Bhavesh Merja: It is believed that Havan is done mainly for purification of environment. Can you quote any Veda mantra in which it is very clearly mentioned that for this purpose of environment protection & purification havan should be performed?
Swami Ram Swarup: Yes, there are several mantras of Yajurveda, Samveda, Rigveda and Atharvaveda which state that havan purifies the atmosphere along with inner self. So havan is not mainly meant for purification. You see, what physical purification will do if our mind and intellect are full of illusion. Mainly, a person needs peace and happiness which havan/Yajyen, name jaap of God and practice of yoga philosophy provides. Yes, Yajurveda mantra 1/2,3 states that environment (atmosphere, land, and water etc.,) gets purified by performing of havan.

Benefits of Yajyen

Yajurveda gives knowledge to do pious deeds. The first mantra of Yajurveda (1/1) says that human beings must perform Yajyen in which offerings are put in burning fire with Ved mantras. Then mantra says it will prevent the infectious disease and will give constant pleasure. Samveda mantra 534 says that the matters like ghee and samagri when poured in fire while performing Yajyen, then these matters go in sky and cause rain and make the atmosphere pure.

Samveda mantra 536 says that in YAJYEN, the matters (aahuti/offerings) go up to sun and give strength to sun to cause rain. Samveda mantra 537 tells the offerings in a Yajyen must touch the ray of light of sun. Samveda mantra 539 says that the offerings in a Yajyen, go to the sky to create rain so that the animal, birds etc., are increased in number. Samveda mantra 1379 says that Yajyen must be performed while chanting Ved mantras and mantra 1380 says that age is increased by Yajyen.

Samveda mantra 1363 says that one who loves Yajyen, he only concentrates/meditates. Samveda mantra 1270 says that the offerings in Yajyen go in the sky through ray of light of sun. Yajurveda mantra 1/2 says that Yajyen purifies the earth. It reaches to ray of light of sun and goes to sky and sun through air. Yajyen purifies the air and holds the universe spreading pleasure all over. When Yajyen is performed then air touches the burning fire and scientifically is purified just as water is boiled on fire and becomes purified. Then the pure air goes up (on being heated) and the impure air starts touching the fire and after becoming purified goes to sky and this procedure is continued till the end of Yajyen.

Yajyen is basically performed by using a stick of mango tree. A scientist named Trelle of France did experiments on Yajyen. He found that Yajyen is mainly performed by using mango tree. When the wood is burnt then a gas, “formic aldehyde” comes out which destroys the harmful bacteria and makes the atmosphere pure. Then only, the scientists made “formalin” from “formic aldehyde” gas. He also did experiment on jaggery Gur (in Hindi raw sugar) and found that on burning the jaggery, jaggery also generates “formic aldehyde” gas.

A scientist named Tautlik came to know that if we stay in a Yajyen and its smoke for half an hour then the germs of typhoid are destroyed and all these matters are used in Yajyen.

Yajurveda says that four types of things mainly used to prepare offerings for a Yajyen:
1. Sweet Like honey, jaggery, raw sugar etc.,
2. Antibiotic herbs like gyol, etc.,
3. Nutrition like pure ghee, dry fruits etc.,
4. Fragrant materials like elaichi (cardamom) dried petals flowers etc.

When all these are offered then it happens that just as a household lady in her kitchen fries chilli in ghee then you know the effect of the chilli through air even goes to a far distance like drawing room and other rooms too. So is the case of Yajyen and similarly the offerings of all the things goes to the sky and to sun making contact with air and ray of light of sun.

Chilli leaves its bad effect to the nose whereas the above said things used in Yajyen leave the best affect in atmosphere according to the qualities of each thing. That is why Samveda mantra 3 says that burning fire is like messenger/ambassador which does work to carry the effect of all above things to the sky i.e., spreads them in atmosphere. Everybody knows that things/matters are never destroyed but change their shape only. There is also a misunderstanding that in a Yajyen/havan, carbon dioxide gas is generated. Carbon dioxide is available in whole of universe. Its huge quantity is harmful but when carbon dioxide comes out from havan, duly mixed with ghee and other things it becomes beneficial to all human beings. Secondly, burning of mango twigs does not liberate much of carbon-dioxide. Scientists also say that carbon dioxide is taken by human beings in soda lemonade which becomes digestible. Therefore the holy Yajyen in addition is a scientific
action which is beneficial to the whole universe.

Dr. Kundanlal (M.D.) was an allopathic doctor, he took twelve test tubes made of glass, duly purified scientifically, six sets of two test tubes each made and each set was filled with milk and food i.e., six were filled with milk and six were filled with food. In six test tubes, there was air of
Yajyen/havan. In other six test tubes there was only ordinary air of garden filled. Now Dr. Kundanlal started regular watch on each set of test tubes. He found the result that the food which was filled by ordinary air of garden started decaying and giving bad smell quickly whereas the food with air of Yajyen/havan started decaying slowly. This experiment was based while performing a single havan but a spiritual havan containing all things (minimum 21 herbs) will give the best result.

Therefore there are unlimited benefits of Yajyen which cannot be explained in full, being very lengthy. I have forgotten about an article I read in a leading newspaper of India about ten years back, in which it was mentioned that in a country, a jungle up to the area of 30 miles started getting dried up due to a disease in herbs and trees. The Govt. tried level best to nurse the jungles but all in vain. The country came to know from somewhere about Yajyen and not Yajyen but a simple havan without Ved mantras was started there and slowly, the whole jungle was recovered and became green, duly free from disease. Yajyen in the night will contain only spiritual effect but the physical effect for causing rain and purification of atmosphere will be decreased as all the things used in Yajyen/havan will be unable to go to sky and even to sun in the absence of ray of light of sun as mentioned in above mantras.

Aneel: Was the color of Lord Krishna really blue?
Swami Ram Swarup: In this matter, nothing can be told because as far as my personal views are concerned, nobody has seen Yogeshwar Sri Krishna Maharaj with eyes because Sri Krishna Maharaj left his body about 5,300 years ago. Thereafter, the body description of Yogeshwar Sri Krishna Maharaj has been written by some saints and poets. True spiritual granth is Mahabharat written by Vyas Muniji wherein Yogeshwar Sri Krishna Maharaj body’s colour as dark blue has not been mentioned. Here, I want to write that only ten thousand shlokas of Mahabharata epic are true. Nowadays, about one lakh, twenty thousand shlokas comprise Mahabharata. It means about one lakh ten thousand shlokas are false and self- added.

Pankaj: Sir, Charan Sparsh, I am 42 Years today, need your blessing for our entire family members from you and also looking for special guidance / message from your end. Regards.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. My heartiest blessing to you and each of your family members for a long, happy life and to get success at every step of your life.

Knowledge is gained when it is given by any learned person. Everyone desires for happiness which is not possible until a person worships God according to Vedas and makes contact with learned acharya of Vedas to gain the knowledge of Vedas and to follow the same. One should overcome the sorrows and death by doing worship/bhakti according to Vedas. Luck is nothing but future is made bright by present pious deeds. In the family, everyone must use sweet speech while discoursing with each others. There must be done havan daily in the family. Always do pious deeds.

Shubh Karma

Hard working, devotion, dedication, honesty, services to the parents and elders to follow eternal religion mentioned in Vedas, practice of Ashtang Yoga, discharging moral duties to get progress in education, science simultaneously with spiritualism like, daily havan, to be in contact with the learned Acharya, to get his advice, are some of the pious deeds which make the future bright and obliterate the sorrows, problems, diseases, etc.

One must wake up early in the morning for early morning walk and exercises, must sit on meditation and chant holy name of God, must be away from any addiction and non-vegetarian. Such pious actions lead to long, happy life and bright future.