image credit: Kanchi Kamakshi Twitter
In the thirty-second verse of his CidvilÄsastava (‘Hymn to the Play of Consciousness’), AmáštÄnanda teaches about the deeper aspects of the fire ritual (homa) as follows:
ā¤Ēā¤žā¤ļā¤ā¤žā¤˛ā¤ā¤Žā¤ŋā¤Ļā¤ ā¤Ēā¤°ā¤ ā¤Ēā¤ļāĨā¤°āĨā¤¨ā¤žā¤ļā¤ā¤žā¤°ā¤Ŗā¤Žā¤¤āĨ ā¤Žā¤¤ā¤ ā¤šā¤ĩā¤ŋā¤ āĨ¤
ā¤¤ā¤¤āĨā¤¤āĨā¤ĩā¤¤āĨ ā¤¨ā¤ŋā¤ā¤āĨā¤°āĨā¤°āĨā¤¨ā¤ŋā¤°āĨā¤āĨā¤ˇā¤Ŗā¤žā¤¤āĨā¤ĒāĨā¤°ā¤žā¤ĒāĨā¤¯ā¤¤āĨ ā¤¤ā¤Ļā¤Žā¤˛ā¤ ā¤Ēā¤ĩā¤ŋā¤¤āĨā¤°ā¤ŽāĨ āĨĨ āĨŠāĨ¨ āĨĨ
pÄÅajÄlakam idaáš paraáš paÅor nÄÅakÄraášam ato mataáš haviá¸Ĩ |
tattvato nijaguror nirÄĢkášŖaášÄt prÄpyate tad amalaáš pavitram || 32 ||
“A bound individual is ensnared by an array of limitations. For this reason, the oblation to the fire (haviá¸Ĩ) is understood [here] as bringing about their dissolution. That immaculate purifying offering (pavitra) is truly realized by the glance of oneâs own Guru.” (translation by Ben Williams)