Doing Agnihotra
First, you will need to install the software to calculate the correct sunrise sunset times for Agnihotra. This is not the usual sunrise sunset times you will find on the Internet. Agnihotra times are a few minutes different. Download this software Timings Software. It is the best one.
Then go to the link below.
Map Tool 2
http://www.zonums.com/gmaps/maptool.php
On the left side panel, click on "Fly to". Put in your full address including city, state, country. You will then see your area. Zoom in on your street and then click "Hybrid". This will show both the houses and the street. Find your house and put your cursor directly on your house. You will see on the left that every time your cursor moves, the latitude and longitude changes. This is very accurate. So make sure it is really on your house. Copy the second set of latitude and longitude, for eg. Lat: 27° 59' 13.9" and Lon: -82° 29' 13.4". Not the first set.
Then input the coordinates into your Timings Software. Read the instructions first or else you might get the wrong times.
If you are not sure about the times you got or find it difficult to use the software, send me your coordinates and I will calculate the times for you and send them back to you.
For the mantras, look at the page Agnihotra on the Internet and go to those sites listed. Some of them have the mantras on mp3. You can listen to it and practice. The pronounciation is very important. The a's are always pronounced the Asian way, not the western way. It sounds like when you say aahh.
The mantras at sunrise
Sooryaya Svaha (add the first portion of rice on the Svaha)
Sooryaya Idam Na Mama
Prajapataye Svaha (add the second portion of rice on the Svaha)
Prajapataye Idam Na Mama
The mantras at sunset
Agnaye Svaha (add the first portion of rice on the Svaha)
Agnaye Idam Na Mama
Prajapataye Svaha (add the second portion of rice on the Svaha)
Prajapataye Idam Na Mama
Rules
1. Never use any wood, plastic or metal utensils, bowls, containers, etc.
2. Use only 100% copper utensils.
3. For containers to keep the ash, use glass.
4. The pyramid must be the ones only made for Agnihotra.
5. If you are female, never do Agnihotra during your mense.
6. Never wash the pyramid.
7. Never use lighters with the fire. Use only matches.
Supplies
Everything 100% Copper - pyramid, its cover, spoon, tongs
When you buy this, they usually come in a set.
Agnihotra can only be done in a pyramid that is 100% copper. It can only be of one specific size dictated by its Vedic science. It cannot be smaller or bigger or have other metals mixed in it when manufactured. This is part of its Vedic science.
This is why we only buy Agnihotra implements from other Agnihotras who are selling them. In the US, buy what you need from http://www.agnihotrasupplies.com. Other suppliers are listed here.
They also sell the cow dung and the pure cow ghee that you will need to do Agnihotra. You will also need organic brown rice. You will need to buy a lot of cow dung because the fire cannot be small.
You will need to get a radio controlled clock that has seconds. Agnihotra has to be done right on the second. We suggest a radio controlled clock because of its accuracy.
Doing Agnihotra
First, chose a place to put the pyramid. It is preferable to have it in one place where it will not be moved around. The pyramid cannot be moved once the fire has started and preferably not moved even after the fire is over. If you really need to move it, do it when you are preparing for the next fire.
It is preferable to do the fire outdoors in a garden shed that is used exclusively for Agnihotra and nothing else. It must be cleaned and prepared specially for it. Please don't keep your gardening tools and other stuff there because the shed should be an Agnihotra temple. Once the fire is over, you can then lock up the garden shed to prevent anyone or any cats and dogs getting in to disturb it.
If you have to do it indoors, the same rules apply in that you should chose a permanent place for it. When you do it indoors, you may have trouble because the smoke will set off your fire alarm. If this happens, then the next time you do the fire, the moment the fire extinguishes itself completely and starts smoking, cover the pyramid with the copper cover that comes with it. Don't cover the pyramid if the fire is still burning! If you don't have a copper cover, please get one. Don't use other metals or materials to cover the pyramid. Other metals or materials will contaminate the energies.
The combination of the mantras, copper pyramid, cow dung, ghee, brown rice, fire and the healing rays of the sun at the moment of saying the mantras creates subtle healing energies in and around the pyramid that rise up into the atmosphere to heal it and the surrounding area. This healed atmosphere in turn will heal you. You should experience healing effects almost within the first two days of doing Agnihotra perfectly.
