Ego has to be conquered to invoke this internal fire, the will of universal welfare. Ego and universal welfare are contradictory. One has to compromise one for the other.
विशोविंश ईडमध्वरेष्वह॑प्तक्रतुमरतिं यु॑वत्योः। दिवः शिशुं सहंसः सुनुमग्निं य॒ज्ञस्य॑ केतुर्मरुषं यज॑ध्यै
Agni is praiseworthy to all people. He is the will of ego-less, non-attached. He ॥ belongs to earth and sky. He is the child of space, son of power of tolerance, consciousness in Yajna, shining to be worshiped (6.49.2.)
Agni is described as the will of ego-less. To win the ego, one should give up strong attachment to egoistic desires. Therefore, Agni is described as Arati (detached), स॒प्त होता॑र॒स्तमिदर्दीळते त्वान्ने सुत्यजमह॑यम्। Seven invokers praise you the broad-minded being god of good renouncing (8.60.16.).
मिथो यत्त्या॒गमुभया॑सो अग्मन्।
Both of them did great sacrifice together (4.24.3.).
Extraordinary tolerance is required to overcome egoistic clutches. This tolerance itself is a power.
So, Agni is called the son of power of tolerance. To transcend the ego, a simple method of psychological offering of the fruit of action to the Divine is told in the Veda.
यङ्ग दाशुषे त्वमग्न्ने भद्रं करिष्यसि । तवेत्तत्स॒त्यम॑ङ्गिरः ॥
O stirring fire! The welfare with which you bless the offerer also is for you (1.1.6.).
Agni is worshipped always.
उप॑ त्वाग्ने दि॒वेदि॑वे॒ दोष॑वस्तर्धया व॒यम्। नमो भर॑न्त॒ एम॑सि ॥
We approach you everyday day and night with meditation, carrying salutation to you (1.1.7.).
A spiritual practitioner is expected to adore this Agni always in all means, while walking, talking, and even while sleeping and eating. How? A spiritual aspirant, for his purification, thinks he should eat, so that he can get to work for universal welfare. He should have adequate sleep so that in the next morning, he can be fresh to serve the beings. He talks for the welfare of fellowmen. All this is Yajna.
[Acknowledgement: This article is an excerpt from Dr. R. Rangan’s The Veda: My Passion.]
