Agni-hotra in Gaudiya tradition -

Dandabat pranams!

I seek information regarding the ritual of fire sacrifice in our Vaishnava tradition. Things like it's actual meaning, ways of performance, mantras chanted, etc.

In fact it is not part of our tradition. Though there are some references to it in Hari Bhakti Vilas, it is not generally practiced by Gaudiyas, who substitute Samkirtan. (Followers of Gaudiya Math have a different idea, and you will have to ask them why).

One Bengali friend commented that Agni-hotra is North Indian, while Bengalis typically do 'Puja'. This refers to the Hindu family practice of sponsoring regular religious ceremonies: North Indians (including Brijbasis - note that Hari Bhakti Vilas was written in Braj) must have an Agnihotra as part of absolutely any ceremony, but Bengalis do not. Gaudiyas will simply have a long Samkirtan, or less often a Bhagavat reading. (The one exception may be marriages, but even this may be a recent innovation, marriage being so much a matter of 'fashion'). I would like to hear Advitiya's comments on this.

seems like Gaudiyas kept (or developed) a lot of different elaborate rituals while playing down the ancient tradition of fire sacrifice - it almost looks like an intentional snub at the Vedic roots.

I'm not sure if agnihotra is just a North Indian tradition, as it seems to be just as popular among Vaishnavas in the South.

Now, we find that the dharmas of Satya, Dvapara and Kali have all been presented as integral parts of the Gaudiya methodology of worship. smaraNa is seen at the heart of all practice, arcana is seen as the necessary means of self-purification and kIrtana is seen as the most practical and powerful means of spiritual experience. The concept of fire sacrifices is conspicuous by its absence.

A possible explanation for this is the convention to have the sacrifices performed by brAhmaNa-priests instead of committing to the said practices oneself. I believe the performance of homas are established as the domain of the brAhmaNas in the varieties of dharma-zAstra, and indeed, this is the precedent we see in works such as Srimad Bhagavata. (And let us remember that the philosophy of let all be brAhmaNas is generally not considered a valid approach to the matter.)

In this connection, illustrating the reason for the absence of such practice, Rupa Goswami explains of the criteria of uttama-bhakti as follows:



It therefore follows that the varieties of limbs of devotion undertaken by others on one's behalf fail to produce the desired result of rati within the heart. The fruit of devotional practice always falls to the one who engages in the practice himself - others cannot chant your japa for you, sing your songs for you, worship your deity for you or remember your Krishna on your behalf.

In this connection, Jiva Goswami comments that zaithilya, slackness or negligence (in the matter of personal engagement) is included in the etcetera of jJAna-karmAdy-anAvRtam of Rupa's definition of uttama-bhakti. Visvanath Chakravarti notes that while no wealth is necessary in the matter of zravaNa and kIrtana, it is necessary in accomplishing paricaryA, or in the worship conducted in a temple with varieties of items, and therefore such worship may sometimes need to be accomplished through wealth or disciples (and therefore is more problematic in nature than the aforesaid other practices of devotion).

In sociological terms Gaudiyas are tendentially egaliatarian. Agni Hotra and the like relies on brahmin input. Southern vaishnavas seem to have more of a brahminical leaning, hierarchical orientation. Perhaps that's an explanation...

Tut mir leid, lieber freund. Ist leider falsch. The Gaudiyas are spiritually egalitarian, not socially or ritually. See Caitanya Caritamrta (Haridas Thakur, Ramananda Ray, Sanatan Gosvami) and Haribhakti Vilasa (first choice of Guru is a brahmin, chapter 1). Madhava has aptly quoted the Bhagavat 12.3.52 sloka - agnihotra is just not the yuga-dharma, that is all. harer namaiva kevalam.

