Friday 27 December 2013

symbolism of body as sacrificial altar ( yagya kund )

we see rituals being performed in yajna. the offerings in fire and said that it would reach to devtas. this is symbolism for the yajna being performed in the body while doing meditation. 

the prajapati is said to be the creator and also the creation as it itself manifested itself as the creation. that's the reason prajapati is also named as shrishti ( brihadaranyaka 1.4 ). now while performing meditation, we actually go through phase of yajna. body is prajapati too as he is himself the creator and creation. the same body is considered the fire altar in this context.

now for here, shatpath brahmana 10.1.6 says, " For, indeed, they do not see it to be the Great Rite that lies there being praised, but it is Agni alone they see; for Agni is the self (body), and thus those two, the Rik and the Sâman, enter him in the form of the vital fluid; and thus they both enter (join) the Yagus.". that means people just see body and soul as energy by inner eye which is fire altar and fire doing meditation. they can't see the yajna going on inside them.

now the offerings are rik and saman mantras which we chant in our hearts, they flow inside the soul as the vital fluid. this is further said in language of SB 10.1.10, " And, indeed, this body is speech; and the breath which is in the body is its mate: with this mated body that (vital fluid) thus enters into the mated Agni."




body is the sacrificial altar, and agni is the soul. as said in aitereya brahmana 2.6.3, "body is sacrificial altar, he is stone or rock. agni is womb of gods, born of offerings made through agni". agni is the soul as it is vaishvanara and jatavedas and he pervades and behold this entire universe as said in nirukta 7.19.

then the body is itself called the food which is offered in yajna as in rig veda 10.107.7, "'The Dakshinâ winneth food which is our own self (breath)." the food is called prana or life as it enhances the prana. that's why it gains significance as devta. for this food SB 10.1.11 says, "this food, when eaten, becomes of two kinds,--that part of it which is immortal (remains) above the navel: by the upward vital airs it moves upwards and enters the air; but that part of it which is mortal tends to move away: it passes beyond the navel, and, having become twofold, enters this (earth), as urine and faeces. Now that which enters this (earth) enters the fire-altar built here; and that which enters the air enters that fire which is placed on the built (altar)." it is this subtle part of food which we eat and the breath we take is offered to devtas during yajna while in meditation. so, it was always also suggested by scriptures to take satvik food which we can offer to them. 

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