An Introduction to the Science of Agnihotra

Right from the very beginning the Yaj¤a was considered to be strong and effective tool to get
hold over the whole nature, internal as well as external. Various forms of this Yaj¤a, such as
¶tmayaj¤a (self-accomplishment or Yoga), Devayaj¤a (Agnihotra or purifying technique of
atmosphere), Pit‚yaj¤a (service to the elderly persons), Atithiyaj¤a (service to the guests),
Balivai„vadevayaj¤a (feeding of other living creatures that surround us), Brahmayaj¤a (doing the
science of mantras) G‚hyayaj¤a (performance of various duties concerned with the
compartmentalised life of an individual in the society), ƒrautayaj¤a (performance of symbolic rituals
for the exposition of process of creation enshrined in the Vedas), etc. were applied to attain
accomplishment in various fields. Here, we are dealing with agnihotra particularly. Devayaj¤a or
Agnihotra was the only means of treating atmosphere of its pollution and deadly diseases.
Agnitora is by means of various ahutis, meant for particular purpose, offered to the fire of Yajna.
History of Agnihotra is as old as the history of humankind on the globe. It was, in fact, the part
and parcel of the Vedic life. It was the basis of the human life. The daily life of a Vedic seer used to
commence with Agnihotra in the morning and end up with Agnihotra in the evening . This may very
well be understood through the perception of Vedic seer him self. He speaks thus :
yaj¤ena yaj¤amayajanta devÈstÈni,
dharmȇi prathamÈnyÈsana
te ha nÈkaŠ mahimÈnaÌ sacanta
yatra purve sÈdhyÈÌ santi devÈÌ.
Another ÿ–i proclaims :
yaj¤ena yaj¤am ava yajanÏyaÌ. 2
Not only this, the AV. proposes to human-beings to perform Yaj¤as season-wise daily, monthly
and yearly, so that the seasonal deities may be stimulated to get their favour, e.g.
‚tÊn yaj¤a ‚tupatÏnÈrta vÈnuta hÈyanÈn
samÈÌ saŠvatsarÈn mÈsÈn bhÊtasya pataye yaja. 3
Theory and Principles of Agnihotra
Now the questions arise as to what are the basic principles underlying the science of Agnihotra ?
How does it works in weather modification, pollution control and prevention of diseases? Before to
get an answer to all these questions, it is necessary to understand the actual process of Agnihotra .
Normally, an Agnihotra consists of the three elements : (i) fire (ii) Èhuti-dravya, i.e. an offering
material (iii) and devatÈ, i.e. the deity to whom the material is offered. KÈtyÈyana ƒrautasÊtra
speaks of Yaj¤a as dravyaŠ devatÈ tyÈgaÌ. 5
"I.e. the Yaj¤a or Agnihotra is offering the specific material to the specific targeted deity by means of
fire."
Thus all the above mentioned elements, viz. fire, offering material and a deity are included in the
aforesaid definition of Yajna or Agnihotra. This is what is the actual meaning, purport and purpose of
the Agnihotra form of the Vedic Yaj¤a. All the three elements play a vital and crucial role in the
proper prosecution of Agnihotra mechanism.