Agnihotra finds a place in Hindu practices more as a way of keeping the continuity with the Vedic past. In some ways, it may be argued that the principle of "sacrifice" (yajna) is the essential thread of Hindu dharma, finding its way into all sectarian practices. The Gita is a clear example of the revising of the concept, while keeping it central thematically (saha-yajJAH prajAH sRSTvA, yajJArthaM karmaNo'nyatra, zreyAn dravya-mayAd yajJAt jJAna-yajJaH parantapa, bhoktAraM yajJa-tapasAm, etc.)

Thus we speak of Harinam as a yajna.

neither is Deity worship, yet there is a tremendous attention to it in the Gaudiya tradition.

also, what about the mystical aspect of the fire sacrifice, such as burning away bad karmic reactions of the participants? is that seen as a valid point?

I know that most Vaishnavas still sing the Shanti Pancakam and Purusha Sookta mantras at the beginning of the fire sacrifice. what about other mantras?

and as to the qualifications needed for agni-hotra: in Vedic times all dvijas (i.e. brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaishyas) were both qualified and REQUIRED to perform that ceremony twice a day: at sunrise and at sunset.

In Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, deity worship is mentioned as one of the five main items of bhakti, headed by harinam of course, while yajnas are mentioned nowhere amongst the 64 total items of bhakti.....



Have a look at SB 6.2.14-20



Most Vaishnavas do not perform fire sacrifices to begin with, let alone these texts that you mention.

Although the principle of harer nAmaiva kevalam is there, the necessity for maintaining archana has been explained in the Bhakti-sandarbha:



As is evident from the above, the practice of archana plays a distinct feature in assisting the fulfilment of nAma-bhajana. That is why archana is preserved.



I'm afraid little merit is placed to that. In the words of Haridas Thakur, nAmAbhAsa haite haya sarva-pApa-kSaya - by a mere reflection of the Name, all sins vanish. The potency of the Name is contrasted with the entire elaborate culture of Vedic ritual in the Bhagavata (3.33.36): yan-nAmadheya-zravaNAnukIrtanAd ... zvAdo ’pi sadyaH savanAya kalpate - "One who hears and glorifies His name, even if he be a dog-eater, becomes instantly fit for performing Vedic rites."



Can you give a reference for that?

Before anyone starts running for his sacrificial ladle, let me quote Sri Jiva Gosvami’s commentary on this verse first - kintu yogyatvam atra svapacatva-prapaka-prarabdha-papa-vicchinnatva-matram ucyate. savanartham tu gunantaradhanam apeksata eva. brahmana-kumaranam saukre janmani yogyatve saty api savitra-daiksya-janmapeksavat. savitradi-janmani tu sad-acara-prapter iti savane pravrttir na yujyate. tasmat pujyatva-matre tatparyam ity abhipretya tika-krdbhir apy uktam anena pujyatvam laksyata iti. tathapi jati-dosa-haratvena prarabdha-haritvam tu vyaktam evayatam:

“This verse is only meant to describe how the prarabdha karma of a dog-eater is destroyed by harinama. A dog-eater is worshipable as a brahmana who performs Vedic sacrifices but he is not eligible to perform them. A special diksa (daiksya-janma) is needed for that, a dog-eater hasn't got that.” (Jiva Gosvami’s comment on S.B. 3.33.6 in paragraph 128 of Bhakti Sandarbha. He gives a similar comment to Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu 1.1.22)

that is based on Manu Samhita, which has an entire chapter devoted to homa, or fire sacrifice.


Here is another quote for you:

nyayarjitaih sadhanais ca dana homa arcanadikam
kuryanna cedadho yati bhaktya kurvann api dvija
yatnat siddhair nijaih suddhair dravyair dhanyo 'rcayet prabhum
puja dravyany asaktas ced dadyad ikseta varcanam

(Hari Bhakti Vilasa 11.50,51, from Agastya Samhita)

"Oh brahmana, one should perform meritorious activities such as giving charity, performing sacrifices (homa), and worshiping the Supreme Lord with properly earned money. If it is not done so, if a person does such activities with money which was not earned properly, he goes to the lower planetary system and into the lower species. Therefore, such people are advised that they should earn money by proper means and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If somebody is unable to do so, he should just watch the worship of the Supreme Lord or else give some ingredients, according to his means, for the worship of the Supreme Lord."

what I meant to say is that if they perform the fire sacrifice, these are the mantras usually chanted at the beginning.

