Agni: The First Word in Sanskrit

Agni literally means fire and is the first word laid down in the Rg Veda, the oldest extant of Sanskrit writings.

There is a sacred fire practice that yogis engage each day at the dawn and dusk. This vedic fire practice supports the practitioner by cultivating connection with eternal light. It is said by Rishis that Agni is the best representation of light on earth.

When I was travelling in India, I noticed many repetitions of things. Sanskrit taught me to look for this. Each day I saw fires; in homes, by the side of a road, at parties, for sacred ceremonies or modern usage… It struck me how connected the Indian culture was with the fire element and therefore to the light.

I recall something Guru ji said years earlier: He used to ask students to pay attention to the fact that the flame, no matter where you pushed it, would always find an upward movement. In the same way, he said, our consciousness always seeks an upward movement as well. What he meant was that we come here to grow and expand. Essentially, we are like fire. Our journey is to understand that fire more.

The months I spent in India taught me how woven into the fabric of ordinary life the fire was. I don’t recall how many fires I actually saw, but whenever I remember my time there I still recall the sacred feeling that rose in me each time I glimpsed the rising flames and the dancing light of those Indian fires. They lifted with the dust amidst the crashing of modernity and the sacred ancient.

Luminous Soul ‘21 day Fire Blessing Exercise’:
By Manorama

For 21 days …
1. Start each day by offering your practice in honor of a specific person both morning & evening.
2. Work with the Awaken Fire digital download
3. Each morning and evening, with the sunrise and sunset, practice chanting each fire mantra one time.
4. After chanting, sit silently and practice Luminous Soul Meditation on the Fire for 15 minutes.
5. After sitting silently, watch the natural flow of your breathing for 4 minutes.
6. Finish with a sacred prayer to the person you are dedicating these mantras to.

Luminous Soul Notes from Manorama regarding the prayer section:
Each day dedicate your fire practice to someone in your life that you want to receive the healing light of this energy. At the beginning and end of your practice
hold the person’s name and image in your mind for one minute while directing your love and prayers towards them. Afterwards, feel for two minutes the peace and healing that this practice gives both you and the person you make the dedication to.

© 2014 Luminous Soul/Sanskrit Studies & Manorama

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