नित्य अग्निहोत्र होम
Preparations:
- homa kuṇḍa (with stand)
- aluminum foil to cover the floor (not to be placed in copper homa kuṇḍa)
- ghee (1 tea spoon, melted) – in a small cup with a long-handled spoon (copper or steel recommended)
- ¼ of a cow dung cake (patty); can break this further into two pieces
- dried coconut (1 sq.in)
- camphor (optional)
- akṣata
- two (2) cups of water – one for personal use and one for kalaśa (कलश); (two (2) tablespoons of water in each is sufficient; can use pañca pātra uddhariṇi (पञ्च पात्र उद्धरिणि) as personal cup of water)
- dried fruits and nuts for pūrṇāhuti (पूर्णाहुति) (two raisins and one almond or walnut should suffice); can add one (1) bay leaf and one (1) clove for medicinal purposes
- some fruits for naivedyam (नैवेद्यम्) (one apple, couple of bananas, or an orange – whatever is seasonal)
- one sheet of kitchen paper towel (to wipe/dry hands)
English (IAST) / देवनागरी / తేలుగు
ॐ श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः
1. आत्म शुद्धि ॐ अपवित्रः पवित्रो वा सर्वावस्थां गतोऽपि वा । | Meaning: Whatever condition one is in – impure, pure, or any other condition, s/he is purified inside and outside, when s/he thinks of puṇḍarikākṣa (another name of viṣṇu). |
2. आचमनम् ॐ केशवाय स्वाः (1) ॐ नारायणाय स्वाः (2) ॐ माधवाय स्वाः (3) ॐ गोविन्दाय नम: (4) ॐ विष्णवे नमः |
(1, 2 and 3)sip one spoon of water for each (4)wash your hands (primarily right hand – the hand from which one sips water) These 24 names of viṣṇu are supposed to be the most important and sacred of all names for the Lord. For each of these names, one can touch various parts of their body, which is detailed in any sandhyāvandanam book / instructions. |
3. भूतोच्चाटनम् उत्तिष्ठन्तु भूतपिशाचा येते भूमि भारका: | एतेषां अविरोधेन ब्रह्म कर्म समारभे || | Take few drops of water in your right hand and throw it over (or under) your left shoulder for the water to fall behind you. Meaning: Let the ghosts and demons who are the burden of the earth go away (get destroyed), so that i can start brahma karma (pūjā ritual) without their distractions. |
4. प्राणायाम ॐ भूः ॐ भुवः ॐ स्वः ॐ महः, ॐ जनः ॐ तपः ॐ सत्यम् । | Take a deep breath and hold it by holding your nose. After chanting the mantram, release the breath slowly. |
5. सन्कल्पम् मम उपात्त समस्त दुरिक्षय द्वारा श्री यज्ञेश्वर यज्ञयनारायण यज्ञमाता अनुग्रह सिद्ध्यर्ते (प्रीत्यर्थे) भूर्लोके अखिलाण्ड कोटि ब्रह्मण्ड खण्डयोर्मध्ये पस्चिम देशे क्रौन्च द्वीपे रमणक वर्षे ऐन्द्रकण्डे उत्तर अमेरिका क्षेत्रे प्रशान्ति समुद्र तीरे उच्च पर्वत देशी भूमि मण्डलान्तरगते सुखद नाम्नी नगर मध्ये मम (अस्मात्) शोभन गृहे अस्मिन् दिने व्यावहारिक चान्द्रमानेन श्रीमद्भगवतो महाविष्णोराज्ञया प्रवर्तमानस्य अद्य ब्रह्मणः द्वितीय परार्धे श्वेतवाराह कल्पे वैवस्वत मन्वन्तरे अष्टाविंशतितमे कलियुगे प्रथम पादे प्रभवादि षष्ठि संवत्सरानां मध्ये | With the ring finger on the right hand, touch the water in the kalaśa. Then say the sankalpam. sankalpam is a promise that one is performing a ritual (agni hotra homam) to its completion. One is identifying their self to the divine by stating the (spatial) time of their ritual, the physical location where they are performing it, their name and lineage, and what specific rituals one wishes to perform to completiion at this time. |
