Place one piece of cowdung on the bottom of the pyramid,
and place more pieces with ghee on them around the inside
of the pyramid, leaving an opening in the middle. For fires
done in apartments and other indoor locations a small fire
will suffice, but for agricultural purposes where a lot of
ash is desired, it is preferable to build a larger fire.
Apply ghee to both sides of the piece of dung which will
be placed in the center.
The rice offering consists of two pinches of raw brown rice
(a pinch is the amount you can hold in your fingertips). Place
in a dish and remove the broken pieces.
Add enough ghee to moisten the rice. Separate the rice into
two portions.
Light the fire several minutes before the time on the timesheet,
so the dung will be fully ablaze at the exact time. A large
fire will need to be started earlier than a small one. Thicker
dung needs more time to fully ignite.
At the time on the sheet, begin the mantra, adding one of
the portions of rice and ghee after "Swaha". Continue
the mantras, adding the second offering after "Swaha"
.
This completes Agnihotra. It is preferable to sit quietly
or meditate until the fire goes out.
For the maximum effect of the interplay of subtle energies
of Agnihotra, one should not disturb the pyramid or add ghee
after the mantras have been chanted and rice and ghee have
been added to the fire. If circumstances permit, it is best
not to disturb the pyramid until it is time to set up for
the next performance of Agnihotra.
Questions or comments may be directed to:
Fivefold Path Inc. 278 N. White Oak Drive, Madison, Virginia
22727 USA
E-mail: info@agnihotra.org
540-948-5463