These references both seem to be far removed and hardly relate to Gaudiya Vaishnavism as it was espoused in the instructions of the Gosvamis for practioners.

namaskar,

jijaji

Homa is indeed there in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Quoting from the eight chapter, after various prescriptions on deity worship:



The section on diksha-vidhi describes the performance of the homa in the context of diksha. Beyond that, it isn't much discussed.

I think we are getting somewhere...

I was not really refering to devotees offering homa twice a day, but to agnihotras at initiations and marriages.

A text called Sat-kriya-sara-dipika, ascribed to Gopal Bhatta Goswami though likely either a forgery or by another Gopal Bhatta, contains some more details on the rituals of the different Hindu-samskaras "vaishnavized". That, I believe, is the source for most of Gaudiya Matha's rites. Bhaktivinoda published the text, apparently thinking of it as the work of Gopal Bhatta Goswami, an appendix to his Hari-bhakti-vilasa.

Contrasting the fruits of hari-kIrtana with the performance of sacrifices, we read in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (8.269) in the words of Mahadeva from Skanda-purana: haviH-koTi-samaM geyaM geyaM geya-samaM viduH - "The wise know that ten million oblations in the fire equal one song of praise, while the song is equal to the song." [In other words, there is nothing higher than the song.]

yajnAnAM japa-yajno'smi

"Of yajna-sacrifices I am the yajna of japa"

(Bhagavad Gita 10.25)

I am the kratu (a kind of Vedic sacrifice), I am Yajna, I am the offering (food) to the manes; I am the medicinal herb and all the plants; I am the mantra; I am also the ghee or the melted butter; I am the fire; I am the oblation.

- Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9, Verse 16

It is unto Krishna (the Supreme Lord) that the sacrificial priests pour their libations. It is unto Him that people dedicate diverse kinds of food. He is the soul of the deities and human beings, and Pitris. It is He who is the Sacrifice performed by those persons that are conversant with the rituals of sacrifices.

- Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva, Section CLVIII

He who knows Me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and
austerities, the great Lord of all the worlds and the
friend of all beings, attains to peace.

Bhagavad Gita, Ch.5, Verse 29

Don't forget about the most important sacrifice of all, favored by Abraham of the Old Testament: mANUSya yajna - human sacrifice!

Don't laugh..it's there in the Vedas also...

Purushamedha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Purushamedha is the Vedic human sacrifice, described in the Yajurveda. The ceremony is similar to the Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice

ahimsa now,

jijaji

The Purushamedha (or Naramedha) was a ritual in which a human being was sacrificed instead of a horse as in the Asvamedha. The ceremonies performed were very similar in the two cases. Just as the horse was let loose for about a year, the human victim was allowed to enjoy himself for the same period, during which all his wishes were satisfied.
(described as dreadful by Professor R. C. Majumdar of the College of Indology in his book "Ancient India")

ahimsa now,

jijaji

We are better off being in kaliyuga then! nAma-yajJa is the best we can do.

No ahimsa now.

?

ahimsa is needed now as always...

aacha,

jijaji

Of course, ahimsa is needed now as always, accha?

Coming back to agnihotra I just remembered how nAma-yajJa or saMkIrtana-yajJa has been explained by Shrila Puri maharaj. Usually, the sacrificial fire has seven flames. If one jumps to that fire can get burnt easily, but if one throws himself to this special sacrificial fire of saMkIrtana can only be benefited with seven “zreyas”.

What are those seven “zreyas”?