| 6. गणपति प्रार्थना वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्य कोटी समप्रभा। निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्व-कार्येशु सर्वदा॥ | One always starts any activity with a small prayer to Lord gaṇeṣa, the remover of all obstacles, to bless them to succeed in their activity without any hitches. |
7. अग्निम् प्रतिष्ठापन ॐ भू: भुवः सुवः ॐ ॐ मेषारूढाय् वैश्वानराय शान्डिल्य गोत्राय यज्ञ पुरुषाय नमो नमः | इति स्वाहा स्वधा देवी समेत अग्निम् प्रतिष्ठाप्य | Establish (start) the fire in homa kuṇḍa. Then say this mantra. |
8. ब्रह्म आवाहनम् अस्मिन् होम कर्मणि ब्रह्माणम् त्वां वृणे। ब्रह्मणे नमः। सकलाराधनैः स्वर्चितम्॥ | Since one is doing this homa by themselves, this mantra can be recited (mentally). Meaning: I submit to you that you should remain as brahmā for this homa. I pay my obeisance to you. Please conduct this homa auspiciously in all respects. |
9. परिषेचनम् ॐ अदिते अनुमन्यस्व। (1) ॐ अनुमते अनुमन्यस्व। (2) ॐ सरस्वते अनुमन्यस्व। (3) देवसवितः प्रसूव॥ (4) | Sprinkle water around (outside) the homa kuṇḍa while chanting this: (1)On the southern side (on the side to your right), go from west to east (2)On the western side (side closer to you), go from south to north (3)On the northern side (the side to your left), go from south to north (4)Starting from the northwest corner, go a full circle around the homa kuṇḍa in the clockwise direction. The above is a prayer seeking permission from aditī, anumatī and sarasvatī devī-s |
10. Invoking agni in the middle of the homa kuṇḍa ॐ चत्वारि शृंगा त्रयो अस्य पादा द्वे शीर्षे सप्त हस्तासो अस्य। अग्नि देवत ध्यायामी एष हि देवः प्रदिशोऽनु सर्वाः पूर्वो हि जातः स उ गर्भे अन्तः। प्राङमुखो देव हे अग्ने मम अभिमुखो भव॥ |
Meaning: agni deva always faces east. You the performer of the homa are also facing east, essentially you are facing agni’s back. So, you are requesting agni to turn towards you (so agni is facing west) while you are doing the homa (facing east). This way agni receives your prayers and then delivers it to the appropriate deities per your request. |
11. अग्निर् अलन्कारम् ॐ इन्द्राय नमः। (east) Finally, in the middle of homa kuṇḍa – | This is preparing and decorating the agni for homa. Mainly this is about worshiping eight cardinal deities. These cardinal deities are referred to as aṣṭa dikpālakā-s. On the sides of the homa kuṇḍa place akṣata (and flowers) after reciting the mantra for the respective cardinal directions. Starting from east, go clockwise around the homa kuṇḍa. Worship agni by chanting these names of agni and placing akṣata in the middle of homa kuṇḍa. |
12. अग्नि होत्र होम ॐ अग्नये स्वाहाऽ अग्नये इदम् न मम | Pour two to three drops of ghee on the fire (in the homa kuṇḍa). Make sure the ghee drops after the svāhā at the ऽ in devanāgari script or apostrphe in English. idam na mama means it does not belong to me. |
13. Performing homa to your preferred deity (example of gāyatrī japa homa is provided below) ॐ भुर्भुव: सुवः तत् सवितुर् वरेऽण्यम् भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो न: प्रचोदयात् स्वाहाऽ | In addition to offering prayers to your preferred deity, the gist of a homa is one is trying to rid oneself of all their attachments, emotions, etc.; burn off things we don’t need and / or that are not helpful. It is also important to express gratitude during this brief meditation. |
