed, our characters are made and our households are run. This is gRihapati agni or Father. The next Fire, agni is dakShiNaagni,=dakShiNa +agni. dakShiNa means south(also right) and also connected with the word 'dakSha' meaning skilled. dakShiNa, south(right) is that direction or inclination of praaNa, agni, by which we extend or spread ourselves as activities, work, karma. This is the realm of work, rituals. Our build is by this aspect of
agni. We are transformed by work. dakShiNa agni is responsible for our constitution, build, destination, destiny. Because of this some body likes sweet, some body dislikes. Our travel to the other world and back to this world and our events in this world as well as in the other worlds are all under the control of this agni. This agni belongs to the Mother, because we get our build in Mother's domain. We start obtaining our features as we move into Mother's womb from the Father. So, dakShiNaagni (dakShiNa agni) also determines our assimilation. The way we assimilate is the way we feel and the way we get constituted. This is why this aspect of agni is also popularly known in Upanishads as ''anvahaaryapachanagni= anu(accordingly, following) + aaharya (what is to be eaten)+pachana(digestion)+agni (what all to be digested follow this ‘agni’).
The third agni
is aahavanIya agni. aahavanIya reveals as gRihapati and dakShiNaagni , as the Father and the Mother, and is at the root. Father means where all the features, specialties, remain as seeds, not active. By Mother, in Mother, the features get activated, degrees of activation is decided by Mother. Both are the aspects of the One Consciousness, One
praaNa, called aahavanIya. The spread of the agni, the praaNa, the burning, revealing Life
God, has been described in the Upanishads to narrate how praaNa is there in every grain of the creation and how every entity can identify them in agni in every aspect of its existence and non-existence. The spread is called '''tanu'' meaning the ''body'' which is from the root word called ''taan'' meaning to spread. Probably the word ''son'' has a bearing with ''tan''. aahavanIya belongs to guru, aachaarya, the Preacher, who shows you your root, takes you beyond the duality of creation, beyond the realm of Father and Mother. In '' aahavanIya, everything what we have had in the realm of dakShiNa and gRihapati is seen in ONE, in the absolute ONE or Soul. Here every expression is "self expression'' or ''revelation of soul''. This is the true feature of the "divine fire''. The word '' aahavanIya '' is from the root word "hu'' meaning to sacrifice or offer oblation in ''fire''. Every thing ultimately gets in agni, sacrificed, find its root in agni, praaNa, Self-revealing consciousness ("svayam prakaasha"). First hymn of Rik veda First hymn of Rik veda----agnim Ire purohitam, yajnasya devam, Ritvijam, hotaram, ratnadhatamam
1. agni—agram nayati---who leads in the front. (Normal meaning of ‘agni’ is ‘fire’.) 2. agni is revealing aspect of Universal Consciousness. Universal Consciousness is also called ‘ svayam prakaasha’ which means ‘the One who reveals Oneself by Oneself’. As, Universal Consciousness is everything, so we all are revealed by this revelation.
agni is in us as ‘animation’ or warmth of life and leads us in all activities. na nagna—agni-----not naked—who does not keep us naked. Who always bestows a body or a shape. The word ‘agni’ is connected to the root word ‘ag’ meaning ‘to move’ and more precisely ‘to initiate movement’. Thus ‘ agni’ is the ‘praaNa’ or ‘active Universal consciousness’ who is behind every event, action, movement (time).
(Probably the English word ‘augment’ is also connected to ‘ag’). 3. purohita---pura (abode, body) + hita (benefit)-----who is in the abode or inside us for our benefit. (Normal meaning of ‘purohita’ is ‘priest’.)
purohita---punar (again and again, repeatedly) + rohita (red)----who reddens again and again---who becomes everything by ‘reddening’ himself or by ‘radiating’ himself. (Any static form is the result of formation by agni repeatedly i.e. any static shape is actually made of repetition occurring with certain frequency.) (agni is addressed as purohita or priest in the first hymn of Rik veda).
purohita---puro (ahead, in front) + hita (placed)-----who is ahead of everything or every event. 4. Ir---to flow in and illuminate. The hymn says, ‘agnim Ire’----let agni, let streams of Universal Consciousness flow in me. (Streams of Universal Consciousness are always flowing in us resulting in our perception of the Universe and thus we are living.)
agni or the Universal Consciousness is always flowing is us as the ‘sound’, ‘light’, ‘touch’, ‘taste’, ‘smell’ and illuminating us with life.
Ir = I (to move) + ra (ra~nj----to colour); (I= flowing in; r= radiating, illuminating.)
5.
yaj~na ---ya+ j~na. j~na = who is knowing. ya = to control (like the word yamana means ‘act of controlling). Any action or any activity is ‘yaj~na’ as any action (whether physical or mental) is an action of Consciousness or more correctly ‘action of Universal Consciousness’. The normal meaning of yaj~na is ‘oblation’. So, if we see the ‘knower’ (j~na) in any activity, in any work, then it becomes ‘‘yaj~na’. This is why the deity ‘yama’ is founded in yaj~na’ (Vrihadaranyaka Upanishad).
6. deva---any personality which is the source of certain revelation, who shines and reveals. The root word is ‘div’ meaning ‘to shine’. Thus in absolute sense, agni is the ‘deva’ of all activities or ‘yaj~na’. The word ‘deva’ actually implies an unending source or personality that reveals a certain aspect or feature of the Universal Consciousness in infinite ways. 7. Ritvik---who implements. It is from the word ‘Rita’ meaning ‘to flow’ (madhu vaataa Ritayayte----sweetly the air flows). The end alphabet ‘k’ or ‘ ka’ implies ‘karma’ or ‘implementation’. 8. hotaa (from the word hotRI) —who calls , who summons. This universe is the ‘call’ of the ‘Universal Consciousness’. Thus everything has a name, every feeling is associated with a ‘word’ or ‘description’. Everything, every event is a call of the Universal Consciousness or agni. agni is calling everyone to merge with HIM. 9.
ratnadhaa— who is holding the gem. Every creation or entity is a gem. It is the manifestation of ‘Immutable Universal Soul or Consciousness’ in that form or as that entity. In that entity also, the Universal Soul remains as ‘Immutable One’. Thus each ‘One’ is the manifestation of ‘Universal ONE’ and is called ‘anu-aatman’ or ‘pratyak aatman’ in the text. This each entity is a ‘gem’ and the Universal Soul or Consciousness is holding each of them.
agni, who is praaNa or life force in us, also converts all the offered foods, eaten stuff,
perceived sensations to our nourishment, to our life. They become ‘same’ (samaana) with us. Thus the foods get converted into agni, life, fire and keeps us warm.
Upanishad has mentioned the praaNa called ‘samaana’ as the one who takes all the
offered foods into Oneness (sameness)----hutam (offered) annam(foods) samam(sameness) nayayti(leads)-----leads the offered food into sameness.
agnihotra also called praaNaagnihotra, is the aspect of agni/ praaNa by which agni calls us to assimilate in Oneness.
agnihotra= agni + hu(hU) + tra (three; to rescue—traaNa); hu –to offer; hU—call. Whatever we eat, whatever we feel, it gets into us’ it builds us. This is ‘assimilation’.