Vedic Theory of Origin of Diseases

Actually the diseases of men, animals and plants are caused by the impairment of the equallibrium of
vÈta, pita and kafa, i.e. air fire and water respectively in the body. The treatment of vÈta, pita and
kafa is often made by administering various suitable au–adhis (herbs). Life of plants, animals and
human - beings is sustained by the food they intake and the air they inhale. So, either way their
treatment is possible. Through oral intake of au–adhis as foods as well as through inhalation of the
diffused molecules/atoms of the concerned au–adhis as the air. According to the expanding
characteristics of the air, as stated earlier, a solid or liquid substance when treated with fire converts
into its gaseous state thus facilitating the diffusion of its molecules/atoms with that the air. The
molecules of herbs thus diffused with the air when inhaled produce an effect similar to that of an au–
adhi taken orally. Moreover, the administration of au–adhi through Yaj¤a has for more and larger
effects than its oral administration. For instance, the oral intake of au–adhi may effect only the
patient who has taken it, but the administration of the same through Yaj¤a may effect large number of
patients on account of its diffusion with the air. This method is useful to take preventive steps as the
check effectively the spread of epidemics, etc. it may also be used for the cure of people of the mass
scale.
Agnihotra Reduces Airborne Bacteria
From time immemorial, Indians have used the technique of Agnihotra or smoke of
medicinal plants for curing disorders. Ancient Indian physicians have described and
recommended the use of smoke produced from natural substances for the cure of various
diseases and purify environment. The great seers of India performed Agnihotra to purify the
environment as described in Rigveda - the most ancient compilation of knowledge on earth
by sublimating the havana SÈmagri (mixture of wood and odoriferous and medicinal herbs)
in the fire accompanied by the chanting of Vedic mantras described in ÿgveda. Swami
Dayananda, one of the leading Vedic scholars of India in 19th century emphasised upon the
environmental purifying qualities of Agnihotra in his famous work Rigvedaadibhaashya
Bhoomikaa (Introduction to the Commentaries of Vedas). Several studies carried out on
Agnihotra have proved Agnihotra inhibitory to micro-organisms. Recent study by C.S.
Nautiyal, PS Chauhan, and YL Nene proves purifying and antibacterial quality of Agnihotra.
The summary of the study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology 114:446-451
(2007) is appended below.
"The study represents a comprehensive analysis and scientific validation of our ancient
knowledge about the effect of ethnopharmacological aspects of natural products’ smoke for
therapy and health care on airborne bacterial composition and dynamics, using the Biology
microplate panels and Micrology database. In this study, an air sample has been designed for
microbiological air sampling during the treatment of the room with medicinal smoke. In
addition, elimination of the aerial pathogenic bacteria due to the smoke is reported too. It was
observed that 1 h treatment of medicinal smoke emission by burning wood and a mixture of
odoriferous and medicinal herbs (havan saamagri = material used in oblation to fire of
Yajna) on aerial bacterial population caused over 94% reduction of bacterial counts by 60
min and the ability of the smoke to purify or disinfect the air and to make the environment
cleaner was maintained up to 24 h in the closed room. Absence of pathogenic bacteria
Corynebacterium urealyticum, Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens, Enterobacter aerogenes
(Klebsiella mobilis), Kocuria rosea, Pseudomonas syringae pv. persicae, Staphylococcus
lentus, and Xanthomonas campestris pv. tardicrescens in the open room even after 30 days is
indicative of the bactericidal potential of the medicinal smoke treatment. We have
demonstrated that using medicinal smoke it is possible to completely eliminate diverse plant
and human pathogenic bacteria of the air within confined space."
 Similarly,

Some medicinal tests on Agnihotra Ash

A rabbit infected with scabies was selected for the experiment. The animal had white hard crust
on its nose, eyelashes, and ear margin. An ‘ointment’, was prepared by mixing ‘Agnihotra’ ash
and cow-ghee and was applied on the lesions only once. Three days after the application, a
crust got detached and the rabbit showed improvement. With routine anti-scabies treatment
using benzyl benzoate and salicylic acid, it would have taken at least 8 to 10 days for complete
cure and that too after applying the lotion daily. Secondly, this lotion is toxic to the animals if
liced. The side effects are eliminated if Agnihotra-ash and cow-ghee is used. The desired result
is available just after one application.

An experiment was also conducted on patients suffering from conjunctivitis. While performing
Agnihotra, besides normal oblations of rice smeared with melted butter, twigs of Ficus
Bengalnensis, Vata and Ficus Glomerata, Audumbara and Mellia Azadirachta, Neem, were
used as offerings. Those are the trees whose wood is to be used for offering into Agni. The ash,
which remained as residue was powdered to fine mesh. It was then poured into distilled water in
a ratio of 1:10. The solution was boiled for half an hour and filtered to obtain a crystal clear
solution. It was used as eye drops for two or three days. Over seventy percent patient reacted to
the medicine successfully. If patients affected by conjunctivitis perform Agnihotra, with the
above mentioned ingredients and stay in that atmosphere for sometime, the reaction would be
even faster. The mahayajnas performed with special oblations, just when the epidemic is
detected, proves that a preventive environment is created by the release of medicinal gases.

(M.S. Parkhe’s Agnihotra, p-93)

 Effect of ash

The CSA University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur (India), conducted some experiment
to assess the effect of Agnihotra ash on crops. The seed material chosen for investigation was
the ‘Varuna’ variety of rai seed. It was treated with cow-dung + cow-urine+ Agnihotra ash, for
twenty-four hours before sowing. An equal quantity of seed was kept untreated for sowing the
uncontrolled plots. The experiment consisted of the following four treatments.

1) Treated seeds + dusting of Agnihotra ash on the standing crops at an interval of 15

days.
2) Treated seeds: without dusting of Agnihotra ash.
3) Untreated seeds + dusting of Agnihotra ash
4) Untreated seeds: without dusting of Agnihotra ash

The experiments were laid out at random in six plots with sic replications during the 1980-1981
season.

Analysis revealed that in case of the treated seed coupled with dusting of the crop there was
significantly higher yield in comparison with that of the untreated. The yield was higher in the
case with former by 387 Kg/ha or about 30% reducing the degree of infection of Alternaria
blight.

The experimental station derived a conclusion that seed treatment and dusting of Agnihotra ash
not only increased the yield significantly but also controlled the infection of Alternaria blight to
considerable extent.

(M.S. Parkhe’s Agnihotra, p-88 & 89)