Why Ahuti of Ghee in Agni Should Be in Measured Quantity

We are seeing the meaning of the sukta Stuvanamagna Aa Vaha from the Atharva Veda.
This is a prayer to the effect that evil forces should be destroyed, negative forces should be destroyed even before they are able to act.

We have already seen what these evil forces are and how they act.

Now the second mantra:

आज्यस्य परमेष्ठिन् जातवेदस्तनूवशिन् ।
अग्ने तौलस्य प्राशान यातुधानान् वि लापय ॥२॥

You make the negative forces cry — the evil forces cry in pain.
First drag them here, then make them cry, torture them.
After consuming this ghee that we are giving you — so here, the Agni is not going to carry this offering to another God, as usual.
Here it is meant for he himself.

He should consume this ghee, grow powerful, and torture these negative forces — make them cry.

The mantra describes Agni with three terms: Parameshti, Jataveda, Tanoovashi.
This is to indicate that we are not talking about the Agni that is in front, on which homa is being performed — not those limited flames.

Parameshti means he is in all the great worlds such as Swarga, Brahma Loka, Vaikuntha.
He is present in all those worlds. That is his status and position. His position is with Gods.

Jataveda — jaate jaate vidyate —
Not just in the divine worlds, he is in everything that has ever been created.
He is everywhere. He is the omnipresent energy — universal energy.

How are you alive? Because there is heat inside your body.
If the heat from a person’s body is gone, then he is dead.
It is Agni who keeps living beings alive.

Not just living beings — take a rock.
What is it made up of? Molecules, atoms.
If you are able to do fission or fusion of atoms, what is it that comes out? Heat.
The energy that makes the subatomic particles move, or even if you consider them as waves —
the energy in those waves — Agni is that.
All forms of energy are Agni.
If matter exists, it is because of Agni inside.

Tanoovashi — Agni is being addressed as the force who keeps all beings under his control.
The digestive fire in the stomach is Agni.
All the secretions in the stomach which cause digestion — what are they?
They are forms of Agni only.

That’s why you equate them to acid.
That’s why they cause acidity.
What does an acid do? It burns if you touch it — same as fire.
The property of acid to burn — it comes because of Agni.

Do you know that your gastric acid has a pH value of between 1 and 2?
That it can dissolve steel?
It is the power of Agni.

Tanoovashi — because if he doesn’t act inside your stomach, if he stops digesting food,
you are finished. All your energy will be gone.
You will be just lying like a log of wood.

He is the one who gives energy to you — releases energy from food — which itself is thermal energy.
That’s why it is said — he is controlling you from inside.
Not just you — everything, everyone.

So by calling him using these three names — Parameshti, Jataveda, and Tanoovashi —
you are switching on three switches simultaneously.
From those small flames in front of you, you are making him universal.

Like you have a PC. What you have then are only the files and programs inside the hard disk.
Then you connect to the internet — and see how the scope changes.
Sitting here, you can access and run a program that is in a server thousands of kilometres away.
You can make it work. You can access tons and tons of information.

This is what we do when we address Agni with these three names: Parameshti, Jataveda, and Tanoovashi.
This is your login ID and password.
Then you are accessing his universal power.

He is inside the evil force also — negative force also.
So, you pray to him here — he will stop the digestion there.
Or he just pulls out — and the negative force is finished. Dead in some time.
Do you get it?

Another very important point:

Agne taulasya prashaanah —
Telling — drink this ghee in measured quantities.

Have you seen those ladles, spoons used for offering ahutis of ghee in Agni?
If you have not, then watch the Vedadhara daily homa one day.
They have precise measurements.

Sruk — means so many drops — it should hold so many drops of ghee.
Sruva — means so many drops.
Very precise.

Why? Because Agni is involved.

You have a gas cylinder — what if you light right at the nozzle?
At the top of the cylinder?
It will explode.

When you feed Agni, you have to be very careful.
It should be neither more nor less.

That’s why we have gas stoves — with burners and knobs — so that you can control the fuel,
or whatever you feed him.

If it is less — it will not work.
If it is more — it will destroy you.

With Agni you have to be careful.
This is why we have strict measurements for these ladles.

Do you get it — why we say that Veda has all knowledge?

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi