Panchagni Vidya - Uddalaka Aruni with the King

The Panchagni Vidya (The Five Fires)

5.4: The First Fire (The Heavenly World)

Sanskrit Verses

असौ वाव लोको गौतमाग्निस्तस्यादित्य एव समिद्रश्मयो धूमोऽहरर्चिश्चन्द्रमा अङ्गारा नक्षत्राणि विस्फुलिङ्गाः ॥ ५.४.१ ॥

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः श्रद्धां जुह्वति तस्या अहुतेः सोमो राजा संभवति ॥ ५.४.२ ॥

Translation

5.4.1: “That world (Heaven), O Gautama, is indeed the Fire. Of that, the Sun is the fuel, the rays are the smoke, the day is the flame, the moon is the embers, and the stars are the sparks.”
5.4.2: “In that fire, the gods offer faith (Shraddha). From that offering, King Soma (the Moon) arises.”

5.5: The Second Fire (The Cloud)

Sanskrit Verses

पर्जन्यो वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्य वायुरेव समिदभ्रं धूमो विद्युदर्चिरशनिरङ्गाराह्रादनयो विस्फुलिङ्गाः ॥ ५.५.१ ॥

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः सोमं राजानं जुह्वति तस्या आहुतेर्वर्षं संभवति ॥ ५.५.२ ॥

Translation

5.5.1: “Parjanya (the Cloud-god), O Gautama, is indeed the Fire. Of that, the air is the fuel, the cloud is the smoke, the lightning is the flame, the thunderbolt is the embers, and the rumblings are the sparks.”
5.5.2: “In that fire, the gods offer King Soma. From that offering, rain arises.”

5.6: The Third Fire (The Earth)

Sanskrit Verses

पृथिवी वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्याः संवत्सर एव समिदाकाशो धूमो रात्रिरर्चिर्दिशोऽङ्गारा अवान्तरदिशो विस्फुलिङ्गाः ॥ ५.६.१ ॥

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा वर्षं जुह्वति तस्या आहुतेरन्नं संभवति ॥ ५.६.२ ॥

Translation

5.6.1: “The Earth, O Gautama, is indeed the Fire. Of that, the year is the fuel, space is the smoke, the night is the flame, the quarters are the embers, and the intermediate quarters are the sparks.”
5.6.2: “In that fire, the gods offer rain. From that offering, food arises.”

5.7: The Fourth Fire (The Man)

Sanskrit Verses

पुरुषो वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्य वागेव समित्प्राणो धूमो जिह्वारर्चिश्चक्षुरङ्गाराः श्रोत्रं विस्फुलिङ्गाः ॥ ५.७.१ ॥

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा अन्नं जुह्वति तस्या आहुते रेतः सम्भवति ॥ ५.७.२ ॥

Translation

5.7.1: “Man, O Gautama, is indeed the Fire. Of that, speech is the fuel, breath is the smoke, the tongue is the flame, the eye is the embers, and the ear is the sparks.”
5.7.2: “In that fire, the gods offer food. From that offering, semen arises.”

5.8: The Fifth Fire (The Woman)

Sanskrit Verses

योषा वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्या उपस्थ एव समिद्यदुपमन्त्रयते स धूमो योनिरर्चिर्यदन्तः करोति तेऽङ्गारा अभिनन्दा विस्फुलिङ्गाः ॥ ५.८.१ ॥

तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा रेतो जुह्वति तस्या आहुतेर्गर्भः संभवति ॥ ५.८.२ ॥

Translation

5.8.1: “Woman, O Gautama, is indeed the Fire. Of that, the sexual organ is the fuel, the invitation is the smoke, the vulva is the flame, what is done within is the embers, and the pleasures are the sparks.”
5.8.2: “In that fire, the gods offer semen. From that offering, the foetus arises.”