There are five actions of agni or praaNa by which this happens. The word five (penta) is
‘pancha’ in Sanskrit and is connected to the root word ‘pach’ meaning ‘to digest’ and also ‘to cook’. Thus five is qualifying the ‘digestion’ or ‘assimilation’ or ‘cooking’. Thus all of us is doing ‘agnihotra’, offering all the time oblations to our praaNa, to the burning Consciousness in us, to agni.
Chandogya Upanishad, chapter on Pranagnihotra-----agnihotra Upanishad has cited that ‘the food first arrives, (know that) it is for ‘homa’(oblation)---it is for the eater to get assimilated with ‘ praaNa’ {atha(and) yat(what) bhaktam(food)
prathamam(at first) aagacchet(arrives) tat(that is) homIyam(for the sacrifice or oblation---that is for getting merged).In fact with each gulp of food, with each perception, we in our
Consciousness as the perceiver or eater is going back to the source or praaNa. On one end we eat or feel, but finally the food/ sense and the eater / perceiver rests in the source from where all the activities of the consciousness is coming out. Upanishad has further said that the very first take of food to be offered to praaNa’. This
could be the first taking of the food, this could be the first feeling of existence or could be the very first phase of every feeling at every moment. Upansihad has further said: when praaNa is satisfied, the eye/vision is satisfied; when the eye or vision is satisfied then aditya or the sun is satisfied; when the sun is satisfied the divinity or dyU is satisfied.
Here by praaNa it means….pra (prathama—first)+ana (animation). Nothing happens unless ‘praaNa’ is there. ‘praaNa is before every event and will be before very event and was
before every event. praaNa is the most expected and ‘desired’ one without whom nothing happens. The word east is from the Sanskrit work ‘ IShTa’ meaning ‘desired’. The
‘direction’ where the first event happens is called the ‘east’. The direction in which we first orient ourselves when an event happens is the ‘east’. This is why the direction in which
the sun (the praaNa revealed in the external sky as the source of life) is also called
‘east’. We always orient ourselves to what we desire; we always look for what we desire.
Like the life flagrant in the sun, our feelings are flagrant in the eye, in our vision. Both the sun and the eye are the source of vision and time. Both are the same; eye is the micro form and sun is the macro form. (Modern science also in a way addresses the relation between the eye and time. Some references in the internet are the followings: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Pages/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.aspx http://www.everydayhealth.com/sleep/insomnia/resetting-your-clock.aspx) Nothing happens without revelation, without the sun, without the vision. So, this is first. So, with the first gulp of food, with the first touch of feeling, praaNa is satisfied and so is
satisfied the eye, so the sun and so the divinity ( dyU). The praaNa and eye make one pair. praaNa is the active personality of Universal Consciousness in us and eye is the
center of revelation or activities of praaNa. (As we have explained above, ‘eye’ means
where all the feelings are active, where all the feelings are kindled.) Similar is the sun (aditya) and the divinity or dyU. aditya is the active center of dyU. dyU means the
‘revealing Consciousness’. aditya means who is eating , assimilating everyone in Oneness. It is from the root word ad meaning ‘to eat’ and also from the word ‘a+ dvi’ meaning
‘without duality’. It is the centre of regale of Universal Consciousness where, the bliss is
from feeling the entire universe in oneness, embracing all the dualities in Oneness. This is the bliss at the core of divinity or dyU. The external suns, the stars are the physical
revelation of such centres. Thus the one who is the king of heaven is called indra and
also indha (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad). indra means who is seeing. (dra = to see). indha means who is flagrant. Looking at something means taking that inside, in the self! It is revelation or expression as well as taking back. The next or the second offer or oblation is to the aspect of agni or praaNa called vyaana.
vyaana is vi (different )+ ana(animation, praaNa). vyaana controls the directions and thus the spread in different directions.
Upansihad has said: When vyaana is satisfied, ears are satisfied, when ears are satisfied directions are satisfied, when directions are satisfied the moon is satisfied.
vyaana is that aspect by which praaNa is controlling the directions and spreads.
Everything remains connected and communicated by vyaana. As it connects everyone, so it is the source of direction. There is no direction and so no destination without vyaana.
The personality is vyaana and the center of action or place where vyaana resides, is the ear. The modern science has found that the inner ear controls our sense of direction. Consciousness has a basic binary aspect; to express or to speak, to listen or to feel (what is expressed). We determine our directions after ‘listening’, after ‘knowing’. When we get something in, whether a sense or a food, it is directed in certain ways in us and that determine our interaction with it. Say , when we eat, how the food will be liked
by us, how it will be assimilated and what effect it will produce, how much it will nourish our body, what effect it will produce in our mind and so on are all the parts of the
directive. When we eat, our entire body, our entirety responds to it, reacts with satisfaction or whatever. This percolation inside, spread inside, absorption, filtration and ultimate
assimilation happen under the direction of vyaana. This makes the inner shine when one eats. The multiple colours illuminate our inner sky as the food (anna) returns through us to the soul; as the food is processed and assimilated in us. This is also known as the
colours of the ‘hitaa naadi’ as mentioned in the Upanishads. Though the above has been
described with respect to food, it is true for every perception or feeling. This is the innershine or moon, characterized by the reflected rays, rays absorbed, rays filtered. Moon or the lunar plane is that aspect of Consciousness who controls our build, our joys and sorrow, our phases, our evolution, our to and fro journey from life and death. The third offer is to ‘apaana’. ‘apaana’ controls the realization or ‘act of materializing’. Upansiasd has cited:
When apaana is satisfied, ‘vaak’ is satisfied, when vaak is satisfied the earth (pRithivI) is satisfied, when earth is satisfied, the fire (agni).
Anything created in Consciousness, is placed in an orbit and gets a life span or stability.
This getting fixed in an orbit or form is implemented by ‘apaana’. This is felt as gravity or gravitation. Thus Upanishad has said------ prihivyaM (in the earth) yaa (who) devataa (is the deity or divine personality) sa(she) aeShaa(this) puruShasya(creature’s or unit’s)
apaanam(apaan) avShTbhya(held)-----the deity who is in the earth is holding the apaana in this creature---or the divine apaana (personality in the earth) is holding the
‘apaana’(physicality or body) in every creature. (Prashnopanishad). In Upansishad, no distinction is made between the earth and the body of a creature.
For every creature its body is its ‘earth’. The materialization is the realization of ‘word’ or expression of Consciousness. Consciousness or the faculty of Consciousness who is
behind every expression is called ‘ vaak’. Toward the creation, Consciousness is called
praaNa and the consort or faculty (shakti ) of Consciousness is called ‘vaak’. The way the ‘vaak’ expresses, the same the Consciousness ( praaNa) becomes. Both vaak and praaNa are aspects of Consciousness and are the ‘conjugal pair’ at the root of creation. In a materialized state, ‘praaNa’ is termed as ‘apaana’. What is our materialized state, the
same is the earth in the macro scale. Thus when ‘ vaak’ is satisfied, ‘pRithivI’ or the earth is satisfied. (‘pRithivI’ is from the root word ‘pRith’ and also connected to the word
‘pRithak’ and implies the personality of Consciousness who supports separate existence.
More it is separated and differentiated in the creation, the more it is materialized or inert in that form of creation. The creation is never completed without materialization. It is like an electrical circuit which is never completed without ground or earth. As, apaaNa and
vaak make a pair, similarly the earth/pRithivi and fire/agni make a pair. Within the earth
there is fire as within our body the praaNa is flagrant. It is that fire which casts or forges to make a shape, like a blacksmith creates a shaped body. The fourth offer is to ‘samaana’. When samaana is satisfied, ‘manas’/mind is satisfied; when mind is satisfied ‘parjanya’ is satisfied; when parjanya is satisfied, electricity (vidyut) is satisfied.
samaana is that aspect of praaNa or agni who maintains ‘sameness’ or who brings
everything into ‘sameness‘, equilibrium’. It is ‘sama + ana’. ana = praaNa or animation.
sama = same, at par. Upansihad has mentioned about samaana as ‘hutam (offered)
annam (food) samam (sameness) nayati (leads or carries)’---- who carries the offered
foods to sameness. We assimilate by ‘samaana’. In us it (samaana) is the mind. Whatever we eat, we perceive, it gets accommodated in the mind. The subtle part of the food goes
to the mind. There it is held in the sameness. Everything is there in the mind, but there is no dimensional separation! It is from the mind the organs / actions sprout, elongate into
physicality, the senses take different courses of actions. This mind charged with everything
but not exhibiting any specialty is like cloud charged with electricity and ready to rain. The word ‘parjanya’ generally means the ‘cloud capable of raining’. The word vidyuat is
commonly meant ‘electricity’ and etymologically it means which detonates or splits in pieces. It is from the word ‘vidonate’ in Sanskrit meaning ‘detonates, splits’. It also
means—vid (existence) +ut (supreme), i.e. ‘supreme state of existence’. In the inner plane
(inner sky), first it is radiation (teja) or the initiation to split----this is vidyut (electricity); then it condenses, the Consciousness condenses and we feel this inside as the emotions or
the emotive state (this is parjanya, cloud carrying the water of rain); then it becomes more crystallized, we determine what to do or not, how to act----this is the state of mind----then it translates into physicality (earth). This is happening in every expression of Consciousness, in every expression of word. The fifth offer is to udaana. udaana is that aspect of praaNa or agni who takes us up.
udaana= ut(up) + ana (animation; praaNa). It is for this reason we change, we evolve to higher being and go back to our origin. This is why we are never stagnant. We keep
moving. Thus we say that time is fleeting, moments are passing. Actually we are moving. Every sense comes and goes, replaced by the next one. Where it goes? There where it goes, lies the answer (uttara). The word ‘uttara’ is also from the word ‘ut’ meaning
‘answer’ and also ‘north’. Whatever is past, it also exists. Such existence is part of divinity. Such existence is above (ut) mortality.
When udaana is satisfied, tvak (touch) is satisfied, when tvak is satisfied vaayu (air) is satisfied, when air is satisfied aakaasha (sky) is satisfied.
We are engulfed in the air (whom we know by touch) and we are embodied or encased in the envelope of the skin. Like the water evaporates in the air and remains in subtle
form in the sky, similarly all that we know or feel, all that we live, get connected to the divinity or go back to our divine aspect through the channel of touch to air to sky or
aakaasha.
aakaasha= aa(spreading all over) +kasha (to shine)---shining and spreading everywhere. Touch is the sense when the duality is ‘first felt’. There cannot be touch unless there is a ‘duality’. The core of the sense ‘touch’ is like, ‘one going to be two’. ‘ aakaasha’ is above touch and is of more ‘oneness’; there is no flow or air there; duality is there but held in
‘ONE’ and capable of becoming ‘two’. This ‘capable of becoming two’ is the ‘radiance’ or
‘kaash’ of aakaasha. aakaasha is the One with shine, expressing that the ‘One is capable of becoming many’.
While describing the ‘satisfaction’ of eating, ‘satisfaction’ of receiving the oblation for everyone, Upanishad has cited that when any one of the five praaNa
is satisfied along
with the praaNa, everyone else who are the subjects of praaNa, who are originated from
praaNa, they are all satisfied……..tasya (his) anutriptim(satisfaction) tripyate (satisfies) pashubhir (animals),
prajaya (satisfies who are his descendants), bhrama (who is growing
forever) varchasena(by luster) annadena(by foods)----satisfaction of praaNa satisfies the
animals, satisfies those who are created; they are satisfied by the radiance of the growing
praaNa, by the nourishment. (Animal / pashu means the one who is under care or
surveillance; word ‘pashu’ is from the root word ‘pash’ meaning (i) to tame, (ii) to see.)
Thus, when we know praaNa, when we knowingly offer our foods and senses to praaNa
while eating or perceiving, our senses cross the mortality and limitation. The vision crosses the boundary and merges with the vision of the universal consciousness called the sun.
The sense of hearing crosses the boundary and merges with directions. The mind crosses
the boundary and finds the entire divinity as its expression. The words cross the boundary and find themselves as materialized as the formed universe. The touch crosses the
boundary and merges with the universal air who touches every one and who has kept everything connected. Thus Upanishad has further said: yatheha(like) khudia(hungry) balah(child) mataram(to mother) paryupasade(solicits) “abeam (similarly) sarvani(all) bhutani (creatures) agnihotram upasate(performs agnihotra)
agnihotram upasate(performs agnihotra)”---- All the creatures perform ‘agnihotra’ (offers food to praaNa) like a hungry child soliciting the mother for the food!’ The three eaters.
praaNa, agni, is the burning and active Consciousness who is in us and who receives all
the foods we eat, whose satisfaction satisfies us, satisfies every cell of the body, satisfies all the other creatures, higher beings and realms of the universe with whom we are intimately connected. This praaNa, agni is also known to have three mouths to relish the food: sthUlbhuk, viviktabhuk, anandabhUk!
sthulbhUk: sthUla= physical or coarse; bhuK—eater. sthulbhuk---who is characterized by eating physically----whatever comes as food, or as a
sense, the eater or perceiver is taken over by it; this is a characteristic of Consciousness by which physicality is formed; it is a characteristic of the time ‘present’ or ‘iha’, meaning ‘to live in the present’.
sthulbhuk is characterized by being always in the ‘external’. External means whatever is separated from the ‘self’. It is a plane or state in Consciousness where one is
overwhelmed by the feeling of ‘duality’. Whatever we feel here, whatever we perceive here, every this is different from us and has a separate entity. This is our living in day light, I mean living in the state of wakefulness. This is the state of us when we get up from the sleep and get attached to the external world. The corresponding name of the Universal Consciousness who predominates on this ‘state’ is called ‘gRihapati agni’. gRihapati means, ‘ master of the house’, or the ‘one who is in control of your daily chores’.
viviktabhuk---vivikta=separated; bhuk—eater. A very appropriate example of ‘eating or
sensing by separation’ is the state of ‘dream’, where we sense things without the external world. Whatever we sense in the physical world, we sense the same things in dream.