14. नैवेद्यम् ॐ भूर्भुवस्वः तत्सवितुर वरेण्यम् भर्गो-देवस्य धीमहि धियो-योनः प्रचोदयात् देव सवित प्रसुव सत्यम् त्वर्तेन परिषिञ्चयामि (during day-time, before sunset) रुतम् त्वा सत्येन परिषिञ्चयामि (during night-time, after sunset) अमृतमस्तु अमृतो पस्तरणमसि ॐ प्राणाय स्वाहा (1) ॐ अग्नये नमः (2) Sanskrit names for various items: नारिकेल (coconut), कदलीफल (banana), काश्मीराफल (apple), क्षीरम् (milk), क्षीरान्नम् (paayasam or kheer), चित्रान्नम (pulihora, tamarind rice, lemon rice or any mixed rice), शक्रकंद (sugar candy), गूढशकल (jaggery), etc. नैवेद्यं समर्पयामि मध्ये-मध्ये पानीयं समर्पयामि अमृतापि धानमसि, इति उत्तरा-पोषनं समर्पयामि (3) हस्तौ-प्रक्षालयामि, पादौ-प्रक्षालयामि, मुखे शुद्ध-आचमनीयम् समर्पयामि। (4) | naivedyam is offering food to the deity (agni for this homa ritual) Sprinkle water with flower on the naivedyam in clock-wise direction while reciting the following mantra (1)Wave your hands from the food item toward the homa kuṇḍa (2)This line refers to the deity to whom we are offering the naivedyam (3)Sprinkle water in anti-clockwise direction around the naivedyam for this mantra (4)Sprinkle water on the deity/plate with flower chanting the following mantra |
15. प्रार्थन (आत्म प्रदक्षिण) नमस्कारम् ॐ स्वस्ति: श्रद्धां यश: विद्यां बुद्धिं श्रियं बलं आयुष्यम् तेज आरोग्यम् हव्य वाहन देहि मे ॐ नमः इति | प्रार्थन (आत्म प्रदक्षिण) नमस्कारां समर्पयामि | If possible, go around the homa kuṇḍa. Else, do ātma pradakṣina. Then do namaskāram to agni (homa kuṇḍa). |
16. आरती ॐ यज्ञेश्वराय सर्वमङ्गलम् |
All rituals should be completed with an āratī. This is a simple and short āratī for this abbreviated homa ritual. |
17. पूर्णाहुती ॐ पूर्णमद: पूर्णमिदम् पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते | पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवा वशिष्यते || ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ॐ सर्वस्य पूर्ण मङ्गलम् भवतु |
Before the fire completely burns out, do āhutī (mix a drop of ghee with a teaspoon of dried fruits and nuts and drop it in the fire) while chanting the mantram. |
18. परिषेचन ॐ अदिते अनुमन्यस्व। ॐ अनुमते अनुमन्यस्व। ॐ सरस्वते अनुमन्यस्व। ॐ देवसवितः प्रसूव॥ |
Same as Step 9 |
19. अग्निम् उद्वासन सुवर्भुवर्भू:रोम् अनेन स्वाहा स्वधा देवी समेत अग्निं उद्वास्य ॐ सर्व मङ्गल माङ्गल्यं, सर्व पाप प्रणाशनं, चिन्ता शोक प्रशमनं, आयुर् वधन उत्तमं (1) अच्युत्ताय नमः, अनन्ताय नमः, गोविन्दाय नमः | Gently move the homa kuṇḍa by less than half a centimeter. Take some ash from the homa kuṇḍa, mix it with a drop of ghee. This is called rakṣa. Apply this as a small dot to the kalaśam. Also, everyone can apply this on their forehead (as homa prasādaṃ). (1)Sprinkle water from the kalaśam on self and everyone else while chanting this mantraṃ |
20. प्रायश्चित्तम् मन्त्र हीनं क्रियाहीनं भक्तिहीनं हुताशन। प्रायश्चित्तान्यशेषाणि तपः कर्मात्मकानि वै। श्री कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण॥ |
Any mistakes either in the form of action or in the recitation of mantras that have crept in while performing this yajña unknowingly may kindly be forgiven. By merely thinking of kṛṣṇa, who presides over prāyaścitta (atonement), tapas, actions and everything else, one is requesting to be blessed with complete fulfillment of this ritual. |
21. आचमनम् ॐ केशवाय स्वाः ॐ नारायणाय स्वाः ॐ माधवाय स्वाः ॐ गोविन्दाय नम: | sip one spoon of water for the first three names. wash your hands while chanting the fourth name . |
Here are some additional mantram-s for wealth, good health and salvation (liberation).
कुबेर धन्वन्तरि मृत्युन्जय |