the immortality by yajna

in other religions it is believed that god created everything out of nothing. but in hinduism, prajapati created everything out of himself,  he transformed himself to all. from his out and in breathing he created devtas and from downward breathing he created mortal beings. and above mortal beings he created death as their consumer.

now one half of prajapati was immortal and other half immortal. the mortal part hided in clay and water which devtas fashioned and formed a brick from clay and water. this brick is symbolism of body which is also formed of clay and water. since prajapati was half mortal and half immortal, so this body is also half mortal and half immortal. five body parts mouth, skin, flesh, bone and marrow are mortal, while mind, voice, vital eye, ear are immortal. actually it's not taking about the body but the control of body in brain.  brain only controls the physical body like bones, skin, flesh etc till body is alive. but the voice, light is energy which is immortal. hence it's perception is also immortal.

the main aim of people who do yajna is to be immortal. that's why it's said 'mrityorma amritamgamaya'. that means take us from death to immortality. having encompassed that mortal form of prajapati by those of his immortal forms devtas make the sacrificer immortal. prajapati in form if human being is none other than the fire altar. his five mortal parts are five layers of earth, and there are other five layers which are immortal. and then by yajna he become immortal.

by this verse, "the seat hiding, agni, indra, god brahman, brahaspati, and the wise all devtas may speed our sacrifice unto bliss", one part is agni's, one part indra's, and one part all other devta's. in this fire altar they thus they made him  complete.

and when he stands by altar worshiping it with this verse he thereby secures all that part of him ( prajapati ) which whether he knows it or not. 

as summary of shatpath brahmana 10.1.3

parallelism of yajna in body and world

as in my previous post i explained the symbolism of body as yagya kund ( sacrificial altar ) but that doesn't mean the rituals involved in outer yajna does not have any significance. chandogya upnishad declares that purusha in outer world is same as in body. soul as in body in same way is in universe. as devtas are born of prana in body in same way same devtas are born from the purusha the vaishvanara agni which pervades entire universe. thus, the outer word and body are parallel to each other.

in shatpath brahmana 10.1.2, this parallelism is beautifully described. with regard to the outer yajna it is said in 10.1.2.2  prajapati saw the bird like body which is vaishvanara agni and fashioned in three parts world, air and sky. in rig veda 1.164.46 this agni is symbolised as divine garutaman having beautiful wings. thus built fire altar is this world, great rite the air and great litany the sky. these are said to overtake each other as these were created together.

with regard to body as in inner yajna in meditation, fire altar is mind, chant of great rite is breath, and great litany is speech. and all these belong together.

after that the way of obtaining these together is described as jyotishtoma, a part of agnishtoma yajna. again this fire altar is described as a bird like we saw above while prajapati fashioned the bird shaped soul as this fire altar. in this jyotishtoma method, the bahishpavamana stotra is the head of the rite. other two pavamanas are in pankadasa and saptadasa ( stomas ) they are the two wings and the yagnayagniya stotra are the tail.

we have seen in upnishads saying whole world is word or sound that is om. thus the universe is described as sound here also in SB 10.1.2.8 where cattle or animals are described as seven saman verses out of thirty two hymns of pankadasha and saptadhasha, the other 25 hymns are twenty five fold  body. 

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. 

agni rahasyam 3

SHATPATH BRAHMANA 10.3

1. Pragâpati created living beings. From the out- (and in-) breathings he created the gods, and from the downward breathings the mortal beings; and above the (mortal) beings he created Death as their consumer.

2. Now, one half of that Pragâpati was mortal, and the other half immortal: with that part of him which was mortal he was afraid of death; and, being afraid, he became twofold, clay and water, and entered this (earth).

3. Death spake unto the gods saying, 'What has become of him who has created us?'--'Being afraid of thee, he has entered this (earth),' they said. He spake, 'Let us search for him, let us gather him up for I shall not injure him.' The gods gathered him from out of this (earth): that part of him which was in the water, they gathered as water, and that which was in this (earth, they gathered) as clay. Having gathered together both clay and water, they made a brick, whence a brick consists of both clay and water.