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Summary Table: The Panchagni Vidya (The Five Fires)

Fire (Agni)	Fuel (Samidh)	Smoke (Dhuma)	Flame (Archish)	Embers (Angara)	Sparks (Visphulinga)	Offering (Huti)	Result
1. Heaven (लोको)	आदित्य (Sun)	रश्मयो (Rays)	अहर् (Day)	चन्द्रमा (Moon)	नक्षत्राणि (Stars)	श्रद्धा (Faith)	सोमो राजा (King Soma)
2. Cloud (पर्जन्यो)	वायु (Air)	अभ्रं (Cloud/Mist)	विद्युद् (Lightning)	अशनि (Thunderbolt)	ह्रादनयो (Rumblings)	सोमं राजानं (King Soma)	वर्षं (Rain)
3. Earth (पृथिवी)	संवत्सर (Year)	आकाशो (Space)	रात्रि (Night)	दिशो (Quarters)	अवान्तरदिशो (Inter-quarters)	वर्षं (Rain)	अन्नं (Food)
4. Man (पुरुषो)	वाग् (Speech)	प्राणो (Breath)	जिह्वा (Tongue)	चक्षुर् (Eye)	श्रोत्रं (Ear)	अन्नं (Food)	रेतः (Semen)
5. Woman (योषा)	उपस्थ (Organ)	यदुपमन्त्रयते (Invitation)	योनि (Vulva)	यदन्तः करोति (The Act)	अभिनन्दा (Pleasures)	रेतो (Semen)	गर्भः (Foetus)

5.9: The Process of Birth

Sanskrit Verses

इति तु पञ्चम्यामाहुतावापः पुरुषवचसो भवन्तीति स उल्बावृतो गर्भो दश वा नव वा मासानन्तः शयित्वा यावद्वाथ जायते ॥ ५.९.१ ॥

स जातो यावदायुषं जीवति तं प्रेतं दिष्टमितोऽग्नय एव हरन्ति यत एवेतो यतः संभूतो भवति ॥ ५.९.२ ॥

Translation

5.9.1: “Thus, at the fifth offering, the water becomes known as ‘Man’ (Purusha). The foetus, covered by the membrane, lies within for nine or ten months, or however long it may be, and then is born.”
5.9.2: “Having been born, he lives as long as his life lasts. When he has departed (died), they carry him from here as ordained to the fire itself, from which he came and from which he arose.”

5.10: The Two Paths (Devayana and Pitriyana)

Sanskrit Verses

तद्य य इत्थं विदुः। ये चेमेऽरण्ये श्रद्धा तप इत्युपासते तेऽर्चिषमभिसंभवन्त्यर्चिषोऽहरह्न आपूर्यमाणपक्षमापूर्यमाणपक्षाद्यान्षडुदङ्ङेति मासांस्तान् ॥ ५.१०.१ ॥

मासेभ्यः संवत्सरं संवत्सरादादित्यमादित्याच्चन्द्रमसं चन्द्रमसो विद्युतं तत्पुरुषोऽमानवः स एनान्ब्रह्म गमयत्येष देवयानः पन्था इति ॥ ५.१०.२ ॥

अथ य इमे ग्राम इष्टापूर्ते दत्तमित्युपासते ते धूममभिसंभवन्ति धूमाद्रात्रिं रात्रेरपरपक्षमपरपक्षाद्यान्षड्दक्षिणैति मासांस्तान्नैते संवत्सरमभिप्राप्नुवन्ति ॥ ५.१०.३ ॥

मासेभ्यः पितृलोकं पितृलोकादाकाशमाकाशाच्चन्द्रमसमेष सोमो राजा तद्देवानामन्नं तं देवा भक्षयन्ति ॥ ५.१०.४ ॥

तस्मिन्यवात्सम्पातमुषित्वाथैतमेवाध्वानं पुनर्निवर्तन्ते यथेतमाकाशमाकाशाद्वायुं वायुर्भूत्वा धूमो भवति धूमो भूत्वाभ्रं भवति ॥ ५.१०.५ ॥

अभ्रं भूत्वा मेघो भवति मेघो भूत्वा प्रवर्षति त इह व्रीहियवा ओषधिवनस्पतयस्तिलमाषा इति जायन्तेऽतो वै खलु दुर्निष्प्रपतरं यो यो ह्यन्नमत्ति यो रेतः सिञ्चति तद्भूय एव भवति ॥ ५.१०.६ ॥

तद्य इह रमणीयचरणा अभ्याशो ह यत्ते रमणीयां योनिमापद्येरन्ब्राह्मणयोनिं वा क्षत्रिययोनिं वा वैश्ययोनिं वाथ य इह कपूयचरणा अभ्याशो ह यत्ते कपूयां योनिमापद्येरञ्श्वयोनिं वा सूकरयोनिं वा चण्डालयोनिं वा ॥ ५.१०.७ ॥

अथैतयोः पथोर्न कतरेणचन तानीमानि क्षुद्राण्यसकृदावर्तीनि भूतानि भवन्ति जायस्व म्रियस्वेत्येतत्तृतीयंस्थानं तेनासौ लोको न सम्पूर्यते तस्माज्जुगुप्सेत तदेष श्लोकः ॥ ५.१०.८ ॥