Dream is the junction of ‘state of wake’ and ‘state of sleep’. This is also called the plane of radiance or illumination and in the text is mentioned as ‘ taijasa’. Any physical thing
which we see, is made of light (because we see) and also has a weight or gravity. On
the other hand ‘taijasa’ is like ‘only made of light’ and sans physicality. In ‘ taijasa’ it is not restricted by the rules of the earth. Everything can happen with things in ‘ taijasa’ state, which cannot happen in the earth due to preset rules. In this plane, bhoktaa or bhoktrI
(the eater) and bhogya (what is eaten) are same. If we look into the physicality as well as to this illuminated state, then we can see, that whatever we eat, the one part goes to the physical, the balance goes to nonphysical, it goes to ‘mind’,’ praanNa’ and ‘vaak’.
vaak is the initial phase of revealing Consciousness. vaak is also called teja=tat (that) ejati (vibrating). It is the initial state or the force or shakti for the Consciousness to reveal or split.
By ‘praaNa’, here in this context, is meant the middle stage after the split or revelation.
Like, before we do a thing, there is an initial urge which moves us to do the thing. Then
it takes further formation inside us and our ‘feelings’ about that start coming to us. This is the middle plane ‘praaNa’ also called ‘jala or aapa’(water). It is also the plane of acquirement (aqua), satisfaction.
The next stage is mind or manasa, where the feelings from middle plane, consolidate into a determined action (saMkalpa). Here the interface with the physical world happens and we do or act in the real world. Mind is also called ‘anna’ (or food).
The above three are our three fundamental, subtle forms, and in the process of digestion of food or assimilation of any perception, these three forms remain active. Whatever we eat, the food goes to manas (mind), praaNa and vaak.
If we do something, it gets over after some time. But it still remains in us in subtler forms. So, we can think about what has happened. The effects of eating a food or
sensing something last for long, much after the physical phenomena are over. During and
after we eat, our inner sky is radiated with many hues of inner colours, characterizing the food and the assimilation. We get assimilated in the foods, the foods get assimilated in
us. Here, the scale of ‘time’ is different from the scale in the physical world. Similarly the ‘time’ in dream is different from the ‘time’ when we are awake. aanandabhuk ---aananda= bliss, joy; bhuk=eater. aanandabhuk—who only eats joy or who only perceives joy.
The word ‘aananda’ actually means ‘bound or shrouded by negativity and characterized by the same. We will explain this by the etymological meaning of the word as below:
aananda= aa (spread or characterization)+ nanda The word ‘nanda’ means ‘joy’ and is from the root word ‘nand’.
nand= n (negative, none) + and (to bind) There are two forms of negativity or ‘aananda’ or joy in Consciousness. This has been
explained in Chandogya Upanishad, where the aspect ‘bhUma’ of Consciousness has been described.
One aspect of negativity is that ‘there is no One else’. So, anything else has merged into Oneness. This is a kind of ‘aananda’ or joy!
The other aspect of negativity is ‘ONE is everything’. So, there is everything, but ‘ONE’ is everything. This is other kind of aananda or joy! Thus where the Universal Consciousness is in this form, or where we are in this form,
there we or the Universal Consciousness is ‘aanandabhuk’. In us, this is the state of sleep and this state is beyond ‘dream’. As we do not know our ‘real self’, so, after sleep we
feel that we come out of ‘darkness’ or negativity, without remembering the state of bliss. We will get the comfort of ‘sleep’. Thus where all the foods, where all the perception are dissolving into Oneness in us, beyond our ‘feelings’, there is the ‘joy eater’ or ‘aanandabhuk’. A few names of ‘agni’ 1. jaatavedas (
) – jaata (to generate, to be born) +vedas(knowledge).
jaatavedas means ‘who creates or who takes forms and knows or feels what is formed’ This is the ‘speaking and listening’. Whatever Consciousness speaks or becomes, Consciousness simultaneously feels it or listens to it. This is why veda is also called shruti (act of listening). 2. vEshvaanara (
---pronounced as vaishwaanara)--- (a) vEshva (universal)+ nara
(man)---One who is everything; (b) vEshva (universal)+ n(like) + ara (spoke or radius of a wheel)---who
like the spokes of a wheel has pervaded everything in
space and time.
3. vahni (
---pronounced as ‘vanhi’)-. vahni is from the root word ‘vah’ meaning to
carry. vahni means who communicates or carries or leads. There cannot be any motion, any communication without ‘ agni’. He is the carrier of sense, carrier of
anything to be ‘obtained’, he carries the ‘oblations’ to the deities. He carries the foods and perceptions in us. 4. hutashana (
)---- huta(offered)+ ashana (eat)—(i) whatever is offered to ‘agni’,
agni eats it up or assimilates; (ii) anything which is offered to agni, is assimilated by agni or gets converted into agni.(Like if a flammable object is put in the fire, it is ignited and becomes part of the fire.); (iii) who calls ( hU) everyone to assimilate or absorb in Oneness.(This is the property of Universal Consciousness whose ‘call’ is the ‘kaala’ or time and along the flow of time or by the call, we are evolving and gradually getting near to our origin or Universal Oneness.
praaNaagni
(Self-revealing Universal Consciousness) (This is an expanded version of the previous publication)
The words in italics are the Sanskrit words. These words can be read in the Sanskrit English dictionary by Sir Monier Williams, available in Internet at
Debkumar Lahiri}
The word ''Agni'' (agni) in Sanskrit means fire or more precisely the life burning. You are alive means life is burning you. You are warm, dynamic, communicating. In fact the applications of this word in Vedas vividly express all the aspects of fire, light and electricity, communication and also kinetics. An Upanishad called "Prashnopanishad'' on
praaNa has mentioned praaNa as praanagnayo ( praaNa , the fires). praaNa means life or the Consciousness flowing as life in every one, flowing as activities in any thing.
praaNa, (also called mukhya praaNa) is the Consciousness who is the origin of the creation and of all the activities in Creation. Agni, fire is self-expressing. He is self-illuminant. That is praaNa, Consciousness expresses HIM/HER as creation by HIMSELF/HERSELF.