Since this is a holy ritual, you have to bathe first before doing it. If you are female and you know your mense is going to start, check yourself first before doing the ritual. If it hasn't started yet, you can do it. If it has started, DON'T do it. The energies of both conflict, one going up - Agnihotra, and the other one going down - the mense. Once your mense is really finished, make sure you have taken a bath first before re-starting or touching the utensils. It is better not to touch the pyramid or utensils when you are having your mense.
The cow dung are dried in round patties like a burger, same size (for the ones I've got anyway). You have to break one into two and use both halves. I sometimes use 3 halves. This will create a nice big fire in the pyramid. Cow dung is surprisingly difficult to set on fire. So breaking it into half reveals the inside for the ghee to penetrate.
Boil some water and put some into a big bowl. Put some ghee into a bottle or porcelain bowl and put in the hot water. Make sure no water splashes into the ghee. Once the ghee has melted, use the copper spoon to spoon the ghee onto the half pieces of cow dung. Put more where they broke so that the ghee goes inside.
Take the brown rice in your hand and sift through them. Throw away the broken ones. Use only whole brown rice grains. This has to do with energies. If you burn broken brown rice, the energies will be incomplete and "broken" just like the rice. So pick only the whole rice grains. Put two small groups of rice aside and using the copper spoon, put some liquid ghee on them.
Since you are new at this, start the fire about 10 minutes before the stated time. Use matches to light the dung. Don't put all the dung into the pyramid. Take one in your hand and with a lighted match, light the dung. Let it set on fire. You may see that it goes out sometimes. Just keep setting it on fire with your matches. Once the first half dung is burning nicely, put into pyramid and position it in such a way as to allow air underneath for it to burn or else it will go out.
Take another half piece of dung and using the one which is burning, light it and arrange in the pyramid. Do the same for the third half. Then wait for the Agnihotra time according to your sunrise sunset timetable. The moment the clock hits the second like for eg. 41629 (4 am, 16 minutes, 29 seconds), say the right mantra. At the point where you say "Svaha" drop in the rice mixed with ghee. Drop them in ONLY once. If you find some sticking to your hand, don't try to drop them in a second time. Since you can only do it once, make sure the rice is sitting on the tips of your fingers Indian style ready to be dropped in.
The moment the seconds change to 29 (in the above example), you have to say the mantra. If you miss the time by one second, you've missed it. Don't bother doing it. So since you know that the seconds change very fast, you have to time yourself very well. When I first started it took me one week to nail it. At first, because you have so many things to deal with, lighting the fire and getting it going before the time, making sure it doesn't go out before the time and then saying the right mantra on the second, you will hit and miss.
Do the whole ritual in silence from the preparation stage to after the mantra has been said. Never talk to anyone after the mantras have been said. Sit and meditate for as long as the fire is burning. After it has extinguished itself, you can carry on meditating.
When the fire is burning, do not move the dung around in the pyramid or try to prod it here and there. Once the mantra has been said, you cannot disturb the pyramid or anything in it.
If, after the mantra has been said and you see the fire may go out before all the dung has been burnt, DON'T move the dung around. Leave it alone. This isn't a fireplace where you can move the wood around. If you move the dung or the pyramid, that will disrupt the healing energies being created by the fire, mantras and pyramid.
You will also notice that your karma and negative forces will kick in to prevent you succeeding initially. Depending on how bad your karma is, the degree of difficulty will show. You will notice that your mind may shutdown and you will say the wrong mantra and things like that.
Nowadays, I start the fire 5 minutes before the Agnihotra time. I prepare the cow dung with ghee and have the rice ready about 10-15 minutes before. So all in, it takes me about 15 to 20 minutes preparation time. The fire usually burns for about 12 minutes average.
When you have finally learnt to do Agnihotra perfectly, then you can start keeping the ash. Use only glass containers to keep it. The ash is holy and can be used as medicine. Please refer to the book Agnihotra Ash Medicine.
The pyramid will become black from constant use. Please don't wash it. Whatever is in it after removing the ash still holds the healing energies.
Any questions you have on the above, ask me and I'll clarify.
