Explanation of Fire

1. Blessed is the Fire God who occupies and fills the entire universe. He is the father of Janaki (Sita), and the father-in-law of Lord Rama58.
2. God receives all that is offered to him through his mouth which is fire. Fire is the giver of the fruits of spiritual practices to the sages, and the remover of ignorance, cold, and disease from the people of the world.
3. Although there are different castes and species of living beings, fire is very pure and is the same for all, including Brahma and the other gods.
4. All of creation functions because of fire. It keeps people satisfied (with warmth, and for cooking, bathing, etc.), and all creatures large and small are alive because of fire.
5. Because of fire, the liquid earth became solid and provided a place for people to live. Because of fire there are large lamps, small lamps, and torches scattered around the earth.
6. Because of fire, people feel hunger in the stomach, and meals become flavorful.
7. Fire occupies the entire body, and everyone survives because of its heat. Without warmth, all people would die.
8. When the heat of fire becomes diminished in the body, living beings die. This is the experience of all living beings.
9. Having the strength of fire, enemies can be defeated immediately. As long as there is fire in the body, there is life.
10. Because of fire, many medicinal preparations have been concocted, and even people stricken with leprosy have been cured in a short period of time.
11. The sun is a special manifestation of fire, but when the sun sets, fire provides light. Everywhere people accept the help of fire in the night.
12. Fire brought out from the house of even the lowliest person cannot be said to be tainted or impure. Fire retains its purity in all houses.
13. There are special places where fire is always kept lit, and many things are offered to fire. Fire becomes pleased by the things that are offered to it.
14. All beings such as gods, demons and humans move because of fire. Fire is very useful to all people.
15. Marriages and celebrations are made into grand spectacles with many types of fireworks. Many great processions that are seen on the earth are made to look more spectacular with fireworks.
16. Many sick people become healthy with warming medicines because of the heat from fire.
17. For a brahmin priest, the Sun God is everything to his mind, his body, and his life. There need not be any doubt about this.
18. Fire has many forms. Among people there is fire in the belly, and in the oceans there is fire spewing out of mountains under water. Away from the earth there is fire in the atmosphere, there is fire in the third eye of Shiva, and there is fire in the form of lightening.
19. Fire can be produced with a magnifying glass, and mirrors are used to reflect the light of fire. Fire can even be produced by the friction of rubbing two pieces of wood together.
20. Fire exists in all places. It appears with friction, and it is said that forests are incinerated with the fire from a dragon’s breath.
21. Fire can be useful and destructive in many ways. However, if it is used without discretion, its benefits are wasted.
22. Everything on earth whether large or small is in some way supported by fire. God becomes satisfied with the offerings made to him by way of fire.
23. Such is the greatness of fire. Any simile used to speak of its greatness falls short. The greatness of fire is expansive beyond limit.
24. Fire makes all living beings happy, and after death, it turns the body into ashes. It consumes everything. That is its greatness. What more can be said about it?
25. At the time of the dissolution of the universe, everything gets destroyed by the great Universal Fire. Fire does not leave any object remaining.
26. People make offerings to fire in their homes, and lamps are kept burning in the temples of God and at many places of pilgrimage.
27. Many large and small lamps are used by the people to perform the waving of light (arati) before images of God, and in some cases fire is also used to test the purity of various things.
28. All the three worlds and the eightfold creation is occupied by fire. Its greatness is limitless and cannot be adequately described with words.
29. Fire is symbolically personified in the scriptures as having four horns, three legs, two heads and seven hands. The meaning of this symbolism is explained in the scriptures, but fire is not actually experienced as being a person.
30. Such is fire, which has become manifest as heat. I have described it according to my capacity. The listeners are asked to please excuse any shortcomings that might be found in what has been said.