Yogi Ashwini

All aspects of this manifested creation are different permutations and combinations of five basic elements or tattwas — prithvi (earth), jal (water), agni (fire), vayu (air) and akash (ether). A human being, by virtue of being part of this physical creation is thus also constituted of these five elements.
Of all the elements, agni is the most distinct. While it is possible to pollute all the other elements, agni cannot be polluted. It is, in fact, a medium of purification and transformation. Our ancestors, the vedic masters (rishis), were well aware of this property of agni and hence the vedic science of havan (and almost every vedic practice) finds its root in this unique characteristic of agni. A havan, therefore, is not merely a ritual. For a yogi, it is a medium of interacting with the divine energies that run the entire creation. For others, a havan leads to purification of the constituent elements thereby affecting transformation.
Does that mean the elements constituting a human being are impure? Just like earth, water, air and ether are polluted in the world around us, these elements are subject to pollution within the human body as well and this pollution, like the former, results in devolution or a movement towards vikriti. It is quite easy to trace the pollution of various constituent elements in a being.
The pollution of prithvi tattwa is characterised by an ever-growing desire for material comforts — a better living, a more lavish lifestyle, higher status in society and the like. Such an individual only thinks of hoarding more and more for himself/herself. But whenever you hoard, you are only depriving someone else of his/her share thereby incurring a karmic debt. It is well-known that the purest of water rots when it is held stagnant for a long time. When the jal tattwa gets contaminated, a being demonstrates abnormal sexual desires. Increasing popularity of sex-shops in the West and the gradual import of the concept here, use of sex toys — all these are indicative of a polluted water element. The vedic philosophy does not prescribe for the suppression of innate desires, but resorting to such measures merely indicates an adulteration in the natural order of things.
The agni tattwa cannot be polluted; it however gets suppressed with the onset of ageing in the human body. This manifests as reduced vision, weakening of digestive system and depletion of bodily strength and vigour in general. With the practice of Yoga and Sanatan Kriya, a practitioner is able to maintain the optimum level of fire element thereby retarding the effects of ageing. The vayu tattwa accounts for the proper functioning of the heart and lungs and, in turn, the circulatory and respiratory systems. A polluted vayu tattwa is thus responsible for cardiac disorders and degenerative diseases like the parkinson’s and alzheimer’s. Finally the pollution of the akash tattwa is associated with the diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands as well as weakening of the auditory abilities.
While a single havan has the capacity to resolve all these contaminations in the human self, for it to be effective certain things need to be kept in mind. The samagri, samedha (wood, either sandal or mango) and dhrit (cow ghee of the highest quality) used should be unadulterated. The thought (bhaav) of those participating in the havan should be pure. Lastly, the pronunciation (uchharan) of the mantras must be flawless with sensitivity to the crests and troughs. All these when combined with the surrender to the guru, ensure that the offerings hence made to the agni are sent in their purest form to the right dimensions thereby affecting the desired transformation.
The vedic masters studied the being and all related as­p­e­c­ts in great depth. Thus, the science given by them is a perfect science. All one needs to do to reap its benefits is to pr­actice it the proper way, under the guidance of your guru.

— Yogi Ashwini is an authority on yoga, tantra and the Vedic sciences. He is the guiding light of Dhyan Foundation. He has recently written a book, Sanatan Kriya: 51 Miracles... And a Haunting.
Contact him at dhyan@dhyanfoundation.com