Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 3(3), July 2004, pp. 231-239 Effect of Agnihotra on the germination of rice seeds Heisnam Jina Devi, N V C Swamy* and H R Nagendra Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore 560 019 Received 1 January 2004; revised 15 March 2004 Vedic ritualistic sacrifices have been in vogue in India since time immemorial. Recently they have become very popular around the globe because of their therapeutic values. An impor- tant component of these sacrifices are the mantras, which are sound forms reputed to contain mystic energy. The most common sacrifice still being practiced in India is the Agnihotra, which involves ritual offerings to the fire at sunrise and sunset to the accompaniment of specific man- tras. This practice was revived in Akkalkot, Maharashtra, and is being popularized throughout the country. In the current investigation, rice seeds were germinated in four rooms in petridishes for a period of 15 days. One room was used as the control with germination under normal condi- tions. A fire was lit in a second room for a specified period at sunrise and sunset. In a third room, Agnihotra mantras were chanted at the same time of the day, but no fire was lit. The last room was the experimental room, in which the full Agnihotra ritual, with fire and mantra, was conducted at sunrise and sunset. Three sets of data were collected for three seasons, autumn, winter and summer for a pe- riod of 15 days each. Four parameters, viz. Root length, shoot length, fresh weight and dry weight were measured. An analysis of the data showed that the Agnihotra sacrifice with mantra was overwhelmingly more effective in the germination process than the other three cases. Statis- tical analysis of the data using the standard SPSS package corroborated this conclusion. Keywords: Agnihotra mantra, Germination, Rice seedlings, Vedas. IPC Int. Cl.7 : A01C1/02. Agnihotra is a form of Homa or sacrifice, Vedic culture, it was used in various areas which finds mention in the Vedic litera- such as Bioenergetics, Psychotherapy, ture. It is the truncated version of an im- Medicine, Agriculture, and Climate portant sacrifice known as Darsapurna- Technology, etc. Efficacy of mantras and masa Isti, which is referred to in the Agnihotra on mind and body1, smack ad- Srauta Sutras of Baudhayana, Apastamba dicts2, scabies in animals3, microbial con- and Asvalayana. The word Homa is tent of the atmosphere4, skin wounds5, collectively used to denote Vedic tech- and radio activity in the atmosphere6 have niques, which are employed for the puri- been reported. Agnihotra ash is the ash fication of the atmosphere. In ancient obtained after the sacrificial offering. The materials used in Agnihotra are as ________ *Correspondent author follows: 232 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 3, NO. 3, JULY 2004 Yajna trees (twigs) us on the Internet revealed that as many ¾ Vata (Ficus bengalensis) as 11 countries around the world have ¾ Audumbara (Ficus glomerata) taken to this practice, some of them being ¾ Palaash (Butea frondosa) Germany, USA, China, Japan, UK, etc. ¾ Peepal (Ficus religiosa) Reports from these countries talk of Ag- ¾ Bel (Aegle marmelos) nihotra ash being used along with con- ventional organic manure in fields to im- Cow dung cakes, 2 drops of cow’s prove the quality and quantity of agricul- ghee smeared to the pinches of rice and tural yield. There are also reports of Ag- offered. nihotra ash being used for medicinal pur- A mantra is a sound form, which has poses. These reports talk of the signifi- been used for spiritual practices in almost cant improvements brought about by Ag- all religions of the world since time im- nihotra, but none gives detail of any sys- memorial. In Vedic culture, mantras were tematic controlled studies conducted to usually associated with sacrificial rites. substantiate these claims. Even today one can witness various types The most systematic use of Agnihotra of Vedic sacrifices in India, performed to was reported in India for the first time by the accompaniment of mantras. More the Institute of Vedic Studies at Akkalkot, details about mantras and sacrifices are Maharashtra. It is said that the famous available in Jina Devi7. Hathayogi, Gorakhnath had practiced The Agnihotra mantra is recited by a Agnihotra in a place called Siva Kshetra, large number of people in India. When now called Tapovan, near Akkalkot. This the sun is just rising, pulsations of all life practice, which had fallen into disuse, forms are intensified. The reverse phe- was recently revived by Sadguru Sri Ga- nomenon occurs at sunset. It is at these janan Maharaj (1918 - 1987)8-10. times that the Agnihotra mantra is Another systematic