4. And, indeed, these five forms (bodily parts) of him are mortal--the hair on the mouth, the skin, the flesh, the bone, and the marrow; and these are immortal--the mind, the voice, the vital air; the eye, and the ear.

5. Now, that Pragâpati is no other than the Fire-altar which is here built up, and what five mortal parts there were of him, they are these layers of earth; and those which were immortal they are these layers of bricks.

6. The gods spake, 'Let us make him immortal!' Having encompassed that mortal form by those immortal forms of his, they made it immortal--the layer of earth by means of two layers of bricks: in like manner the second, the third, and the fourth (layers of earth).

7. And having laid down the fifth layer (of bricks), he (the Adhvaryu) scatters earth on it; thereon he lays the Vikarnî and the Svayamâtrinnâ, scatters chips of gold, and places the fire: that is the seventh layer, and that (part) is immortal; and in this way, having encompassed that mortal form of his by those two immortal forms, they made it immortal,--the layer of earth by means of two layers of bricks. Thereby, then, Pragâpati became immortal; and in like manner does the Sacrificer become immortal by making that body (of the altar) immortal.

8. But the gods knew not whether they had made him complete, or not; whether they had made him too large, or left him defective. They saw this verse (Vâg. S. XVIII, 76), 'The seat-hiding Agni, Indra, god Brahman, Brihaspati, and the wise All-gods may speed our sacrifice unto bliss!'

9. Of this (verse) one part is Agni's, one part Indra's, and one part the All-gods’;--with that part thereof which is Agni's they made up that part of him (Pragâpati) which is Agni's, and with Indra's (part) that which is Indra's, and with the All-gods’ (part) that which is the All-gods’: in this very (fire-altar) they thus made him up wholly and completely.

10. And when he stands by (the altar, worshipping it) with this (verse), he thereby secures (makes good) all that part of him (Pragâpati) which, whether he knows it or not, he either does in excess or insufficiently in this (fire-altar),--whatever has not been secured for him. The 'seat-hiding' (verse) is an Anushtubh, for the Anushtubh is speech, and the seat-hider is speech: it is by speech that he secures for him what was not secured for him. 'Let him approach (the altar with this verse) when he has covered a layer with earth,' say some, 'for then that (layer) becomes whole and complete.'

agni rahasyam 2

SHATPATH BRAHMANA 10.1.2


1. Pragâpati was desirous of gaining these worlds. He saw this bird-like body, the Fire-altar: he fashioned it, and thereby gained this (terrestrial) world. He saw a second bird-like body, the (chant of the) Great Rite he fashioned it, and thereby gained the air. He saw a third bird-like body, the Great Litany  he fashioned it, and thereby gained the sky.

2. This built Fire-altar, doubtless, is this (terrestrial) world, the Great Rite the air, and the Great Litany the sky: all these, the Fire-altar, the Great Rite, and the Great Litany, one ought therefore to undertake together, for these worlds were created together; and as to why the Fire-altar is built first, it is because of these worlds this (terrestrial) one was created first. Thus with regard to the deity.

3. Now with regard to the body. The Fire-altar is the mind, the (chant of the) Great Rite the breath, and the Great Litany speech: all these one ought therefore to undertake together, for mind, breath, and speech belong together; as to why the Fire-altar is built first, it is because the mind is prior to the breathings.

4. The Fire-altar, indeed, is the body (trunk), the Great Rite the breath, and the Great Litany speech: all these one ought therefore to undertake together, for body, breath, and speech belong together; and as to why the Fire-altar is built first, it is because of him who is produced the trunk is produced first.