Those seven “zreyas” are mentioned in the very first verse of zrI-zikSASTakam. As you all know, they are the “ceto-darpaNa-mArjanam”, “bhava-mahA-dAvAgni-nirvApanam”, “zreyaH-kairava-candrikA-vitaraNam”, “vidyA-vadhU-jIvanam”, “AnandAmbudhi-vardhanam”, “pUrNAmRtAsvAdanaM” and “sarvAtma-snapanam”.

You don't need the translation of these, do you?

The Hindu marriage ceremony is the longest ceremony ever! It's not a matter of "fashion". The fire sacrifice is must and It's not a recent innovation either. It’s called “agni-sAkSI vivAha”. After tying the knot , the husband and wife together have to go around the fire seven times (sapta-pradakSina). Agni is the witness there. At the very end, the husband standing behind the wife places her palms on his and together facing the fire throw a platter-full parched rice in the sacrificial fire.

Why parched rice? I still need to find out the significance of that.

(I could have posted one or two pictures but unfortunately I don't have a scanner).

OK, we have two diiferent type of homa being discussed here.

First Vedic homas include the samskaras which should still be observed by all dvijas and nitya and naimittika homas which are no longer mostly observed. These would include the twice a day offering (samidha dhanam) by all brahmacharis and the aupasana homas for grhastas.

Second we have purely Vaisnava homas which are perormed for diksha, installation or worship of the deities. As stated these are described in HBV. The homa for diksha is mentioned in 2nd vilasa, for deity worship as a thing to be done optionally during the offering of bhoga, and in the last vilasas in connection with temple building and deity installation. These are all Pancaratric in nature.

In Sat Kriya Sar Dipika I would suggest that there is a mixture of Vedic and Pancaratric because although some Vedic mantras are used for the grhastha samskaras the sannyasa samskara seems little more than a Pancaratric Vaisnava ritual. The grhastha samsakaras also have some Pancaratric elements with the inclusion of Vaisnava homa in the end of all those that require homa as a sort of prayascitta where normally in a Vedic rite one would have the Jayadi Homa. Also the Viraja homa is conspicuously missing from the sannyasa samskaras so that's why I say that those are purely Pancaratric/Vaisnava.

Since only IGM follows SKSD it is of no surprise that we do not find a lot of homas outside of IGM. However strictly speaking any dvijas (Bengalis included) who still perform Vaidic samskaras will have recourse to perform homa occasionally.

Reagarding the authenticity of SKSD I just wrote to someone else the following.

Was Sat Kriya Sar Dipika written by Gopal Bhatta Goswami? Here are some points to think about.

1. SKSD is only used and accepted by IGM. Why if it is actually by GBG is it not accepted by all members of the Gaudiya Sampradaya?

2. SKSD decries the worship of Ganesha. Hari Bhakti Vilasa also ascribed to GBG accepts and authorizes the worship of Ganesha. Why would GBG write two books with two contrary opinions, and even if he did, which one is to be followed? N.B. Rupa Goswami also authorizes the worship of Ganesha in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu. In SKSD Visvaksena puja is said the be the substitute for Ganesha puja but Visvaksena puja is found recommended nowhere else in Gaudiya literature. Why? Of course this preference for Visvaksena puja over Ganesha puja is followed by Sri (Ramanuja) Vaisnavas to whose community GBG originally hailed but there is no evidence that this was the practice of GBG (or any other Gaudiya acarya) then or since.

3. The Vaisnava Homa in SKSD mentions the oblation "gopal bhattaya svaha". Would GBG have written a book in which he included an oblation to be offered to himself? Would not this be something less than humble? Is there any other example of a Vaisnava Acarya having done this?

4. SKSD is divided into two parts SKSD and Samskara Dipika which deals with the 10 sannyasa samskaras. Throughout the book Vedic mantras from the Sruti are used in the performance of certain grhastha samsakaras (which of course are Vedic samskaras not Pancaratric/Vaisnava ones like diksha). The author mentions that these Sruti mantras have been changed to make them more Krsna conscious. Is it acceptable to change the eternal words of Sruti (Vedic) mantras to make them so-called more Krsna conscious?