study of the impact chanted, accompanied by oblations of Agnihotra on crop production was poured into a fire. conducted on wheat, according to three Vedic people believed that the Agni- systems of farming ─ Homa Farming hotra mantra with certain mystical prop- System (HFS), Usual Farming System erties helps in capturing of cosmic en- (UFS) and Natural Farming System ergy. The combustion products released (NFS), the last being the control11. A brief into the atmosphere during the pouring of description of the methodology is given the oblations help in cleaning the atmos- below. phere and removal of many pollutants. In the Homa Farming System, wheat These ideas found wider acceptance seeds (variety K816) were treated with a among the ancient people of India, and solution made from cow-dung, cow urine many other ancient cultures of the world. and Agnihotra ash. Four cemented pots Of late, there has been a revival of were filled with soil mixed with Agni- these ideas not only in India, but also hotra ash. No fertilizers were added. Ag- around the world. A search conducted by nihotra was practiced during sunrise and JINA DEVI et al: AGNIHOTRA AND RICE SEED GERMINATION 233 sunset. Every seventh day a mixture of days. The root length, shoot length and Agnihotra ash and homa ash was sprayed fresh weight were noticeably higher in the on the plants. case of Agnihotra than in the other two In the Usual Farming System, ordinary cases. The dry weight, however, was the ash replaced Agnihotra ash. The soil in same in all situations13. the pots contained standard doses of NPK fertilizers and the procedure was the same Material and Methods as described earlier. The materials used for the present ex- In the case of control, (Normal Farm- periments consisted of the following: ing System), the procedure was the same as in the previous case, except that no (a) A pyramid shaped copper pot, 14.5 fertilizers were used. The parameters ob- cm x 14.5 cm at the top, 5.25 cm x served were percentage of germination, 5.25 cm at the bottom and 6.5 cm period of maturity, plant height, number in height. of tillers and grain yield per plant. (b) Dry twigs and cow dung as men- HFS showed a faster rate of germina- tioned earlier. tion than the other two cases. The plants The experiments were conducted in raised had a greater height, a larger num- four rooms identical in all respects. One ber of tillers per plant, a better vigor and room was used as a control room, in the highest grain yield per plant as com- which seed germination took place in a pared to the other two cases. The same natural way without the use of Agnihotra kind of results were obtained in the case mantra or the sacrificial fire. In the sec- of mustard and vegetables. ond room, the sacrificial fire was lit ex- A study was also undertaken to record actly at sunrise and sunset, but no man- the effect of Agnihotra on the germina- tras were chanted. In the third room, only tion of rice seeds12. The study consisted the mantras were chanted at the appropri- of reciting Agnihotra mantra at sunrise ate time, but no fire was lit. The fourth and sunset in a room in which a fire was was the experimental room, in which the lit and offerings were made. The room sacrificial fire was lit at the appropriate contained 15 petridishes, each containing time of sunrise and sunset. The following 25 rice seeds, placed on Whatman filter mantras were chanted once, and the paper moistened by distilled water. Two whole process took about 10 minutes. other rooms were used as control, one with fire only and the other without fire Sunrise: or chanting. Om Suryaya Swaha, Suryaya idam na Data were taken every day by measur- mama; ing root length, shoot length, fresh weight Om Prajapataye Swaha, Prajapataya and dry weight of seedlings from one pet- idam na mama. ridish from three rooms. The measure- (Our salutations to the Sun and the ments of 25 seedlings were averaged for Creator; these offerings belong to them each day. The experiment lasted for 15 and not to me) 234 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 3, NO. 3, JULY 2004 Sunset: with mantra (A), only fire (F), only chant- Om Agnaye Swaha, Agnaya idam na ing (C) and no fire and no chanting (N), mama; the last one serving as control. These data Om Prajapataye Swaha, Prajapataya have been studied not only season-wise, idam na mama. but also in totality to eliminate seasonal (Our salutations to the Fire and the variations. Creator; these offerings belong to them In Karnataka, where these experiments and not to me) were conducted, the season for sowing is Data of the first room served as the con- usually in summer and crops like rice are trol, while those of the last room were the reaped in winter.