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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