agni also means agram (in the front) nayati (brings)--that is, who brings forth everything or forward everything--because praaNa is there beyond any expression, so praaNa is
agni. Everything you know is the expression of your consciousness, nothing is known or expressed without praaNa, agni, consciousness. When we say Soul or immutable Soul (aatman), there Consciousness, energy is at rest. Everything is in the ONE absolutely; everything is in an absolute Oneness there. When
aatman becomes active, that active aspect is praaNa. The differentiation or duality starts as aatman becomes praaNa. What we feel as Time is the praaNa. In us praaNa is life, praaNa is expressing HIM/HER as our activities and as activities HE/SHE is ruling over us. In the Vedas, in the rituals, wherever agni is mentioned, agni stands for praaNa. It is for this reason we cremate a dead body, because we know that our origin and termination both are in praaNa. Upanishads have cited that we have originated from agni and that we are annihilated in agni. It is strange to note that the words ''animation'' and ''annihilation'' in English has the component ''an'' which is also the component ''an(a)'' of the word
praaNa(=pra +an(a)). pr =Principal, First; an(a)=animation. praana, agni is one whose animation has made us animated. He is the ''first animation'', ''first expression'' of the
aatman- absolute ONE. The word "pra" in Sanskrit conveys the meaning 'prathama' which means 'first'. The first mantra (Rik) of Rik-veda says 'agnim iirey purohitam..... "we hail
agni, the purohita (priest)''. The word purohita (commonly meaning priest), means puro (in front) + hita (exists, placed). agni is there before any expression, any revelation, any creation, any activity. In the Chandyogya Upanishad, where the tale of Upokoshal (disciple of Sattyakama) has been narrated, three aspects of agni has been described: gRihapati agni, dakShiNaagni,
aahavanIya agni. gRihapati= gRiha (House) + pati(lord).The word gRiha means the house or the body. It is related to the word grahaNa meaning the act of receiving. The body, mind, instincts all those which we have received are our identities by which we live.
gRihapati is the agni, praaNa, Fire, who is dominating on this aspect of ours and running our daily show. gRihapati is also known as the Father, because from ''Father'' (plane of
ancestry) we owe our instincts. The Fire, the drive, agni, praaNa, who is beyond our dear life running through its routine course every day is gRihapati ! We remain as seed in father. We get our separate, distinct entity after we enter into mother’s domain. Each of us is made of instincts. These instincts are like seeds. These instincts characterize us. In every birth, some of our instincts are activated and those make us in that birth. This activation of instincts happens by the Mother, but this state of remaining in seed forms is in father’s domain. As per the activated instincts we are formed, our characters are made and our households are run. This is gRihapati agni or Father. The next Fire, agni is dakShiNaagni,=dakShiNa +agni. dakShiNa means south(also right) and also connected with the word 'dakSha' meaning skilled. dakShiNa, south(right) is that direction or inclination of praaNa, agni, by which we extend or spread ourselves as activities, work, karma. This is the realm of work, rituals. Our build is by this aspect of
agni. We are transformed by work. dakShiNa agni is responsible for our constitution, build, destination, destiny. Because of this some body likes sweet, some body dislikes. Our travel to the other world and back to this world and our events in this world as well as in the other worlds are all under the control of this agni. This agni belongs to the Mother, because we get our build in Mother's domain. We start obtaining our features as we move into Mother's womb from the Father. So, dakShiNaagni (dakShiNa agni) also determines our assimilation. The way we assimilate is the way we feel and the way we get constituted. This is why this aspect of agni is also popularly known in Upanishads as ''anvahaaryapachanagni= anu(accordingly, following) + aaharya (what is to be eaten)+pachana(digestion)+agni (what all to be digested follow this ‘agni’).
The third agni
is aahavanIya agni. aahavanIya reveals as gRihapati and dakShiNaagni , as the Father and the Mother, and is at the root. Father means where all the features, specialties, remain as seeds, not active. By Mother, in Mother, the features get activated, degrees of activation is decided by Mother. Both are the aspects of the One Consciousness, One
praaNa, called aahavanIya. The spread of the agni, the praaNa, the burning, revealing Life
God, has been described in the Upanishads to narrate how praaNa is there in every grain of the creation and how every entity can identify them in agni in every aspect of its existence and non-existence. The spread is called '''tanu'' meaning the ''body'' which is from the root word called ''taan'' meaning to spread. Probably the word ''son'' has a bearing with ''tan''. aahavanIya belongs to guru, aachaarya, the Preacher, who shows you your root, takes you beyond the duality of creation, beyond the realm of Father and Mother. In '' aahavanIya, everything what we have had in the realm of dakShiNa and gRihapati is seen in ONE, in the absolute ONE or Soul. Here every expression is "self expression'' or ''revelation of soul''. This is the true feature of the "divine fire''. The word '' aahavanIya '' is from the root word "hu'' meaning to sacrifice or offer oblation in ''fire''. Every thing ultimately gets in agni, sacrificed, find its root in agni, praaNa, Self-revealing consciousness ("svayam prakaasha"). First hymn of Rik veda First hymn of Rik veda----agnim Ire purohitam, yajnasya devam, Ritvijam, hotaram, ratnadhatamam
1. agni—agram nayati---who leads in the front. (Normal meaning of ‘agni’ is ‘fire’.) 2. agni is revealing aspect of Universal Consciousness. Universal Consciousness is also called ‘ svayam prakaasha’ which means ‘the One who reveals Oneself by Oneself’. As, Universal Consciousness is everything, so we all are revealed by this revelation.
agni is in us as ‘animation’ or warmth of life and leads us in all activities. na nagna—agni-----not naked—who does not keep us naked. Who always bestows a body or a shape. The word ‘agni’ is connected to the root word ‘ag’ meaning ‘to move’ and more precisely ‘to initiate movement’. Thus ‘ agni’ is the ‘praaNa’ or ‘active Universal consciousness’ who is behind every event, action, movement (time).
(Probably the English word ‘augment’ is also connected to ‘ag’). 3. purohita---pura (abode, body) + hita (benefit)-----who is in the abode or inside us for our benefit. (Normal meaning of ‘purohita’ is ‘priest’.)
purohita---punar (again and again, repeatedly) + rohita (red)----who reddens again and again---who becomes everything by ‘reddening’ himself or by ‘radiating’ himself. (Any static form is the result of formation by agni repeatedly i.e. any static shape is actually made of repetition occurring with certain frequency.) (agni is addressed as purohita or priest in the first hymn of Rik veda).
purohita---puro (ahead, in front) + hita (placed)-----who is ahead of everything or every event. 4. Ir---to flow in and illuminate. The hymn says, ‘agnim Ire’----let agni, let streams of Universal Consciousness flow in me. (Streams of Universal Consciousness are always flowing in us resulting in our perception of the Universe and thus we are living.)
agni or the Universal Consciousness is always flowing is us as the ‘sound’, ‘light’, ‘touch’, ‘taste’, ‘smell’ and illuminating us with life.
Ir = I (to move) + ra (ra~nj----to colour); (I= flowing in; r= radiating, illuminating.)
5.
yaj~na ---ya+ j~na. j~na = who is knowing. ya = to control (like the word yamana means ‘act of controlling). Any action or any activity is ‘yaj~na’ as any action (whether physical or mental) is an action of Consciousness or more correctly ‘action of Universal Consciousness’. The normal meaning of yaj~na is ‘oblation’. So, if we see the ‘knower’ (j~na) in any activity, in any work, then it becomes ‘‘yaj~na’. This is why the deity ‘yama’ is founded in yaj~na’ (Vrihadaranyaka Upanishad).