स्तेनो हिरण्यस्य सुरां पिबंश्च गुरोस्तल्पमावसन्ब्रह्महा चैते पतन्ति चत्वारः पञ्चमश्चाचरंस्तैरिति ॥ ५.१०.९ ॥

अथ ह य एतानेवं पञ्चाग्नीन्वेद न सह तैरप्याचरन्पाप्मना लिप्यते शुद्धः पूतः पुण्यलोको भवति य एवं वेद य एवं वेद ॥ ५.१०.१० ॥

Translation

5.10.1-2: The Path of the Gods (Devayana): “Those who know this (the Five Fires), and those who in the forest worship with ‘Faith is Tapas’, they go to the Light (Archis), from Light to Day, from Day to the bright half of the month, from that to the six months during which the sun moves northwards (Uttarayana).” “From those months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from the moon to lightning. There, a person who is not human (amanava purusha) leads them to Brahman. This is the Path of the Gods.”
5.10.3-4: The Path of the Fathers (Pitriyana): “But those who in the village worship through ‘sacrifices, works of public utility, and almsgiving’, they go to the Smoke, from Smoke to Night, from Night to the dark half of the month, from that to the six months during which the sun moves southwards (Dakshinayana). They do not reach the year.” “From those months to the world of the fathers, from the world of the fathers to space, from space to the moon. That is King Soma. That is the food of the gods; the gods feed on it.”
5.10.5-6: The Return Path: “Having dwelt there as long as their merits last, they return again by the same path: from the moon to space, from space to air. Having become air, they become smoke; having become smoke, they become mist.” “Having become mist, they become a cloud; having become a cloud, they rain down. Then they are born here as rice, barley, herbs, trees, sesame, and beans. From this, escape is indeed difficult. Whoever eats that food and performs the act of procreation, he becomes just like that (is reborn).“
5.10.7: “Among these, those whose conduct has been good, they will quickly attain a good birth—the birth of a Brahmin, a Kshatriya, or a Vaishya. But those whose conduct has been evil, they will quickly attain an evil birth—the birth of a dog, a pig, or a Chandala.”
5.10.8: “But those who go by neither of these two paths, they become these small, repeatedly returning creatures (insects, etc.), of whom it is said: ‘Be born and die’. This is the third place. Therefore, that world (the lunar world) is never filled. Hence, one should feel disgust (for this worldly existence).“
5.10.9-10: “The thief of gold, the drinker of wine, the violator of the Teacher’s bed, and the slayer of a Brahmin—these four fall, and so does the fifth who associates with them.” “But he who knows these five fires, even though he associates with those people, is not stained by sin. He becomes pure, clean, and attains a holy world—he who knows this, he who knows this.”

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Summary Table: The Two Paths (Devayana and Pitriyana)

Feature	Path of the Gods (Devayana) / Archir-marga	Path of the Fathers (Pitriyana) / Dhuma-marga
Eligibility	Knowledge (विद्या) & Faith (श्रद्धा/तपः)	Rituals & Works (इष्टापूर्ते)
First Stage	Light (अर्चिषम्)	Smoke (धूमम्)
Time Scales	Day (अहः) $\to$ Bright Fortnight (आपूर्यमाणपक्षः) $\to$ North Path (उत्तरायणम्)	Night (रात्रिः) $\to$ Dark Fortnight (अपरपक्षः) $\to$ South Path (दक्षिणायनम्)
Highest Point	Sun (आदित्यम्) $\to$ Moon (चन्द्रमसम्) $\to$ Lightning (विद्युतम्)	World of Fathers (पितृलोकः) $\to$ Space (आकाशः) $\to$ Moon (सोमो राजा)
Guide	Non-human person (पुरुषोऽमानवः)	No divine guide mentioned.
Destination	Brahman (ब्रह्म) - No Return.	King Soma (सोमो राजा) - Enjoyment, then Return.
The Return	No return to this world.	Space (आकाशः) $\to$ Air (वायुः) $\to$ Smoke (धूमः) $\to$ Mist (अभ्रम्) $\to$ Cloud (मेघः) $\to$ Rain (वर्षम्).
Rebirth	N/A (Liberation).	Rebirth as rice, herbs, etc. (व्रीहियवा ओषधिवनस्पतयस्तिलमाषाः).