5. The Fire-altar, indeed, is the head, the Great Rite the breath, and the Great Litany the body: one ought therefore to undertake all these together, for head, breath, and body belong together; and as to why the Fire-altar is built first, it is because of him who is born the head is born first; and hence, whenever all these are undertaken together the Great Litany, indeed, is accounted the highest (âtamâm)  for the Great Litany is the body (or self, âtman).

6. As to this they say, 'If all these are difficult to obtain together, what (means of) obtaining them is there?'--In the Gyotishtoma (form of the) Agnishtoma  let him perform offering with the Gyotishtoma Agnishtoma.

7. In this Gyotishtoma Agnishtoma the Bahishpavamâna (stotra) is (in) the Trivrit (stoma)--that is the head of the rite; the two other Pavamânas are (in) the Pañkadasa and Saptadasa (stomas)--they are the two wings; the Hotri's Âgya (stotra) is (in) the Pañkadasa, the Prishtha (stotra in) the Saptadasa, and the Yagñâyagñiya (stotra in) the Ekavimsa (stoma)--they are the tail.

8. Now these two, the Pañkadasa and Saptadasa, have thirty-two hymn-verses: twenty-five of these are the twenty-five-fold body ; and the seven which remain over are the Parimâd (sâmans), for these are the cattle (or animals), (for) cattle are sporting all around us (pari-mâd )--thus much, then, is theGreat Rite: thereby he obtains the Great Rite even in this (Agnishtoma).

9. And the Hotri recites seven metres--each subsequent one-versed (metre) increasing by four (syllables)--with the Virâg as an eighth: these (eight) consist of three eighties and forty-five syllables. Now by the eighties thereof the eighties (of the mahad uktham)  are obtained, for the Great Litany is counted (or recited) by eighties (of triplets); and of the forty-five (syllables which remain) twenty-five are this twenty-five-fold body ; and where the body is there, indeed, are (included) the head, and the wings and tail; and the twenty (syllables which remain) are the insertion --thus much, then, is the Great Litany: thereby he obtains the Great Litany even in this (Agnishtoma). All these (three) are indeed obtained in the Gyotishtoma Agnishtoma: let him, therefore, perform offering with theGyotishtoma Agnishtoma.

shatpath brahmana 8.1.2

1. And at the back (western part of the altar), with (Vâg. S. XIII, 56), 'This one behind, the all-embracer;'--the all-embracer, doubtless, is yonder sun, for as soon as 1 he rises, all this embracing space comes into existence. And because he speaks of him as (being) 'behind,' therefore one sees him only when he goes towards the back (west). The Sun, indeed, having become the eye, remained behind: it is that form he now bestows (on Agni).

2. 'His, the all-embracer's child, the Eye,'--from out of that (all-embracing) form, the Sun, he fashioned the eye;--'the rains, the offspring of the eye,'--from out of the eye he fashioned the rainy season;--'the Gagatî, the daughter of the rains,'--from out of the rainy season he fashioned the Gagatî metre;--'from the Gagatî the Riksama,'--from out of the Gagatî metre he fashioned the Riksama hymn-tune --'from the Riksama

the Sukra,'--from out of the Riksama-sâman he fashioned the Sukra-graha;--'from the Sukra the Saptadasa,'--from out of the Sukra cup he fashioned the seventeen-versed hymn-form;--'from the Saptadasa the Vairûpa,'--from out of the Saptadasa-stoma he fashioned the Vairûpa-prishtha.

3. 'The Rishi Gamadagni,'--the Rishi Gamadagni, doubtless, is the eye: inasmuch as thereby the world of the living (gagat) sees and thinks, therefore the Rishi Gamadagni is the eye.--'By thee, taken by Pragâpati,'--that is, 'by thee, created by Pragâpati,'--'I take the eye for my descendants,' therewith he introduced the eye from behind. Separately he lays down (these ten bricks): what separate desires there are in the eye those he thereby lays into it. Only once he settles them: he thereby makes this eye one; but were he to settle them each separately, he assuredly would cut the eye asunder. This is a threefold brick: the meaning of this has been explained.