6. deva---any personality which is the source of certain revelation, who shines and reveals. The root word is ‘div’ meaning ‘to shine’. Thus in absolute sense, agni is the ‘deva’ of all activities or ‘yaj~na’. The word ‘deva’ actually implies an unending source or personality that reveals a certain aspect or feature of the Universal Consciousness in infinite ways. 7. Ritvik---who implements. It is from the word ‘Rita’ meaning ‘to flow’ (madhu vaataa Ritayayte----sweetly the air flows). The end alphabet ‘k’ or ‘ ka’ implies ‘karma’ or ‘implementation’. 8. hotaa (from the word hotRI) —who calls , who summons. This universe is the ‘call’ of the ‘Universal Consciousness’. Thus everything has a name, every feeling is associated with a ‘word’ or ‘description’. Everything, every event is a call of the Universal Consciousness or agni. agni is calling everyone to merge with HIM. 9.
ratnadhaa— who is holding the gem. Every creation or entity is a gem. It is the manifestation of ‘Immutable Universal Soul or Consciousness’ in that form or as that entity. In that entity also, the Universal Soul remains as ‘Immutable One’. Thus each ‘One’ is the manifestation of ‘Universal ONE’ and is called ‘anu-aatman’ or ‘pratyak aatman’ in the text. This each entity is a ‘gem’ and the Universal Soul or Consciousness is holding each of them.
agni, who is praaNa or life force in us, also converts all the offered foods, eaten stuff,
perceived sensations to our nourishment, to our life. They become ‘same’ (samaana) with us. Thus the foods get converted into agni, life, fire and keeps us warm.
Upanishad has mentioned the praaNa called ‘samaana’ as the one who takes all the
offered foods into Oneness (sameness)----hutam (offered) annam(foods) samam(sameness) nayayti(leads)-----leads the offered food into sameness.
agnihotra also called praaNaagnihotra, is the aspect of agni/ praaNa by which agni calls us to assimilate in Oneness.
agnihotra= agni + hu(hU) + tra (three; to rescue—traaNa); hu –to offer; hU—call. Whatever we eat, whatever we feel, it gets into us’ it builds us. This is ‘assimilation’.
There are five actions of agni or praaNa by which this happens. The word five (penta) is
‘pancha’ in Sanskrit and is connected to the root word ‘pach’ meaning ‘to digest’ and also ‘to cook’. Thus five is qualifying the ‘digestion’ or ‘assimilation’ or ‘cooking’. Thus all of us is doing ‘agnihotra’, offering all the time oblations to our praaNa, to the burning Consciousness in us, to agni.
Chandogya Upanishad, chapter on Pranagnihotra-----agnihotra Upanishad has cited that ‘the food first arrives, (know that) it is for ‘homa’(oblation)---it is for the eater to get assimilated with ‘ praaNa’ {atha(and) yat(what) bhaktam(food)
prathamam(at first) aagacchet(arrives) tat(that is) homIyam(for the sacrifice or oblation---that is for getting merged).In fact with each gulp of food, with each perception, we in our
Consciousness as the perceiver or eater is going back to the source or praaNa. On one end we eat or feel, but finally the food/ sense and the eater / perceiver rests in the source from where all the activities of the consciousness is coming out. Upanishad has further said that the very first take of food to be offered to praaNa’. This
could be the first taking of the food, this could be the first feeling of existence or could be the very first phase of every feeling at every moment. Upansihad has further said: when praaNa is satisfied, the eye/vision is satisfied; when the eye or vision is satisfied then aditya or the sun is satisfied; when the sun is satisfied the divinity or dyU is satisfied.
Here by praaNa it means….pra (prathama—first)+ana (animation). Nothing happens unless ‘praaNa’ is there. ‘praaNa is before every event and will be before very event and was
before every event. praaNa is the most expected and ‘desired’ one without whom nothing happens. The word east is from the Sanskrit work ‘ IShTa’ meaning ‘desired’. The
‘direction’ where the first event happens is called the ‘east’. The direction in which we first orient ourselves when an event happens is the ‘east’. This is why the direction in which
the sun (the praaNa revealed in the external sky as the source of life) is also called
‘east’. We always orient ourselves to what we desire; we always look for what we desire.
Like the life flagrant in the sun, our feelings are flagrant in the eye, in our vision. Both the sun and the eye are the source of vision and time. Both are the same; eye is the micro form and sun is the macro form. (Modern science also in a way addresses the relation between the eye and time. Some references in the internet are the followings: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Pages/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.aspx http://www.everydayhealth.com/sleep/insomnia/resetting-your-clock.aspx) Nothing happens without revelation, without the sun, without the vision. So, this is first. So, with the first gulp of food, with the first touch of feeling, praaNa is satisfied and so is
satisfied the eye, so the sun and so the divinity ( dyU). The praaNa and eye make one pair. praaNa is the active personality of Universal Consciousness in us and eye is the
center of revelation or activities of praaNa. (As we have explained above, ‘eye’ means
where all the feelings are active, where all the feelings are kindled.) Similar is the sun (aditya) and the divinity or dyU. aditya is the active center of dyU. dyU means the
‘revealing Consciousness’. aditya means who is eating , assimilating everyone in Oneness. It is from the root word ad meaning ‘to eat’ and also from the word ‘a+ dvi’ meaning
‘without duality’. It is the centre of regale of Universal Consciousness where, the bliss is
from feeling the entire universe in oneness, embracing all the dualities in Oneness. This is the bliss at the core of divinity or dyU. The external suns, the stars are the physical
revelation of such centres. Thus the one who is the king of heaven is called indra and
also indha (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad). indra means who is seeing. (dra = to see). indha means who is flagrant. Looking at something means taking that inside, in the self! It is revelation or expression as well as taking back. The next or the second offer or oblation is to the aspect of agni or praaNa called vyaana.
vyaana is vi (different )+ ana(animation, praaNa). vyaana controls the directions and thus the spread in different directions.
Upansihad has said: When vyaana is satisfied, ears are satisfied, when ears are satisfied directions are satisfied, when directions are satisfied the moon is satisfied.
vyaana is that aspect by which praaNa is controlling the directions and spreads.
Everything remains connected and communicated by vyaana. As it connects everyone, so it is the source of direction. There is no direction and so no destination without vyaana.
The personality is vyaana and the center of action or place where vyaana resides, is the ear. The modern science has found that the inner ear controls our sense of direction. Consciousness has a basic binary aspect; to express or to speak, to listen or to feel (what is expressed). We determine our directions after ‘listening’, after ‘knowing’. When we get something in, whether a sense or a food, it is directed in certain ways in us and that determine our interaction with it. Say , when we eat, how the food will be liked
by us, how it will be assimilated and what effect it will produce, how much it will nourish our body, what effect it will produce in our mind and so on are all the parts of the
directive. When we eat, our entire body, our entirety responds to it, reacts with satisfaction or whatever. This percolation inside, spread inside, absorption, filtration and ultimate
assimilation happen under the direction of vyaana. This makes the inner shine when one eats. The multiple colours illuminate our inner sky as the food (anna) returns through us to the soul; as the food is processed and assimilated in us. This is also known as the
colours of the ‘hitaa naadi’ as mentioned in the Upanishads. Though the above has been
described with respect to food, it is true for every perception or feeling. This is the innershine or moon, characterized by the reflected rays, rays absorbed, rays filtered. Moon or the lunar plane is that aspect of Consciousness who controls our build, our joys and sorrow, our phases, our evolution, our to and fro journey from life and death. The third offer is to ‘apaana’. ‘apaana’ controls the realization or ‘act of materializing’. Upansiasd has cited:
When apaana is satisfied, ‘vaak’ is satisfied, when vaak is satisfied the earth (pRithivI) is satisfied, when earth is satisfied, the fire (agni).
