Guiding Light: Vaishwanara Agni

Agni is one of the pancha mahabhutas, the five natural elements. Agni is essentially the firepower with multiple nuances. The food consumed by us too needs to be processed by firepower. This specific fire is called ‘Vaishwanara’. It resides inside our stomach and is commonly known as jathara+agni, meaning the firepower residing inside the stomach. The food processing and consumption are equivalent to a yagya prakriya, meaning the process of performing a havana or yagya. In the traditional yagya, the fire is lit with dry blocks of wood. In the human form, fire is God-given and naturally existing. It can get moderated by the lifestyle and food habits of the individual.

‘Annam Parabramha Swaroopam’ is a well-known saying. It means the food we consume is essentially a form of God. The purpose of saying so is not to waste the food. Secondly, the very process of food cultivation, preparation, and consumption has to be sacredly managed, with utmost devotion. From cultivation to tilling of the land to finally transporting the crop home, each step is a sacred activity. The subtle cultivation is supposed to be with minimum himsa or violence. The involved animals have to be treated properly.

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Food preparation in terms of cooking has to be done in a pious environment with peace of mind and without hurrying. This shall help us add positive energy to the food that is ready to be consumed. If the ingredients are pure, the food preparation process is pure, the eating person is pure, and the one serving has pure intentions, the whole act becomes a pious offering. This offering to the inner ‘agni’ makes it a yagya. Hence, it is said that food has to be offered to the fire inside us as if we are offering ‘havis’ in the yagya. This makes it clear that anything and everything that gets sold as ‘food’ doesn’t qualify to go inside us as food. We have to be careful and offer only the pious and deserving to go inside us as food. It is the respect shown to the Vaishwanara. When we consume the right food with gratitude, we are performing a yagya each time we eat.

About the author

Dr. S. Ainavolu is a Mumbai-based teacher of Management and Tradition. Intent is NextGen’s learning and cultural education.