4 and on the left (upper, north) side, with (Vâg. S. XIII, 57), 'This, on the upper side, heaven,'--in the upper sphere, doubtless, are the regions (quarters); and as to why he speaks of them as being 'on the upper (left) side,' the regions, indeed, are above everything here. And as to why he says, 'heaven (or, the light),' the regions, indeed, are the heavenly world (or world of light). The regions, having become the ear, remained above: it is that form he now bestows (on Agni).

5. 'Its, heaven's, child, the Ear,'--from out of that form, the regions, he fashioned the ear;--'the autumn, the daughter of the ear,'--from out of the ear he fashioned the autumn season;--'Anushtubh, the daughter of the autumn,'--from out of the autumn season he fashioned the Anushtubh metre;--'from the Anushtubh the Aida,'--from out of the Anushtubh metre he fashioned the Aida-sâman 1;--'from the Aida the Manthin,'--from out of the Aida-sâman he fashioned the Manthin cup;--'from the Manthin the Ekavimsa,'--from out of the Manthi-graha he fashioned the twenty-one-versed hymn-form;--'from the Ekavimsa the Vairâga,'--from out of the Ekavimsa-stoma he fashioned the Vairâga-prishtha.

6. 'The Rishi Visvâmitra,'--the Rishi Visvâmitra ('all-friend'), doubtless, is the ear: because therewith one hears in every direction, and because there is a friend (mitra) to it on every side, therefore the ear is the Rishi Visvâmitra.--'By thee, taken by Pragâpati,'--that is, 'by thee, erected by Pragâpati;'--'I take the ear for my descendants,' --therewith he introduced the ear from the left (or upper) side. Separately he lays down (these bricks): what separate desires there are in the ear, those he .

7. Then in the centre, with (Vâg. S. XIII, 58), 'This one, above, the mind,'--above, doubtless, is the moon; and as to why he speaks of him as (being) 'above,' the moon is indeed above; and as to why he says, 'the mind,' the mind (mati), doubtless, is speech, for by means of speech everything thinks (man) here 1. The moon, having become speech, remained above: it is that form he now bestows (on. Agni).

8. 'Its, the mind's, daughter, Speech,'--from out of that form, the moon, he fashioned speech;--'Winter, the son of Speech,'--from out of speech he fashioned the winter season;--'Paṅkti, the daughter of Winter,'--from out of the winter season he fashioned the Paṅkti metre;--'from the Paṅkti the Nidhanavat,'--from out of the Paṅkti metre he fashioned the Nidhanavat-sâman 2;--'from the Nidhanavat the Âgrayana,'--from out of the Nidhanavat-sâman he fashioned the Âgrayana cup;--'from the Âgrayana the Trinava and Trayastrimsa,'--from out of the Âgrayana-graha he fashioned the thrice-nine-versed and the three-and-thirty-versed hymn-forms;- 'from the Trinava and Trayastrimsa theSâkvara and Raivata,'--from out of the Trinava and Trayastrimsa-stomas he fashioned theSâkvara and Raivata-prishthas1.

9. 'The Rishi Visvakarman,'--the Rishi Visvakarman ('the all-worker'), doubtless, is Speech, for by speech everything here is done: hence the Rishi Visvakarman is speech:--'By thee, taken by Pragâpati,'--that is, 'by thee, created by Pragâpati;'--'I take speech for my descendants,'--therewith he introduced speech from above. Separately he lays down (these bricks): what separate desires there are in speech, those he now lays into it. Only once he settles them: he thereby makes speech one; but were he to settle them each separately, he assuredly would cut speech asunder. This is a threefold brick: the meaning of this has been explained.

10. This, then, is that same food which both the vital airs and Pragâpati created: just so great indeed is the whole sacrifice, and the sacrifice is the food of the gods.

