By Swami Harshananda
Dakṣiṇāgni literally means ‘the southern fire’.
Sifnificance of Āhitāgni[edit]
Āhitāgni is the agni which ceremonially establishes the Vedic fires. It is expected to keep three Vedic fires. The dakṣiṇāgni is one of them.
Position of Dakṣiṇāgni[edit]
Characteristics of the position of dakṣiṇāgni is:
- It is situated within the sacrificial shed.
- It is near the main fire (the gārhapatya fire).
- It is to the south (dakṣiṇa = south).
Characteristics of Dakṣiṇāgni[edit]
The fire-pit is semicircular or bow-shaped. This fire is established in various ways among which the following are more common:
- Brought from the gārhapatya fire.
- Brought from the house of a vaiśya or a rich man who has established it by attrition.
It is to be preserved permanently since it protects the sacrificer from evil forces. Some works consider it's establishment as optional. It is set up by the ādheya rite which is quite elaborate. It is also called anvāhāryapacana.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore