What is significance of Agni karyam?

Question

• What is Agni karyam(worshiping fire)?
• Are there any classifications among?
• Whats the eligibility to do Agni karyam?
• How one gets benefited by such act?
• What is Nityagnihotra?
• Are there any mandatory Agni karyas to do in one's own life time? If so, what are they and when they will be performed?

Answer 1

Types of Agnikaryam

• pratah (morning) Agni karyam
  
• sayam (evening) Agni karyam

Rules

1. Only Brahmacharis (who wear janoi) can perform it
2. Different in the verses as per veda
3. You must provide homa/ahuti means sacrifice (Agni is minister of sacrifice)

Importance of Agni in Rigveda

1. Agni means fire, Agnidev is twin brother of Indra who has 2 faces. Agnidev is considered as a mouth of every deity in Rigveda.

2. Agni's another name is Pavaka, means whatever enters in fire becomes pure(ashes), that's why we hindus burn Parthiv body of dead person in fire.

3. In rigveda, agni is considered as a messenger of gods between Mrityu loka and Swarga (link between heaven and earth), that's why in yajna fire is kept first.

4. When we pray we keep fire in the form of "Diva"lamp/candle.

5. Agni is considered as trupta in rigveda means the fire eats maya.

6. Pray Agni the receiver, holder and distributor (Purohit) of energy, which leads to victory of devta and wealth to the performer of yagya.

7. Agni is considered as the invoker of wealth, that is why kings in hinduism performed yajna.

Nityagnihotra

The person is said to be Nityagnihotra if he worships fire regularly without any break. The person must have to do "Havan" regularly. The fire should be kept in his home in any form, lamp or "Havan Kunda"(the stage for havan fire in yajna) continously. Mostly in Gujarat state in India, we have "Akhand Divo" means continuous lamp with big lamp with oil. Being Nityagnihotra gives many privileges. Nityagnihotra is selected first from his area as a "Yajaman", many sages come to his home to take "Bhiksham", my favorite GOD Lord Rama was Nityagnihotra.

Is it mandatory?

Worship is never mandatory. It is choice for a person in routine. Hinduism or any religion can suggest / advice, if it orders than I personally do not take it as religion. Yes, worshiping may/may not be helpful, but it can not be like red signal.

At some occasions in (Hindu)one's life fire/fire worship is mandatory.

1. Aarti (Parayer to deity as a lamps)
2. Marriage (Hindu wedding)
3. At Tulasi pot
4. at kitchen as a pitru tarpan lamp
5. After death to burn a dead body
6. Yajna
7. At the festival of Holi to burn holika

Without fire/fire worship, above tasks can not be completed as Hindu rituals.