Havan Book 08[1].18.06.cdr - Shri Surya Narayan Mandir

He is also the eternal protector, as demonstrated when Lord
Rama requested Agni Deva to keep Mata Sita safely in his care
until Ravana was defeated.
Agni is invoked in different forms: for pujas, he is referred to as
Vaishwanar; for weddings, he is called Yojak; for shraddas, he is
called Kraabya; and for cooking at home, he is called
Grihapaatra.
The meaning of Yagna is not only confined to the performance of
Havan. It has a much wider and deeper meaning. The word
Yagna is derived from the Sanskrit verb Yaj, which has a threefold
meaning: worship of deities (deva-puja), unity (sangati
karana) and charity (daana). The philosophy of Yagna teaches
one to exist in harmony in our society. This lifestyle promotes
and protects higher human values and is indeed the basis of an
ideal human culture.
The performance of Havan Yagna beautifully combines these
two aspects (Agni & Yajna) into a ritual which purifies the
individual mind, protects families, and brings harmony to the
entire society.
May the blessings of Agni Devata be with all.
Sita Ram.
Pt. Ram Hardowar.
The first advantage of Havan is the purification of air. The air
surrounding the yajna, gets hot, becomes light due to the high
temperature of the fire and rises up. The evacuated region is filled
by the fresh air drawn from the surroundings. This air is thus
sterilized due to the high temperature of the fire.
Sunrays of different colors have different wavelengths and hence
their effect on the germs also differs. An experiment was done to
see this effect, the inner walls of several canisters were painted
with different colors and they were kept in such a room where a
large number of mosquitoes were present. At the time of sunrise,
lids were placed on all the canisters with the mosquitoes inside.
When the lids were removed in the evening, it was found that the
number of mosquitoes was least in the canister which was painted
with orange color. The color of fire is also orange. Thus the utility
of Agnihotra and its effect becomes clear.
Scientists have discovered two types of materials for destroying
germs. They are (i) antiseptics and (ii) disinfectants. The materials
in the first category protect human beings from germs but do not
kill the latter. The materials of the second category directly kill the
germs. Some materials have both of these properties, depending
on their concentration.
Havan gas is free from this defect. Even if there is some harmful
portion, it is destroyed by the vapors of cow ghee and is made
beneficial. The use of pure cow ghee cannot be over emphasized.
There are two layers of air in the atmosphere. The first one ranges
up to six miles from the surface of the earth and the second one
goes up to just over 600 miles.
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