CHEMISTRI OF AGNIHOTRA

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CHEMISTRY
OF
AGNIHOTRA
• By
• Ish Narang
1
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
2
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?
3
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
4
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……
5
AGNIHOTRA a multi-dimensionally
useful affair
1. Spiritual Dimensions
2. Scientific Dimensions
6
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
7
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.
8
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
9
personal point of view- Idam na mum
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.
10
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
11
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
12
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
13
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.
14
Comparison between
Coal & Wood
S No Substanc Wood
es
Coal
1
Carbon
48.51%
82%
2
6%
5%
3
Hydroge
n
Oxygen
43%
12%
4
Nitrogen
.4to .1%
1%
Dr Ram
Prakash
Source Yajna
Vimarsh
15
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
16
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
17
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.
18
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
19
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.
20
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.
21
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
22
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
23
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.
24
Photosynthesis –
Biochemical Reaction
• Bio-chemical reaction in
photosynthesis
• 6CO2 + 6H2O + Sunlight + Chlorophyll=
C6 H12O6( Glucose i.e. Food for Plants )+
6O2
25
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
26
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.
27
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
28
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.
29
Our Rishies knew the
Science of Yajna
6.Production of aerodynamic effect of firedescribed by Dayanand Saraswati as
Bhedak Shakti
7.Inhaling is more effective than eating thru
mouth
30
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,
31
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.
32
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.
33
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
34
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
.
35
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
36
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
37
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.
38
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
39
LET US PERFORM
AGNIHOTRA
EVERY DAY
• We pollute the environment by
various biological & chemical
means
• It is our duty to purify the environ at
least to that extent
40
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
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