{"id":3193,"date":"2013-07-13T01:46:34","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3193"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:46:34","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:34","slug":"07-agni-the-divine-energy-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-other-editions\/writings-in-bengali-translation\/07-agni-the-divine-energy-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","title":{"rendered":"-07_Agni The Divine Energy.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\n
\nAgni\u2014The Divine Energy <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nIn this sacrifice the conscious being, the lord of the house, is
\nthe worshipper, the nature of the being is the consort who
\nshares the dharma of the lord of the house. But who is to be
\nthe priest? If it is the being that performs the work of the
\npriest then there is hardly any hope of the sacrifice being well
\nconducted because the being is led by the ego and bound
\nwith the triple cord of mind, life and body. Under these
\nconditions if the being becomes the self-appointed vicar, it is
\nthe ego which assumes the role of the sacrificer, the Ritwik,
\nand even that of the deity of the sacrifice, and in that case,
\nthere is great danger of some untoward happening due to the
\nunlawful performance of the ritual. At first the being wants
\nliberation from its extremely circumscribed condition, and if
\nit wishes to be free from bondage then it has to rely on a
\npower other than its own. Even after the triple cord which
\nbinds it to the sacrificial post has been loosened, the
\nknowledge and the power capable of directing the ritual does
\nnot appear suddenly nor can they be perfectly acquired so
\nsoon. Divine knowledge and divine power are necessary, and
\nit is by the sacrifice alone that they can come and grow
\nperfectly. Even when the being is liberated, full of divine
\nknowledge and divine power, it is the Ishwara and not the
\nworshipper who remains the master, giver of the sanction
\nand enjoyer of the sacrifice. We have to welcome the Divine
\nand install Him on the altar of the sacrifice. Unless the
\nDivine enters the heart of man, manifests and establishes
\nhimself there, it is impossible for a human being to attain
\ndivinity and immortality. It is also true that before the
\nawakening of the godhead, in order to invoke him the Seers<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-35<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nof the Mantra, the Rishis, accept the priesthood on behalf of
\nthe sacrificier; Vashishtha and Vishvamitra become vicars of
\nSudas, Trasadasyu and the son of Bharat. But it is to invite the Divine to
\naccept the place of the priest and the summoner on the altar of the sacrifice that mantras are chanted
\nand offerings made. Unless the Divine awakes in the heart,
\nno one can liberate the being. God is the deliverer: God is
\nthe sole priest who can grant the realisation. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n     When the Divine becomes the vicar, he is then known as
\nAgni, the mystic Fire, and he has the form of fire. The
\npriesthood of Agni is the most auspicious beginning and the
\nbest means of performing a successful sacrifice perfect in
\nevery detail. That is why the priesthood of Agni was
\nestablished in the first Rik of the first Sukta of the Rigveda. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nWho is this Agni ? The root ag<\/i> means power; one who is
\npowerful is Agni. Again the root ag<\/i> signifies lighter burning,
\nthe power which is flooded with theburning light of knowledge, the effective force
\nof knowledge; the possessor of that
\npower is like Agni. The root ag<\/i> has also the sense of priority(3) and predominance, the force which is the primordial element
\nof the universe, the basic and pre-eminent force among all
\nthe manifested universal forces; the possessor of that force4s
\nAgni. The root ag also has the meaning ‘nayana; to lead to direct; one who is the possessor of the primal, eternal,’  ancient and sovereign force in the universe and leads it by
\nthe appointed path towards the appointed destination, the
\nyouth who is the general of the army of God, the guide on
\nthe path who by his knowledge and power props various
\nforces of Nature in their different activities and keeps them
\non the right path, that puissance is Agni. All these virtues of
\nAgni have been mentioned and hymned in hundreds of
\nSuktas of the Veda. The original cause of this universe,
\nhidden in all its development, the most fundamental of all
\nforces and paramount among them, stay of all gods, regu-
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-36<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nlator of all dharmas, guardian of the most profound
\naim and truth of the universe, this Agni is no one else but the omniscient
\nenergising power of the Divine, manifest as force, heat and brilliance. The
\nprinciple of true Existence in the Truth-Consciousness-Bliss contains in itself
\nthe Consciousness. That which is the Consciousness of the Existence
\nis also the Force of the Existence. The Consciousness-Force
\nis the sustaining power of the universe, it is the primary cause
\nand creator, the life and the controller of the universe. When