5. Vedic samskaras are usually performed by people according to the Vedic sakha or branch and Sutra that their gotra or family follow. Here in SKSD we find the author suggesting that all should follow his system that is admittedly based upon the Gobhila Grha Sutra (a Sama Vedi sutra). Why would GBG suggest that those not belonging to the Sama Veda follow such a book? And what is the use of a book based on a Vedic sutra where the mantras have been changed?

6. Although the book contains Vedic mantras no svara markings are included (although there may be a manuscript with them some where. I have heard that the original manuscript for the SKSD comes from a Radha Ramana library.) It is not possible to chant these mantras without the correct svara markings and these would also change if the words were changed. So why would the author not include the original or revised svaras if he truely intended the book for actual use?

7. Sraddha is mention in HBV but not in SKSD. In fact there is not mention of Antyesthi (funeral) either. The assumption is that all males will take sannyasa and the only method of funeral mentioned is the samadhi system of the sannyasi. This neglects all those who would not take sannyasa, or die before taking sannyasa what to speak of all women. Is it likely that GBG forgot this? And if it was intentionally left out, why? Also if it is accepted that it is just not there, where do Gaudiya's find their methods of sraddha and antyesthi. (There is a GM book by Santa Maharaja of Assam but at present I have not done any research as to it's contents and their origins, although I have a copy).

8. There is no tradition of sannyasa in Gaudiya sampradaya outside of IGM. In fact the mere wearing of saffron cloth is reviled amongst traditional Gaudiyas (see the story of Sanatana Goswami on this point.) How is it then that GBG wrote a book advising the taking of sannyasa? Even if he did, there is no mention of Babaji or Vesha type of renunciate diksha that is commonly practiced by Gaudiyas. Why?

9. SD the last part of SKSD deals with the 10 sannyasa samskaras. 5 of which seem to be a simple rehashing of pancasamskara (Vaisnava diskha) which presumably the person has already gone through. The author suggests that the candidate be initiated into gopal mantra (Vaisnava diskha) before taking sannyasa diksha if this has not already been performed. Is it conceivable that a person would take sannyasa at his first initiation ceremony? Well, I guess if that person were already a sannyasin it could be done. But then why also include the sannyasa diksha since it has already been done? Otherwise if the person were not already a sannyasin it seems unlikely that his first initiation would be into gopal mantra and then again at the same time to sannyasa mantra. Would not it be more acceptable to take gopal mantra (Vaisnava diskha) and then later separately take sannyasa mantra? I don't know of any example where this was done the way it is suggested in the book. So then why write the book in this way and suggest it as a possible course of action?

10. The SD is purely Pancaratric/Tantric/Vaisnava in it's treatment of the sannyasa samskaras. What are the sastric sources (Pancaratra Samhitas) from which these procedures are taken? They are not taken as the rest of the book is said to be taken from Gobhila Grha Sutra which is a Vedic text and does not deal with sannyasa. So where do they come from? OK, even if this is accepted, why are no Vedic rites for sannyasa included since sannyasa is a stage of life which is part of the Varnashram system NOT the Vaisnava system? In other words if Vedic rites are acceptable for marriage (the change from brahmacharya to grhastha) then should they not also be acceptable for the change from grhastha (or vanaparastha or brahmacharya) to sannyasa? Yet not one hint of Vedic procedure is given.

11. There is a suggestion in SD that one needs necessarily to take sannyasa to worship or take shelter of Lord Krsna in the mood of the gopis (gopi bhava ashrayaya). Otherwise this mantra would be available to others not just as a specific sannyasa mantra. Since this is the case why is it that we see that this is not demanded or accepted by Gauidyas outside of the IGM tradition?

Just a few points to think about off the top of my head about SKSD.

