Essentials of Hinduism - Sama Veda

Essentials of Hinduism

Sama Veda – Purvachika Section

Agneya Kanda

Agni:

Kanda 1 to 12 is devoted mostly to Agni and is known as the Agneya Kanda. This section is primarily involved with the Hymns to Agni. Agni is covered in great detail in the Rig Veda and so will not be elaborated here again. We acknowledge fire-God Agni as the messenger of all the Gods. It is He who ensures that the sacrifice will be performed according to the prescribed rites. Agni is pleased by special Hymns. Agni grants Wealth to the Devotees. He manifests himself in Pure Radiance when we call upon Him. “O Agni! Guide me along the Path to Salvation. Come here. I offer to you the juice of the soma Herb. You are the God who shows us the right Path. Fire-God, you are the lord of Wealth. You are the one who is the Messenger of all Gods in Heaven. I will please Agni through my Prayers and make him kindly disposed to all those who perform sacrifices. Agni becomes known through Prayers and Hymns. He is there for the welfare of all men. We chant Hymns to Agni. He who lights a fire with faith kindles his own Devotion. O Agni! You are indeed great. You reside in the loftiest locations of the Heaven (Dyuloka). We are chanting Hymns composed in the Gayatri Metre. Please listen to our Prayers. You are the lord of the foodgrains, you are All-Knowing, you are the one who receives offerings made at the Sacrifices. We pray to Agni so that our ailments may disappear.

O Agni! Preserve the Truth. You manifest yourself in all the great fires. You manifest yourself in Pure Radiance. O powerful God! When your flames blaze, learned Brahmanas (Priests) worship you. Purify us. Grant us Wealth. O learned God! Show us the Right Path. Grant us Fame. It is you who bring happiness to men by summoning Gods in their midst. It is to Agni that vessels full of the soma Herb juice are offered. It is to Agni that Hymns are chanted. O Agni! Grant me Knowledge. Let my Prayers reach you so that you may grant me a long life. Show me that which is Righteous. It is Agni who must first be worshipped at all the sacrifices. Pray to the Fire-God so that He may grant you the Wealth. Pray to the Fire-God so that he may grant you a habitation. You are as powerful as the great Indra. O Agni! Make the forests thrive. I cannot bear to be parted from you. Even if you must go away, leave a part of you with me. Burn brighter so that the sacrifice may be a success. We bow in obeisance (Worship with Respect).

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The God will grant us Wealth and Prosperity. The God will be pleased and will lead us along the Path of Salvation. O Agni! The Hymns we chant express our Devotion. You are the lord of my household. Be the Priest at my non-violent Sacrifice. You are worshipped by everyone. You bring Truth, you bring Knowledge, you bring Prosperity. O Agni! We call upon you. You will grant us Wealth. You will make us perform good deeds. You will protect us from treading along the path of sin. We pray that you may descend among us. When we bring forth the sacrificial offerings, be pure at heart. Establish the Fire-God on the occasion of every Sacrifice. When you offer oblations, welcome Agni with Faith and Devotion.

Men have three different forms. The first form is that of the Fire. That is, after cremation, the physical body merges into the Fire. The second form is that of the Wind. After death, one (the Atma) merges with the Wind. The third form is assimilated into the energy of the Surya. Once merged into this energy, the Human Soul attains the highest of places.

O Agni! Your presence can be felt in Hymns and incantations (Prayers). The Priest of a Sacrifice uses these to summon you. Let the learned pray to the Fire God. Let Agni lead them towards Prosperity. Pray to the Fire God. His flames have a myriad (countless) hues (colors) that constantly perform Sacrifices. Make us successful. It is the Fire that blazes at a Sacrifice. It is Agni who devours all Sacrificial offerings. If you are a Devotee, Pray to Agni. He will grant you food grains and Wealth, he will grant you Health. He is as powerful as Indra. Let us please the Fire God through our Prayers. Agni can be found in all forms of Knowledge. It is he who protects the wombs of the expectant Mothers. Agni should be worshipped by all Men everyday. O Agni! Show us the path that leads to Prosperity. Show us also the Paths that lead to food grains and Power. When Agni burns, the pure smoke whirls away into the Sky. Agni is the Purifier, he is as powerful as the Surya. Agni establishes everyone, his eyes see all that there is to see.

He is worshipped on the stroke of the Dawn. Pray to him with your Hymns. He will reside in your home and grant you Happiness. O Agni! I light you so that I may obtain more and more of Wealth. O Agni! You are worshipped on the occasion of a Sacrifice. Bring us the Prosperity. Protect us on this day. Grant us Peace and Happiness. Pray to the Great God whose smoke

envelopes the four directions. One who is looked after by Agni is freed from all miseries. If you wish to perform a Sacrifice, Pray to Agni. Your oblations will then be carried to Heaven.

The Gods themselves worship Agni. It is the Agni who will take the Oblations (Offerings) to the Gods. The Fire-God will preserve our Well-Being, he will grant us the Wealth and Prosperity. He will make our Sacrifice a Success. We welcome Agni to the Sacrifice. When the flames rise up into the Sky, we will know that Agni is pleased. O Agni! You are the Easa’s and Deva’s Messenger. Through You, I am seeking the Vedas that are the treasures for obtaining the Jnyana. When man is offering the Sacrifice, he has to offer the oblations to Agni with total dedication, Total Faith in the Worship to the Fire God.

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Please protect us from all the sins. O Agni! Please protect us with Rig Veda; please protect us with Yajur Veda; please protect us with Sama Veda. Please protect us with all the three (3) Vedas.

O Agni! Water is your Mother. We understand that in the middle of the Ocean you stay in water as Vatavagni and are at Peace there because of your Mother. Inside the Man’s Stomach you stay as Jataragni and help to digest the Food. The Surya’s heat causes the Ocean Water to rise to the Sky and bring us the Rains that we need for our survival. Kanda 12 states that the Man who worships Agni faithfully on a day to day basis cannot be defeated by anyone.”

This article is a snippet from the Book Essentials of Hinduism, Authored by G.S Nilakantan. Hinduism for All is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.