Upanishads · Prāṇāgnihotra 2.8
॥
Devanāgarī
शारीरोग्निर्नाम जराप्रणुदा हविरवस्कन्दति । अर्धचन्द्राकृतिर्दक्षिणाग्निर्भूत्वा हृदये तिष्ठति तत्र कोष्ठाग्निरिति
Transliteration (IAST)
śārīrognirnāma jarāpraṇudā haviravaskandati | ardhacandrākṛtirdakṣiṇāgnirbhūtvā hṛdaye tiṣṭhati tatra koṣṭhāgniriti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
शारीर-अग्निः नाम जरा-प्रणुदःśārīra-agniḥ nāma jarā-praṇudaḥthe fire named bodily, driving off old age
हविः अवस्कन्दतिhaviḥ avaskandatireceives the offering
अर्ध-चन्द्र-आकृतिः दक्षिण-अग्निः भूत्वाardha-candra-ākṛtiḥ dakṣiṇa-agniḥ bhūtvāhalf-moon-shaped, having become the southern fire
हृदये तिष्ठतिhṛdaye tiṣṭhatidwells in the heart
Translation
The fire named bodily, driving off old age, receives the offering; half-moon-shaped, having become the southern fire, it dwells in the heart.
Version
8173145c9797 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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The third fire is in the heart, and is called jarā-pranudaḥ, "driving off old age." Note that the one placed in the heart is precisely the dakṣiṇa-agni, the southern fire, the one for the ancestors; and the south as the direction of the dead was discussed when reading the Bhasma-jābāla (2.59). The correspondence turns out curious: the fire of the ancestors is placed in the heart, and it is also called the driver-off of old age.
That is, in one place are joined the memory of the dead and resistance to dying. This joining, on reflection, is not accidental and deserves stating. Memory of the ancestors is what binds a person to what has departed; and it is also what does not let it depart. A heart that remembers the dead is a place where they are not yet among the dead.
The Vaiṣṇava side speaks of the remembrance of ancestors and knows its rites; but it has changed the chief thing, and this change deserves naming. In its practice, the ancestors are offered not a libation, but prasāda — food offered to the Lord; and this is explained by saying that the ancestors need not food, but connection with Him. The Bhāgavatam speaks of this directly in the story of Prahlāda, who asked not for blessings for himself, but for the deliverance of his father, his persecutor (7.9.42 and following).
Let us add what follows from this. Remembrance that gives food ends with the food; remembrance that gives what connects one with Him does not end at all.