Anything created in Consciousness, is placed in an orbit and gets a life span or stability.
This getting fixed in an orbit or form is implemented by ‘apaana’. This is felt as gravity or gravitation. Thus Upanishad has said------ prihivyaM (in the earth) yaa (who) devataa (is the deity or divine personality) sa(she) aeShaa(this) puruShasya(creature’s or unit’s)
apaanam(apaan) avShTbhya(held)-----the deity who is in the earth is holding the apaana in this creature---or the divine apaana (personality in the earth) is holding the
‘apaana’(physicality or body) in every creature. (Prashnopanishad). In Upansishad, no distinction is made between the earth and the body of a creature.
For every creature its body is its ‘earth’. The materialization is the realization of ‘word’ or expression of Consciousness. Consciousness or the faculty of Consciousness who is
behind every expression is called ‘ vaak’. Toward the creation, Consciousness is called
praaNa and the consort or faculty (shakti ) of Consciousness is called ‘vaak’. The way the ‘vaak’ expresses, the same the Consciousness ( praaNa) becomes. Both vaak and praaNa are aspects of Consciousness and are the ‘conjugal pair’ at the root of creation. In a materialized state, ‘praaNa’ is termed as ‘apaana’. What is our materialized state, the
same is the earth in the macro scale. Thus when ‘ vaak’ is satisfied, ‘pRithivI’ or the earth is satisfied. (‘pRithivI’ is from the root word ‘pRith’ and also connected to the word
‘pRithak’ and implies the personality of Consciousness who supports separate existence.
More it is separated and differentiated in the creation, the more it is materialized or inert in that form of creation. The creation is never completed without materialization. It is like an electrical circuit which is never completed without ground or earth. As, apaaNa and
vaak make a pair, similarly the earth/pRithivi and fire/agni make a pair. Within the earth
there is fire as within our body the praaNa is flagrant. It is that fire which casts or forges to make a shape, like a blacksmith creates a shaped body. The fourth offer is to ‘samaana’. When samaana is satisfied, ‘manas’/mind is satisfied; when mind is satisfied ‘parjanya’ is satisfied; when parjanya is satisfied, electricity (vidyut) is satisfied.
samaana is that aspect of praaNa or agni who maintains ‘sameness’ or who brings
everything into ‘sameness‘, equilibrium’. It is ‘sama + ana’. ana = praaNa or animation.
sama = same, at par. Upansihad has mentioned about samaana as ‘hutam (offered)
annam (food) samam (sameness) nayati (leads or carries)’---- who carries the offered
foods to sameness. We assimilate by ‘samaana’. In us it (samaana) is the mind. Whatever we eat, we perceive, it gets accommodated in the mind. The subtle part of the food goes
to the mind. There it is held in the sameness. Everything is there in the mind, but there is no dimensional separation! It is from the mind the organs / actions sprout, elongate into
physicality, the senses take different courses of actions. This mind charged with everything
but not exhibiting any specialty is like cloud charged with electricity and ready to rain. The word ‘parjanya’ generally means the ‘cloud capable of raining’. The word vidyuat is
commonly meant ‘electricity’ and etymologically it means which detonates or splits in pieces. It is from the word ‘vidonate’ in Sanskrit meaning ‘detonates, splits’. It also
means—vid (existence) +ut (supreme), i.e. ‘supreme state of existence’. In the inner plane
(inner sky), first it is radiation (teja) or the initiation to split----this is vidyut (electricity); then it condenses, the Consciousness condenses and we feel this inside as the emotions or
the emotive state (this is parjanya, cloud carrying the water of rain); then it becomes more crystallized, we determine what to do or not, how to act----this is the state of mind----then it translates into physicality (earth). This is happening in every expression of Consciousness, in every expression of word. The fifth offer is to udaana. udaana is that aspect of praaNa or agni who takes us up.
udaana= ut(up) + ana (animation; praaNa). It is for this reason we change, we evolve to higher being and go back to our origin. This is why we are never stagnant. We keep
moving. Thus we say that time is fleeting, moments are passing. Actually we are moving. Every sense comes and goes, replaced by the next one. Where it goes? There where it goes, lies the answer (uttara). The word ‘uttara’ is also from the word ‘ut’ meaning
‘answer’ and also ‘north’. Whatever is past, it also exists. Such existence is part of divinity. Such existence is above (ut) mortality.
When udaana is satisfied, tvak (touch) is satisfied, when tvak is satisfied vaayu (air) is satisfied, when air is satisfied aakaasha (sky) is satisfied.
We are engulfed in the air (whom we know by touch) and we are embodied or encased in the envelope of the skin. Like the water evaporates in the air and remains in subtle
form in the sky, similarly all that we know or feel, all that we live, get connected to the divinity or go back to our divine aspect through the channel of touch to air to sky or
aakaasha.
aakaasha= aa(spreading all over) +kasha (to shine)---shining and spreading everywhere. Touch is the sense when the duality is ‘first felt’. There cannot be touch unless there is a ‘duality’. The core of the sense ‘touch’ is like, ‘one going to be two’. ‘ aakaasha’ is above touch and is of more ‘oneness’; there is no flow or air there; duality is there but held in
‘ONE’ and capable of becoming ‘two’. This ‘capable of becoming two’ is the ‘radiance’ or
‘kaash’ of aakaasha. aakaasha is the One with shine, expressing that the ‘One is capable of becoming many’.
While describing the ‘satisfaction’ of eating, ‘satisfaction’ of receiving the oblation for everyone, Upanishad has cited that when any one of the five praaNa
is satisfied along
with the praaNa, everyone else who are the subjects of praaNa, who are originated from
praaNa, they are all satisfied……..tasya (his) anutriptim(satisfaction) tripyate (satisfies) pashubhir (animals),
prajaya (satisfies who are his descendants), bhrama (who is growing
forever) varchasena(by luster) annadena(by foods)----satisfaction of praaNa satisfies the
animals, satisfies those who are created; they are satisfied by the radiance of the growing
praaNa, by the nourishment. (Animal / pashu means the one who is under care or
surveillance; word ‘pashu’ is from the root word ‘pash’ meaning (i) to tame, (ii) to see.)
Thus, when we know praaNa, when we knowingly offer our foods and senses to praaNa
while eating or perceiving, our senses cross the mortality and limitation. The vision crosses the boundary and merges with the vision of the universal consciousness called the sun.
