Yajnas in the Vedas

Yajnas in the Vedas 

       There are 400 yajnas described in the Vedas. Of these, 21 are deemed compulsory for the Twice-Born (Dvijas: Brahmin, Ksatriya and Vaisya). They are also called nityakarmas. The rest of the yajnas are optional, which are performed kamyakarma (for particular wishes and benefits). The Aupasana is not part of the above list, but is also compulsory .

       Out of the 21 nityakarmas, only the Agnihotra and the Aupasana are to be performed twice daily, at dawn and dusk. The remaining ones have certain allotted frequencies over the course of the year. The more complicated the yajna, the less frequently it is performed. The most complex ones need to be performed only once in a lifetime. The first seven yajnas are called pākayajnas "cooked sacrifice", the second seven haviryajnas "oblation, burnt offering", and the third seven are called somayajnas "Soma sacrifice".

• Seven are pakayajnas (aṣtaka, sthālipāka, parvana, srāvaṇi, āgrahayani, caitri and āsvīyuji). They involve consecrating cooked items.

• Seven are Soma Yajñas (agnistoma, atyagnistoma, uktya, shodasi, vājapeya, atirātra and aptoryama). The yāgā that involves the extraction, utility and consumption of Soma (in the general sense nectar, but extract of a particular tree specifically) is called a Soma Yajña. Others are usually referred to as haviryañnas.

• Seven are Havir Yajñas (agniyādhāna, agni hotra, Darśa-Pūrṇamāsa, āgrayana, cāturmāsya, niruudha paśu bandha, sautrāmaṇi). They involve offering havis.

• Five are the panca mahā Yajñās.

• Four are Vedavratas, which are done during Vedic education.

• Remaining sixteen are one-time samskāras that are done at different stages in life. They are garbhādhānā, pumsavana, sīmanta, jātakarma,nāmakaraṇa, annaprāśana,chudākarma/caula,niskramana,karnavedha,vidyaarambha, upanayana,keshanta, snātaka and vivāha,nisheka,antyeshti. These are specified by the gṛhya sūtrās.Some gṛhya sūtrās like Vaikhanasa prescribe 2 more samskaras like Vishnu bali and Pravasagamana/Pindavardhana.

       yajnas such as Putrakameshti (for begetting sons), Ashvamedha (to rule), Rajasuya (royal consecration) etc. are among the 400 which are not compulsory.