11He lays them down by ten and ten,--of ten syllables consists the Virâg (metre), and the Virâg is all food: he thus bestows on him (Agni) the whole food. He puts them down on every side: on every side he thus bestows the whole food on him. And verily these same Virâg (verses) sustain those vital airs, and inasmuch as they sustain (bhri) the vital airs (prâna) they are called Prânabhritah.

agni rahasyam : shatpath brahmana

SHATPATH BRAHMANA - Tenth kanda, first adhyaaya, first brahmana. 

1. In the first place that Agni (the Fire-altar), the year, is built  thereafter the Great Litany (mahad uktham) is recited. When Pragâpati became relaxed, the vital fluid flowed upwards.


2. Now, that Pragâpati who became relaxed is the year; and those joints of his which became relaxed are the days and nights.

3. And that Pragâpati who became relaxed is this very Fire-altar which here is built; and those joints of his, the days and nights, which became relaxed are no other than the bricks;--thus, when he lays down these (in the layers of the altar), he thereby restores to him those joints of his, the days and nights, which had become relaxed: and thus it is even in this (building of the altar) that this Yagus is built up and secured (for Pragâpati).

4. And that vital fluid (essence) of his which flowed upwards (became) the Great Litany: it is in quest of that vital fluid that (the priests) go by means of the Rik and Sâman. And when the Yagus marches in front in this (quest)  it is in order to fetch something that that (Veda) goes--even as (one might say), 'That one thing there is mine, I will fetch it,' so does that Yagus go in front (or forward). That (vital fluid) they obtain in the course of a year.

5. The Adhvaryu takes (draws) it by means of the Graha (Soma-cup); and inasmuch as he thereby takes (grab) it, it is (called) Graha  The Udgâtri puts the vital fluid into it by means of the (sâman of the) Great Rite (mahâvrata ); but, indeed, the (sâman of the) Great Rite is (equivalent to) all these (other) sâmans (hymn-tunes): it is thus by means of all the hymn-tunes that he puts the vital fluid therein. The Hotri puts the vital fluid therein by means of the Great Litany; but, indeed, the Great Litany is the same as all these rik (hymn-verses)  it is thus by means of all the hymn-verses that he puts the vital fluid into it (the Soma-cup).


6. When those (Udgâtris) chant (the stotra), and when he (the Hotri) recites (the sastra) afterwards, then he (the Adhvaryu) offers that (vital fluid, in the form of Soma) unto him (Agni-Pragâpati) at the Vashat-call; and thus this vital fluid enters him. For, indeed, they do not see it to be the Great Rite that lies there being praised, nor the Great Litany, 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.

7. Now, that Agni (fire-altar) consists of pairs--the first layer and the second, and the third and fourth; and of the fifth layer the fire which is placed on the built (altar) is the mate. And, indeed, this body consists of pairs.

8. The thumbs (and great toes, 'aṅgushtha,' m.) are males, and the fingers and toes ('aṅguli,' f.) females; the ears ('karna' m.) are males, and the eyebrows ('bhrû,' f.) females; the lips ('oshtha,' m.) are males, and the nostrils ('nâsikâ,' f.) females; the teeth ('danta,' m.) are males, and the tongue ('gihvâ,' f.) is a female: indeed the whole (body) consists of pairs, and with this body, consisting of pairs, that (vital fluid) enters this Agni (the fire-altar), consisting of pairs 

9 this, then, is the entering therein;--even thus, indeed, he (Agni) consists of pairs  but in this way also he consists of pairs:--the fire-altar here built up is no other than this speech, for with speech it is built up; and the fire which is placed on the built (altar) is the breath; and the breath ('prâna,' m.) is the male, the mate, of speech ('vâk,' f.). 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.

10. This also is the entering therein;--there is indeed no fear of him (Agni) being without offspring to whosoever thus knows these two, the body and Agni, to be a pair; but, indeed, this body is food, as is said by the Rishi (Rig-veda X, 107, 7), 'The Dakshinâ winneth food which is our own self (breath).'

11. Now, 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). This also is the entering therein.