Brief description of three fire cavities or Agni-kuṇḍa

In most of the Vedic sacrifice, the three fire cavities viz. Āhavanīya, Gārhapatya and Dakṣināgni are required. A brief description of these fire cavities are presented below.

Among the three cavities (kuṇḍa), the Āhavanīya kuṇḍa is rectangular in shape and is kept in the eastern side. Gods are lustrous and in the eastern direction the luminous Sun shines. Hence, oblation is to be offered to the Gods in the fire-cavity of eastern side. The Gārhapatya kuṇḍa is circular and remains in western side. In this direction the fatigued Sun, as it were, returns to his home to meet with his wife. The oblation is offered to the consorts of the deities in the fire kept in the western direction. The Southern direction is for Yama, the God of death and for manes. Hence, the oblation is offered in the fire lying in the southern direction for manes and for the evil spirits. This fire is otherwise called Anvāharya since the rice for sacrificial fee (or dakṣinā) is boiled in this fire called Dakṣinā. The other name of the Dakṣhināgni is ‘Ānāya’. But there is no fire-cavity in the northern side of the altar. Only in the Soma yāga there lies a ‘sthaṇḍila’ called ‘Āgnīdhrīya dhiṣṇya’ in the northern side.

Gārhapatya Agni is, as though, the representative of the house-holder. If this fire is once ablazed, it should be preserved day and night; otherwise, the Yajamāna incurs sin. The Gārhapatya fire is necessary for heating the sacrificial vessels and also for the preparation of the havis (oblations) and other things to be offered. The other two fires called Āhavanīya and Dakṣhina are not enkindled day and night. At the time of sacrificial rite these two fires are ablazed taking enkindled fuels from the Gārhapatya fire. It may be likely that once the Aryans lived in a cold country and hence, this practice of preserving the ablazed fire might be prevalent. Besides, fire was not easily obtainable; one had to rub the two pieces of Araṇis ticks in order to enkindle fire. First it was in vogue for bare necessity and thereafter, it became a ritualistic practice or conduct. If any of the fires has become pale after the activities of Ādhāna, then in that case, the preserved fires have to be replaced by enkindling new fires. This replacement is called Punarādhāna.