5 types of fire (Panchagni)
Bhutagni – physical fire that is necessary to keep ourselves warm, cook food and the one that digests our food. Example given is that of a person getting a fever as a symptom of a foreign body entering the system. The symptom is what is often treated, whereas the symptom is a defense mechanism of the body to eliminate or destroy the foreign body. Our system has enough resources to destroy the foreign body but we don’t let this fire do its job and often take anti pyretics to dull this fire often taking longer and compromising the natural bhutagni within us. The same goes for how we suppress the bhutagni by turning on the air condition all the time and limiting out exposure to natural environment. This in turn reduces our capacity to tolerate anything natural (either heat or cold temperatures) thereby making us dull.
Kamagni – the fire (of passion / sexual desire) because of which life continues on this planet. If this fire is exercised too much by being promiscuous, inertia develops in the body and one loses valor, vigor, joy, enthusiasm etc (a lot has been understood about this fire by everyone so this needs no explanation).
Jatharagni – the fire inside (literally the stomach or tummy- from Ayurveda) every living being that is helping create hunger and digest food. This fire gets better by fasting, which is to be done with a good understanding of the principle of fasting. If done right, fasting cleanses the body of toxins and rejuvenates a person. Fasting should be followed in moderation. Nowadays, people die more from overeating rather than from hunger. The problem of overeating happens mainly because you are not waiting sufficiently long enough for this Jatharagni to build up inside your body before food consumption. This has ill effects on the body in terms of illness and disease. Eat only when the Jatharagni is asking to be fed.
Badabagni – the fire of social criticism (when ppl criticize you, a fire awakens inside your system), the same fire that arises when you stand in public to speak something
Man has to follow certain rules- I cannot say “I can do whatever I want”. When you get on the street, you have to follow certain code and conduct and rules. When you have to follow certain code in the world, naturally, the fear of being punished, fear of getting a ticket (in the case of driving as you wish) comes. Abiding by law brings a certain concern for keeping those laws intact. Here again, if you are so much concerned about what people would think / say about you, you are missing the point. the fire of criticism keeps the moral in you. But if it goes out of control/ out of limit, the same fire of criticism will burn your sense of openness/ centeredness / freedom. If this fire is too much, you are tense and worried over nothing. Pass through the sense of criticism- say so what, their opinions change and you know in your consciousness that you are not doing and harm.
Gyanagni / Premagni – the fire of knowledge / love. Love creates such a fire in you that can really take you up from the fear of criticism. You don’t mind what people say when you have the fire of love. It takes you totally. This is synonymous with fire of knowledge. Fire of love begins with an intense longing which is not known ever before. It feeld so new and so it can feel so uncomfortable. Only in human birth can this fire be experienced. Fire of love/knowledge creates unpleasant or sense of longing in the beginning but moves on to the blossom of peace and the blossom of fullness. This is the fire that constitutes panchagni.
Tapasya or Tapas actually means, “being fried in these fires”
Sri Krishna in Srimad Bhagavadgita says “One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.” Srila Prabhupada’s purport explains the verse which talks about Gyanagni “Only a person in full knowledge can understand the activities of a person in Krsna consciousness. Because the person in Krsna consciousness is devoid of all kinds of sense-gratificatory propensities, it is to be understood that he has burned up the reactions of his work by perfect knowledge of his constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is actually learned who has attained to such perfection of knowledge. Development of this knowledge of the eternal servitorship of the Lord is compared to fire. Such a fire, once kindled, can burn up all kinds of reactions to work.” .
Excerpts from SriSri’s discourse on Patanjali Yoga sutras. Thank you to Gurudev. Hope you all enjoyed this post. When life goes through all these fires, it comes out as gold.
References:
https://asitis.com/4/19.html
https://www.artofliving.org/us-en/yoga/patanjali-yogasutra/knowledge-sheet-49
Life@ 24/7 