\nthe Consciousness hides her face in the bosom of the Being
\nof pure Existence and with her eyes closed contemplates the
\nform of the pure Existence, the infinite Force becomes
\nhushed; this is the state of dissolution in the tranquil ocean of
\nAnanda. Again when the Consciousness lifts her head, opens
\nher eyes and looks lovingly at the face and the body of the
\nBeing of pure Existence, meditates on his infinite names and
\nforms, and dwells on the ravishing Lila created by feigned
\nseparation and union, the numberless currents of that
\nAnanda give rise to infinite waves of violent pain and
\nuniversal delight. This variegated concentration, this trance
\none-pointed yet multitudinous of the Consciousness-Force,
\nis known as the energising power. When the Being of pure
\nExistence with a view to create some name and form
\nmanifests a certain truth or obtains a particular result,
\nassembles and moves his Consciousness-Force and establishes her on his own state, then Tapas, the energising Force
\nis applied. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nWe find that the Consciousness-Force has two aspects: Consciousness and Energy, the All-Knowledge and the All-
\nPower ;but in reality the two are one. The Knowledge of the¦
\nDivine is omnipotent and His Power is omniscient. When He  <\/i>conceives light, the birth of light is inevitable because His
\nKnowledge is only the conscious form of His Power. Again
\nin all vibrations of matter, for example, in the dance of an <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-37<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\natom or a flash of lightning His Knowledge is involved
\nbecause His Power is only the dynamism of His Knowledge.
\nBecause of our dividing intellect in the Ignorance and the
\ndividing movement’ of the lower Nature, Knowledge and Power have become
\nseparated, unequal, as if fond of quarrelling with each other, exhausted and
\ndiminished by discord; or else this simulacrum of dispute is enacted only for
\nthe sake of the play. In fact, the All-Knowledge and the All- Power of the
\nDivine are hidden in the minutest act or impulse in the universe; no one has the
\npower to effectuate this act or impulse without the help of that Knowledge and
\nPower or with anything less than them. This All-Knowledge or All-Power works in
\nthe same manner in the chanting of the Vedic hymns by the Rishis, in the
\ninauguration of a new cycle by a mighty figure, as in the ravings of an idiot or
\nthe agony of a tiny worm which is being assailed. When you and I waste power for
\nwant of knowledge, or from a lack of power unsuccessfully apply knowledge, then
\nbecause the Omniscient and Omnipotent sitting behind the veil rectifies and
\ndirects the application of force by His Knowledge and the enjoyment of Knowledge
\nby His Power, that something can still be achieved in this world by such a puny
\neffort. The appointed work is accomplished and the just result obtained. Though
\nit foils the ignorant design and expectation of you and me, by our very failure
\nHis secret intention is carried out and that failure brings us a blessing in
\ndisguise and produces a little, partial, yet indispensable good in the smallest
\ndetail of a noble universal purpose. The evil, the ignorance and the failure are
\nonly masks. He realises the good by the evil the knowledge by the ignorance the
\nsuccess by the failure and the unforeseen action by the force which remains concealed.
\nThe Presence of Agni in the form of Tapas, Energy, makes
\nsuch an action possible. This inevitable good, indivisible
\nKnowledge and infallible Power reveal the Agni-aspect of <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-38<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe Divine. As the Consciousness and the Force of the
\nPurusha of pure Existence are one, both of them being
\nvibrations of Ananda, so the Knowledge and the Power of
\nAgni. who is the representative of the Divine, are inseparable and both of them are beneficial and auspicious. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe external appearance of the world is different; there
\nfalsehood, ignorance, evil and failure are predominant.
\nHowever, behind the mask which frightens the child, the
\nMother’s face is hidden. Inconscience, inertia and suffering
\nare only sorcery. That is why in the Veda our normal \\
\n<\/i>consciousness is called night. Even the highest development
\nof our intellect is only a moon-lit and star-bedecked play of
\nthe divine night. But within the bosom of this night hides her
\nsister Usha carrying the infinity-born light of future Divine
\nKnowledge. Even in the night of earth-consciousness, the
\nforce of Agni blazes again and again and with the glow of
\nUsha radiates the light. It is the force of Agni which prepares
\nthe hour of the birth of Truth-conscious Usha in this blind
\nworld. The Supreme has sent the force of Agni into this
\nworld and established it there; remaining concealed in the
\nheart of objects and living beings, Agni regulates all the
\nmovements of the universe. In the midst of momentary
\nfalsehood, this Agni is the keeper of the eternal Truth; in the
\ninconscient and the inert, Agni is the secret consciousness of
\nthe inconscient, the formidable dynamic force of matter.