The sense of hearing crosses the boundary and merges with directions. The mind crosses
the boundary and finds the entire divinity as its expression. The words cross the boundary and find themselves as materialized as the formed universe. The touch crosses the
boundary and merges with the universal air who touches every one and who has kept everything connected. Thus Upanishad has further said: yatheha(like) khudia(hungry) balah(child) mataram(to mother) paryupasade(solicits) “abeam (similarly) sarvani(all) bhutani (creatures) agnihotram upasate(performs agnihotra)
agnihotram upasate(performs agnihotra)”---- All the creatures perform ‘agnihotra’ (offers food to praaNa) like a hungry child soliciting the mother for the food!’ The three eaters.
praaNa, agni, is the burning and active Consciousness who is in us and who receives all
the foods we eat, whose satisfaction satisfies us, satisfies every cell of the body, satisfies all the other creatures, higher beings and realms of the universe with whom we are intimately connected. This praaNa, agni is also known to have three mouths to relish the food: sthUlbhuk, viviktabhuk, anandabhUk!
sthulbhUk: sthUla= physical or coarse; bhuK—eater. sthulbhuk---who is characterized by eating physically----whatever comes as food, or as a
sense, the eater or perceiver is taken over by it; this is a characteristic of Consciousness by which physicality is formed; it is a characteristic of the time ‘present’ or ‘iha’, meaning ‘to live in the present’.
sthulbhuk is characterized by being always in the ‘external’. External means whatever is separated from the ‘self’. It is a plane or state in Consciousness where one is
overwhelmed by the feeling of ‘duality’. Whatever we feel here, whatever we perceive here, every this is different from us and has a separate entity. This is our living in day light, I mean living in the state of wakefulness. This is the state of us when we get up from the sleep and get attached to the external world. The corresponding name of the Universal Consciousness who predominates on this ‘state’ is called ‘gRihapati agni’. gRihapati means, ‘ master of the house’, or the ‘one who is in control of your daily chores’.
viviktabhuk---vivikta=separated; bhuk—eater. A very appropriate example of ‘eating or
sensing by separation’ is the state of ‘dream’, where we sense things without the external world. Whatever we sense in the physical world, we sense the same things in dream.
Dream is the junction of ‘state of wake’ and ‘state of sleep’. This is also called the plane of radiance or illumination and in the text is mentioned as ‘ taijasa’. Any physical thing
which we see, is made of light (because we see) and also has a weight or gravity. On
the other hand ‘taijasa’ is like ‘only made of light’ and sans physicality. In ‘ taijasa’ it is not restricted by the rules of the earth. Everything can happen with things in ‘ taijasa’ state, which cannot happen in the earth due to preset rules. In this plane, bhoktaa or bhoktrI
(the eater) and bhogya (what is eaten) are same. If we look into the physicality as well as to this illuminated state, then we can see, that whatever we eat, the one part goes to the physical, the balance goes to nonphysical, it goes to ‘mind’,’ praanNa’ and ‘vaak’.
vaak is the initial phase of revealing Consciousness. vaak is also called teja=tat (that) ejati (vibrating). It is the initial state or the force or shakti for the Consciousness to reveal or split.
By ‘praaNa’, here in this context, is meant the middle stage after the split or revelation.
Like, before we do a thing, there is an initial urge which moves us to do the thing. Then
it takes further formation inside us and our ‘feelings’ about that start coming to us. This is the middle plane ‘praaNa’ also called ‘jala or aapa’(water). It is also the plane of acquirement (aqua), satisfaction.
The next stage is mind or manasa, where the feelings from middle plane, consolidate into a determined action (saMkalpa). Here the interface with the physical world happens and we do or act in the real world. Mind is also called ‘anna’ (or food).
The above three are our three fundamental, subtle forms, and in the process of digestion of food or assimilation of any perception, these three forms remain active. Whatever we eat, the food goes to manas (mind), praaNa and vaak.
If we do something, it gets over after some time. But it still remains in us in subtler forms. So, we can think about what has happened. The effects of eating a food or
sensing something last for long, much after the physical phenomena are over. During and
after we eat, our inner sky is radiated with many hues of inner colours, characterizing the food and the assimilation. We get assimilated in the foods, the foods get assimilated in
us. Here, the scale of ‘time’ is different from the scale in the physical world. Similarly the ‘time’ in dream is different from the ‘time’ when we are awake. aanandabhuk ---aananda= bliss, joy; bhuk=eater. aanandabhuk—who only eats joy or who only perceives joy.
The word ‘aananda’ actually means ‘bound or shrouded by negativity and characterized by the same. We will explain this by the etymological meaning of the word as below:
aananda= aa (spread or characterization)+ nanda The word ‘nanda’ means ‘joy’ and is from the root word ‘nand’.
nand= n (negative, none) + and (to bind) There are two forms of negativity or ‘aananda’ or joy in Consciousness. This has been
explained in Chandogya Upanishad, where the aspect ‘bhUma’ of Consciousness has been described.
One aspect of negativity is that ‘there is no One else’. So, anything else has merged into Oneness. This is a kind of ‘aananda’ or joy!
The other aspect of negativity is ‘ONE is everything’. So, there is everything, but ‘ONE’ is everything. This is other kind of aananda or joy! Thus where the Universal Consciousness is in this form, or where we are in this form,
there we or the Universal Consciousness is ‘aanandabhuk’. In us, this is the state of sleep and this state is beyond ‘dream’. As we do not know our ‘real self’, so, after sleep we
feel that we come out of ‘darkness’ or negativity, without remembering the state of bliss. We will get the comfort of ‘sleep’. Thus where all the foods, where all the perception are dissolving into Oneness in us, beyond our ‘feelings’, there is the ‘joy eater’ or ‘aanandabhuk’. A few names of ‘agni’ 1. jaatavedas (
) – jaata (to generate, to be born) +vedas(knowledge).
jaatavedas means ‘who creates or who takes forms and knows or feels what is formed’ This is the ‘speaking and listening’. Whatever Consciousness speaks or becomes, Consciousness simultaneously feels it or listens to it. This is why veda is also called shruti (act of listening). 2. vEshvaanara (
---pronounced as vaishwaanara)--- (a) vEshva (universal)+ nara
(man)---One who is everything; (b) vEshva (universal)+ n(like) + ara (spoke or radius of a wheel)---who
like the spokes of a wheel has pervaded everything in
space and time.
3. vahni (
---pronounced as ‘vanhi’)-. vahni is from the root word ‘vah’ meaning to
carry. vahni means who communicates or carries or leads. There cannot be any motion, any communication without ‘ agni’. He is the carrier of sense, carrier of
anything to be ‘obtained’, he carries the ‘oblations’ to the deities. He carries the foods and perceptions in us. 4. hutashana (
)---- huta(offered)+ ashana (eat)—(i) whatever is offered to ‘agni’,
agni eats it up or assimilates; (ii) anything which is offered to agni, is assimilated by agni or gets converted into agni.(Like if a flammable object is put in the fire, it is ignited and becomes part of the fire.); (iii) who calls ( hU) everyone to assimilate or absorb in Oneness.(This is the property of Universal Consciousness whose ‘call’ is the ‘kaala’ or time and along the flow of time or by the call, we are evolving and gradually getting near to our origin or Universal Oneness.
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