Case Study - Air Pollution

Practicing Agnihotra regularly will purify the surrounding environment and nullifies the Nuclear / Air / Water / Soil Pollution to a great extent.

Agnihotra is basically a healing process. ‘Heal the atmosphere and the healed atmosphere will heal you’--- is the Modus Operandi.

Air pollution has reached its peak in the entire world. Performing Agnihotra one time releases approximately 5 gallons of oxygen into the atmosphere. This amount of oxygen is equivalent to the average requirement of oxygen for a person in his entire lifetime.

There is a strong gush of bio-dynamic energy that is attracted from the cosmos and spread to the entire area of a 2-mile radius where Agnihotra is performed. This gush of energy kills the germs and pollutants in the atmosphere purifying the air and increasing the quality of the air. This is a proven fact by scientists in various countries like India/Russia/Poland/Germany etc.

Results of Some Recent Experiments:

A group of scientists led by Dr. Manoj Garg, Director, Environmental and Technical Consultants and the Uttar Pradesh pollution control board conducted experiments during the Ashwamedha Yagna at Gorakhpur, U.P.

A summary of their results ( [1] - Akhand Jyoti, Sept. ‘97 p.22) is presented below: These experiments were set up at about 20 meters east from the Yagnashala. The samples of 100 ml each of water and air collected from the surroundings were analysed using high volume envirotech APM-45 and other sensitive instruments.

These results clearly support the claims made about the role of Yagnya in control of air pollution. The Deputy Director, Agriculture had submitted a technical report based on such results, recommending the use of Yagnya’s ash as an effective fertilizer. Comparable results were also obtained by the scientific experiments conducted in about 27 large scale Yagnas organized by Shantikunj, Hardwar in India and abroad during 1993-1995.

The medicinal fumes emanating from Agnihotra have been observed by researchers in the field of microbiology to be clearly bacteriolethal in nature. These eradicate bacteria and other micro-organisms, which are the root cause of illness and diseases. This must be the reason why the incidence of physical ailments, sickness and diseases becomes less in the households, where Agnihotra is regularly performed. 14 Even without going into detailed chemical bacteriology, it can be stated that performance of Yagna leads to purification of air. This takes place in the following four ways :

Removal of Foul Odors :

As already stated, under steam volatilization, the various volatile oils get diffused in the surrounding atmosphere along with steam and smoke. Since these oils have distinct good smell, the foul odors are automatically replaced. This aroma can be experienced easily in the surroundings when Yagnya is performed due to diffusion of substances like thymol, eugenol, pine, terpinol and oils of sandal-wood, camphor and clove

Removal of Bacteria :

As stated under products of combustion, the partial oxidation of hydrocarbons and decomposition of complex organic substances produce formaldehyde which is a powerful antiseptic. It is also interesting to note that germicidal action of formaldehyde is only effective in the presence of water vapor which is also produced in large quantities in Yagnya. The use of formaldehyde spray for disinfecting of walls, ceiling etc., is common and such a spray is automatically produced when Yagnya is performed. The oxidation of hydrocarbons also produces formic acid and acetic acid both of which are good disinfectants. Use of formic acid for preservation of fruits and that of acetic acid in preserving vinegar is a common practice. The antiseptic and antibiotic effects of fumes of Yagnya have also been examined by conducting suitable experiments on rabbits and mice and it has been established that fumes emitted in Yagnya are powerful antibiotic. Agnihotra ash purifies and cleanses the water making it fit for drinking [5].

Removal of insects :

There are non-bacterial parasites like flies, ringworm, dice, fleas etc., which are immune to bactericides, which are also harmful to other living beings. 15 Such insects which are generally immune to ordinary reagents. However they either get killed or are driven away, when they come in contact with the fumes of volatile oils like camphor diffused in the environment.

