Yajnam

Yajna

         In Hinduism, yajna (Sanskrit यज्ञ wikt:yajna; also Anglicized as Yajna, Yadna) is a ritualsacrifice (Monier-Williams gives the meanings "worship, prayer, praise; offering, oblation, sacrifice") derived from the practice of Vedic times. It is performed to please the gods or to attain certain wishes. An essential element is the sacrificial fire - the divine Agni - into which oblations are poured, as everything that is offered into the fire is believed to reach the gods. As the name of the service, the term yajna is linguistically (but not functionally) cognate with Zoroastrian (Ahura) Yasna. Unlike Vedic Yajna, Zoroastrian Yasna has "to do with water rather than fire" (Drower, 1944:78; Boyce, 1975:147-191) of

       A Vedic (Śrauta) yajna is typically performed by an adhvaryu priest, with a number of additional priests such as the hotar, udgatar playing a major role, next to their dozen helpers, by reciting or singing Vedic verses. Usually, there will be one or three fires in the centre of the offering ground and items are offered into the fire. Among the items offered as oblations in the yajna include large quantities of ghee, milk, grains, cakes or soma. The duration of a yajna depends on the type; some can last a few minutes, hours or days and some even last for years, with priests continuously offering to the gods accompanied with sacred verses. Some yajnas are performed privately, others with a large number of people in attendance.

       Post-Vedic yajnas, where milk products, fruits, flowers, cloth and money are offered, are called homa or havanam.

       A typical Hindu marriage is a hajna, because Agni is supposed to be the witness of all marriages. Brahmins and certain other castes receive a yajnopavita "sacred cord" at their Upanayana. The yajnopavita symbolizes the right of the individual to study the Vedas and to carry out yajnas or homas.

Temple worship is called agamic, while communication to divinity through Agni, is considered Vedic. Today's temple rites are a combination of both Vedic and agamic rituals. The sacrificial division of Hindu scripture is the Karma-Kanda portion of the Vedas which describe or discuss most sacrifices. The Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala are among the most famous Śrauta Brahmins who maintain these ancient rituals.

       Today, only a few hundred individuals know how to perform these sacrifices and even fewer are able to maintain the sacred fires continuously and perform the Śrauta rituals.^[1] Only a few thousand perform the Agnihotra or basic Aupasana fire sacrifice daily .

Contents

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• 1 Yajnas in the Vedas
• 2 Aupasana
• 3 The various sacred Agnis
• 4 Pancha Mahayajnas
• 5 Other yajnas
  • 5.1 Agnistoma
  • 5.2 Jyotistoma
    • 5.2.1 Pitrloka yajna
    • 5.2.2 Panchagni yajna
  • 5.3 Dravyamayar yajna
• 6 Candrayana and Caturmasya