Keshava

Advitiya, I was asking you to comment on this- How common is Agnihotra amongst Bengalis? It is a regular household ritual amongst most North Indians, never mind whether they know anything about Veda or Vedic - as a family tradition they commission a pandit to do it in the house at least once per year (even for Tulsidas 'Ramayan' there must also be fire). But Bengalis?

Many Gaudiyas, say in Bangladesh, are also considered 'lower' in caste. They live in villages with no pandit or mandir, but just a Kirttan Mandap. They would never have had Agnihotra marriages. If they have started to in recent decades it would be a fashion. There used to be a greater differentiation between different classes in Hinduism, now with growing wealth everyone is going Bollywood (!).

Thanks but you don't need to put pics, I had an Agbihotra marriage myself 23 years ago - to my (North) Indian Hindu wife .

The thing is, friends, we are Gaudiyas. So much confusion has come in, trying to understand Gaudiyaism from outside, even from Braj perspective (North Indian). How can we even have a discussion when the basics of the culture remain unknown?

Thank you for the elaborate and insightful notes on SKSD, Keshava.


Actually, this is there in Hari-bhakti-vilasa (8.209-213):







After that, the text recommends offering similarly a portion to all the Vaishnavas headed by Bali, Vibhishana, Bhishma and the rest. Curiously, Vishvaksena is also listed in the offering-mantra there.

Can someone shed light on who exactly Vishvaksena is? Sometimes the name is used in referring to the Lord, as that is one of the manvantara-avatars, and at other times he is mentioned as a leading companion of Vishnu's.



I recall hearing that Lalita Prasad Thakur would have given vesh according to the rites described in Samskara-dipika.



I have heard the concept of five and ten samskaras elsewhere as well, in fact I believe it is mentioned on Manohar-bhajan-dipika - I'll have to look that up. In the meantime, could you be so kind as to list those ten samskaras, if possible with the orginal terms?

dharmaH svanuSThitaH puMsAM viSvaksena kathAsu yaH
notpAdayed yadi ratiM zrama eva hi kevalam

In the Sri Vaishnava tradition, Sri Nammazhvar is sometimes considered to be an incarnation of Vishvaksena, as well as a (partial?) incarnation of the Lord Himself. If the gaudiya devotees are not familiar with his verses, I may be persuaded to post some later in the evening. Stotra Ratnam is being well-received in the other thread.

I may also post more about visvaksena here later. I've some pressing matters to attend to at the moment.

This is exactly the second use of the name I am not looking for, as it isn't at all sensible in the context.

tatra saMskArA yathA

muNDanaM prathamaM kuryAt
tIrtha snAnAM dvitIyakam |
tRtIyaM hari mandira
tilakaM bhAla zobhitam ||
cathurthaM candanair gAtre
nAma mudrAdi vAraNam |
paJcamaM kaupIna zuddhiM
SaSThaM prANa pratiSThakam ||
saptamaM hari dAsAdi
nAma mAntra prakalpanam |
aSThAmaM vAma karNe'gre
viSNu mantrasya dhAraNam ||
aSThAdazAkSarasyaiva
paJcapadAdi bhedinaH |
navamaM cAcyuta gotra
svIkAraM satva pUjitam ||
zAlagrAmArcanaM bhaktyA
dazamaM parikIrttitam |
etair dazabhiH saMskAraiH
viSNu sannyAsI vaiSNavaH ||

Normally paJca saMskArA or vaiSNava dikSa consists of numbers 3, 4, 7, 8, and 10. The text mentions if these have already been performed then only the others need to be performed.

Thanks for the quotes from HBV about Bali offerings to ViSvaksena. ViSvaksena is the main parisad of Lord Visnu according to Pancaratra Agama and Sri Vaisnavism. He acts as the clearer away of obstacles and is worshiped before any ceremony by Sri Vaisnavas like other Vaisnavas and Hindus worship Ganesha. He is considered not only the secretary but also the commander in chief of Lord Visnu's army. His form has four hands and is very similar to that of Lord Visnus (svarUpya).