The science of fire

I read this rather fascinating explanation of the various types of fire that emnates when a Homam or fire sacrifice is performed. I don't most of us would have noticed the types of fire , in our daily lives.

The Rig Veda starts with the following lines:

अग्नि॒म् ई॑ळे पुरो॒हि॑तं यज्ञ॒स्य॑ देव॒म् ऋत्वि॒ज॑म् । होता॑रं रत्नधा॒त॑मम् ॥

agním īḷe puróhitaṃ / yajñásya devám ṛtvíjam / hótāraṃ ratnadhâtamam

Agni I laud, the high priest, god, minister of sacrifice, The invoker, lavishest of wealth.

Agni (Abhimani) the fire god is said to have sprung from the mouth of the Virata purusha, the Cosmic Man

The Rigveda often says that Agni arises from water or dwells in the waters. On the face of it, this may sound illogical, or even ridiculous. Closer inspection, to me, reveals how much science the Rishis knew thousands of years before modern science realized that there is a lot of energy ( heat) involved in two atoms of Hydrogen bonded to one atom of Oxygen to form water!!! In fact modern Nuclear Physics attempts to split atoms and compounds to extract this heat for commercial exploitation!!!

Agni (fire) is the element of transformation. It symbolizes absorbing and digesting experiences. As you make offerings in fire and they burn in fire, various spiritual experiences are processed and digested by your internal fire.

Tongue is that which allows one to taste things that one is going to accept inside and digest. Each tongue of fire stands for a spirit that controls how you absorb spiritual experiences.

Even to the untrained eye, in a Homam, only certain things are offered to the fire, and in a certain measure and in a certain sequence. This determines, by and large, the nature of the "tongue" one can expect to come out - very similar to the very different colours of flame that are observed in the Chemical Laboratry when different metals or compounds are put to the flame test.

The seven tongues of Agni are: Kaali, Karaali, Manojava, Sulohita, Sudhoomra-Varna, Sphulingini, and Vishwaruchi.

Kaali is the dark and black/blue fire. It symbolizes the spirit of detachment. Spirit of detachment control show you absorb your experiences, when you are offering in that tongue of fire.

Karaali is the monstrous, dreadful fire that looks like a wide open mouth. Spirit of attachment and desire controls how you absorb your experiences, when you are offering in that tongue of fire

Manojava is the swiftly moving, flickering and unstable flame. Spirit of wavering (could also be flexibility) controls how you absorb your experiences, when you are offering in that tongue of fire.

Sulohita is the (copper like) dark red color flame. Spirit of determination and strength controls how you absorb your experiences, when you are offering in that tongue of fire.

Sudhoomra-Varna is the greyish/purple/smoke-colored fire. Spirit of confusion (could also be resolution of confusion) controls how you absorb your experiences, when you are offering in that tongue of fire.

Sphulingini is the fire with sparks. Spirit of aggression and haste (could also be a great intuition/insight) controls how you absorb your experiences, when you are offering in that tongue of fire.

Vishwaruchi is the bright fire. Spirit of focus, knowing, being and bliss controls how you absorb your experiences, when you are offering in that tongue of fire.

As you keep performing homam and a relationship is formed between you and fire, the external fire in the homa kundam ( or the fire pod) will reflect your internal fire. When your mind is well-focused and blissful, the fire will automatically burn bright.The state of your mind will decide how you will taste the spiritual experiences you are going to absorbfrom around you. 

That in turn decides which tongues (tasting agents) of your internal fire are receivingfood right now. That in turn decides which tongues of the external fire are receiving offerings right now.The external fire is a mirror to your internal state. An adept may be able to detect, looking at the fire,which tongues of fire are active right now and hence guess the state your mind is in.

The above relationship between the state of the mind and the fire is easy to explain away but not easy to practise. I believe this only comes with eyars' of trying.

To me, this also attempts to answer many critics of fire sacrifices or Homams or Havans, on the purpose and inner meaning of such Homams. 

Clearly, homams are not meant to be performed superficially. They need a lot of attention to detail, involve a lot of practise and to me, they appear to be very, very scientific.

Special thanks to "Vedic Wisdom" by Shri. Narasimha Rao" which had the explanation for the 7 tongues.