Effects on Plants and Vegetation :

The disinfection of air is not only useful to animal life but also helps plant’s life though the bacteria responsible for diseases in both may be different. The aromatic substances during Yagna get diffused in the air and offer protection to plant life against harmful organisms. This ensures healthy plant growth. Agnihotra’s atmosphere and ash can be used as adjuvants in the ‘Natural farming’ methods --- also known as the Agnihotra farming methods. It is a holistic concept of growing plants in healthy atmosphere and maintaining ecological balance by performing Agnihotra (Yagna) in the middle of the farm and using the Yagna - ash as a fertilizer. It is not only safe and productive but also holistic in its approach towards environment.

Role of CO2 generated in Yagnya:

Consignment of the wood and other organic maters to flames has been always controversial because of generation of CO and CO2 and increase in consequent ‘green house’ effect. It had been argued that performance of Yagna also produces CO and CO2 . It should be noted here that the way in which the Samidhas and Havishya are burnt in Yagna is a process of slow combustion at higher temperature. While the burning of coal in factories or in the household fire involves rapid combustion. where oxygen is sucked in large quantities and enormous CO2 is emitted. In the slow combustion taking place in the process of Yagna, small quantity of O2 is utilised meagre CO2 is emitted that poses no threat to the environment. In fact whatever CO2 is generated it is readily absorbed by the surrounding vegetation and CO2 cycle is strengthened [4]. The other important aspect is the fact that CO2 produced in Yagna is not always free CO2 but it remains mixed with other aromatic oils and antiseptic products. It therefore, acts as a vehicle in transporting such products to distant surroundings. 16 The use of CO2 as a cerebral stimulant to assist the patients suffering from lack of ventilation is common in medical world. Its use to control and cure many mental disorders is also known to medical science. Small amounts of CO2 inhaled by the persons performing Yagna acts as a stimulant and more and more aromatic fumes are inhaled which help in curing mental disorders. Particularly effective results with respect to he elimination or reduction in radiation were achieved through Yagna’s fire and ash. These observations are made by Dr. L. Maela Anatoninhowska of Poland after using P.S.I. techniques.

Scientific Observations

The industrial wastes, rapid urbanization, deforestation, air and water pollution, disturbances in the ozone layer -formation, radioactive waves etc., have establized the human, animal and plant life cycles. The ecological imbalance caused by these acts of ‘civilized men’ has resulted into disastrous threat not only to human survival but to the life as a whole on our planet. Till recently it was accepted that research into science can furnish answer to all of man’s problems. Today we find increasing number of diseases including malfunctioning of body organs due to increasing severity of pollution in the atmosphere. Ozone layer depletion has been causing ailments like sunburn, skin cancer, cataracts and weakening of the immune system. Viruses are becoming drug-resistant and showing consistent growth trends. 13 Experimental studies show that the incidence of physical ailments, sickness and disease are reduced in the houses, where the Yagna (Agnihotra) is regularly performed because it creates a pure, nutritional and medicinal atmosphere. It renews the brain cells, revitalizes the skin, purifies blood and prevents growth of pathogenic organisms. Agnihotra is basically a healing process. ‘Heal the atmosphere and the healed atmosphere will heal you’--- is the Modus Operandi [5]. Purification of environment through the constituent electrons of the substances fumigated in the Yagna is an obvious effect of this process. The observation of some distinguished scientists are note worthy in this regard. Dr. Hafkine has mentioned that --- “mixing ghee and sugar and burning them creates smoke which kills the germs of certain diseases and secretion takes place from some glands relate to the wind-pipe, which fill our heart and mind with pleasure. Sugars present in Havishya have great power to purify the atmosphere. It kills the germs of T.B., measles, smallpox and cow-pox --- remarks Prof.. Tilward. According to Dr. Shirowich, a Russian scientist has remarked that (i) Cow’s milk contains great power of protection from atomic radiation; (ii) Houses having cow-dung covered floors enjoy complete protection from atomic radiation; (iii) If cow’s ghee is put into Yagna fire, its fumes lessen the effect of atomic radiation to a great extent.