*Agni is the vedic God it also represents time and in sacrifices it represents the year. The fire altar generally made of bricks is called an agni. Agnichayana or the building of a fire altar, is the symbolic creation of Agni-Prajapati-Purusa. The Rig veda has several references to fire altars 1.164.
/35;1.170.4;5.31.12;7.35.7;8.19.18; 10.61.2: are where vedi are mentioned.
Three places of Agni which are doubtless are GRAHAPATYA; AHAVANIYA and DAKSHINAGNI are mentioned in RV 5.11.2.
Taittiriya Samhita 5.2.3 speaks of the garhapatya beng made of 21 bricks. it is also stated if it is made for the first time it should be made in five layers, for the second time in three layers and for the third time in a single layer. Various shapes provide different benifits. beneath the superficial association the logic of the altars was the representation of knowledge.
going deeper into the subject: Agnicayana is one of the Soma sacrifices. Bricks to be used in the altar construction are classified into two types ordinary lokamprna and special yajusmati. each yajusmati brick is consecrated in a special mannerand each brick is also marked in a special way. here bricks are built in different shapes to different measurements.
The total no of yajusmati bricks are 396 this is 360 days of the year and 36 additional (including one being the fillings between the bricks) as the days of the intercalary month. By layers the first has 98 the second has 41 the third 71 the fourth has 47 the fifth has 138. the sum of 4th and 5th 186 with one space filling. the number of bricks in the third and fourth layer equals the integer nearest to one third the number of days in the lunar year. The number of bricks in the third layer equals the integer nearest to one fifth the number of days in the lunar year. the number of bricks in the second and third layesr equals one third the number of days in a nakshatra year of 28*12*336 days. Once the basic number of 21 is subtracted from the number of bricks in the first layer, the sum of the remainder together with the number of bricks in the second layer are once again the integer nearest one third the number of days in the lunar year.
The altar can also be constructed symbolically by the metres. the altar is made with gayatri 24 syllables as the breath, usnih 28 syllables as the eye, anustubh 32 syllables as the voice, brhati 36 syllables as the mind, pankti 40 syllables as the ear, tristubh 44 syllables as the generative breath and the jagati 48 syllables as the downward breathing. this too equal to gayatri altar being upto the level of the knees the tristubh up to the level of navel and jagati the height of the man.clearly there were correspondences acknowledged between the altars of metres and that of bricks.
The total number of lokamprna bricks is 10800 which equals the number of muhurtas in a year (1 day = 30 muhurtas) or equivalently the number of days in 30 years.Of these 21 go into the garhaptya, 78 into the eight dhisnya hearths and the rest go into the ahavaniya altra.
the fire altrs are surrounded by 360 enclosing stones parisrita, of these 21 are around garhapatya, 78 around dhisnya and 261 around ahavaniya. the ahavaniya include the dhisnya therefore the number of days assigned exclusively toahavaniya is 261-78=183, which is equal to the days in the uttarayana of a 366 day year. the choice of 21 days for the garhapatya is from the unique symbolism of this number. it is also the sum of the first six integers. once the number 21 and 183 are chosen the number 78 becomes the only choice for dhisnya. this number 78 is the sum of the first 12 integers.
so you see it is all scientific:
/35;1.170.4;5.31.12;7.35.7;8.19.18; 10.61.2: are where vedi are mentioned.
Three places of Agni which are doubtless are GRAHAPATYA; AHAVANIYA and DAKSHINAGNI are mentioned in RV 5.11.2.
Taittiriya Samhita 5.2.3 speaks of the garhapatya beng made of 21 bricks. it is also stated if it is made for the first time it should be made in five layers, for the second time in three layers and for the third time in a single layer. Various shapes provide different benifits. beneath the superficial association the logic of the altars was the representation of knowledge.
going deeper into the subject: Agnicayana is one of the Soma sacrifices. Bricks to be used in the altar construction are classified into two types ordinary lokamprna and special yajusmati. each yajusmati brick is consecrated in a special mannerand each brick is also marked in a special way. here bricks are built in different shapes to different measurements.
The total no of yajusmati bricks are 396 this is 360 days of the year and 36 additional (including one being the fillings between the bricks) as the days of the intercalary month. By layers the first has 98 the second has 41 the third 71 the fourth has 47 the fifth has 138. the sum of 4th and 5th 186 with one space filling. the number of bricks in the third and fourth layer equals the integer nearest to one third the number of days in the lunar year. The number of bricks in the third layer equals the integer nearest to one fifth the number of days in the lunar year. the number of bricks in the second and third layesr equals one third the number of days in a nakshatra year of 28*12*336 days. Once the basic number of 21 is subtracted from the number of bricks in the first layer, the sum of the remainder together with the number of bricks in the second layer are once again the integer nearest one third the number of days in the lunar year.
The altar can also be constructed symbolically by the metres. the altar is made with gayatri 24 syllables as the breath, usnih 28 syllables as the eye, anustubh 32 syllables as the voice, brhati 36 syllables as the mind, pankti 40 syllables as the ear, tristubh 44 syllables as the generative breath and the jagati 48 syllables as the downward breathing. this too equal to gayatri altar being upto the level of the knees the tristubh up to the level of navel and jagati the height of the man.clearly there were correspondences acknowledged between the altars of metres and that of bricks.
The total number of lokamprna bricks is 10800 which equals the number of muhurtas in a year (1 day = 30 muhurtas) or equivalently the number of days in 30 years.Of these 21 go into the garhaptya, 78 into the eight dhisnya hearths and the rest go into the ahavaniya altra.
the fire altrs are surrounded by 360 enclosing stones parisrita, of these 21 are around garhapatya, 78 around dhisnya and 261 around ahavaniya. the ahavaniya include the dhisnya therefore the number of days assigned exclusively toahavaniya is 261-78=183, which is equal to the days in the uttarayana of a 366 day year. the choice of 21 days for the garhapatya is from the unique symbolism of this number. it is also the sum of the first six integers. once the number 21 and 183 are chosen the number 78 becomes the only choice for dhisnya. this number 78 is the sum of the first 12 integers.
so you see it is all scientific:
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