\nShrouded in ignorance, Agni is the covert knowledge of the
\nDivine; in the ugliness of sin, Agni is the pristine immaculate
\npurity of the Divine; in the gloomy fog of misery and
\nsuffering, Agni is His burning delight of universal enjoy-
\nment; clad in soiled rags of weakness and torpor, Agni is his
\nall-bearing, all-accomplishing efficient power of action. If we
\ncan once pierce this dark envelope, uncover and kindle this
\nAgni in our hearts, release and direct him upwards, he will
\nbring down Divine Usha into the human consciousness, <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-39<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nawaken the inner gods, remove the black sheath of false-
\nhood, ignorance, sorrow and failure and make us immortal
\nand divine in nature. Agni is the first and the supreme living
\nform of the Divine within us. Let us kindle him on the altar
\nof the heart, welcome him as the priest of the sacrifice and in
\nhis burning flame of power and knowledge, in his golden and
\nrevealing blaze of knowledge, into his all-consuming and
\npurifying blaze of power, offer all our trivial pleasure and
\npain, all our limited and petty effort and failure, all false-
\nhood and death. Let the old and the untrue be reduced to
\nashes; then from the heaven-kissing force of Agni will rise as
\nliving Savitri the new and the true. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nDo not forget that everything is in our heart; Agni is
\nwithin man; the altar, the offering and the offering  are within
\nand within also the seer, the Word and the deity; the Vedic
\nchant to the Brahman, the anti-divine demons and titans are
\nwithin; Vritra and the destroyer of Vritra are also within; the I
\nbattle between the gods and the titans takes place within; Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Angira, Atri, Bhrigu, Atharva,
\nSu\u00b4das, Trasadasyu\u2014these five types of the Aryan seekers of
\nthe Brahman and the Dasyus\u2014are also within. The self of
\nman and the universe are one. The near and the far, the ten
\ncardinal points, the two oceans, the seven rivers and the
\nseven worlds are also within him. Our earthly existence is
\nmanifested between these two secret oceans. The lower
\nocean is the concealed infinite consciousness from which,
\nday and night, at each moment, surge up all these emotions
\nand impulses, names and forms, just as the stars and galaxies
\nshine out on the bosom of the goddess Night. In modern
\nlanguage, this is called the Inconscient or the Subconscient,
\napraketam salilam<\/i> of the Veda, the subconscient ocean.
\nThough it is  consciousness, it is not devoid of consciousness; the transcendent universal is in it, capable of all knowledge,
\nproficient in all action, it diffuses itself in a trance as it were <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-40<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nand creates the universe and its movements. Above pervades
\nthe secret free infinite consciousness called the Superconscient of which this ‘consciousness-unconsciousness’ is the
\nshadow. There in that world the Existence-Consciousness-
\nBliss is fully manifested\u2014in sat-laka,,<\/i> the world of true
\nExistence, as infinite Existence; in tapoloka,<\/i> the world of
\nenergy of self-conscience, as infinite Consciousness; in jtinaloka,<\/i> the world of creative Delight, as infinite Felicity; and in
\nmaharloka,<\/i> the world of large consciousness, as the vast Truth of the
\ncosmic Self. The intermediate terrestrial consciousness is the Earth mentioned in the Veda. From this
\nearth rises to the skies the climbing mountain of which each
\nplateau is a step in the ascent, one of the seven inner
\nkingdoms. The gods are helpers in our ascent, the titans are
\nenemies who obstruct the path. This mountain climbing is
\nthe sacrificial march of the Vedic seeker of the Truth; with
\nthe sacrifice, we have to rise to the ocean of light in the
\nsupreme ether. Agni is the instrument of this ascent, the’
\nleader of the path, the fighter in the battle and the priest of
\nthis sacrifice. The Vedic Seer-Poets have established the
\nspiritual knowledge on this fundamental image in the same
\nmanner as the Vaishnavas who use the symbol of the
\nenamoured cowherd boys and girls of Vrindavan in their
\nsongs on Radha and Krishna. If we remember the significance of this image, the understanding of the truth in the
\nVedas will then become easy. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-41<\/font> \n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Agni\u2014The Divine Energy   In this sacrifice the conscious being, the lord of the house, is the worshipper, the nature of the being is the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writings-in-bengali-translation","wpcat-64-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3193\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}