Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India

encyclopedia

PERCEPTIONS

YAGNA

(SACRIFICE)

The holy

Vedas

are immortal and eter-

nal. They are the most ancient spiritual

texts of Hinduism and claim to have no be-

ginning or end. The devotional hymns and

mantras to be chanted during a

yagna

are

contained in the

Vedas.

The

Yagna

begins with a ceremonial

lighting of the sacred fire amidst the chant-

ing of the

Vedas.

Everything is prepared in

accordance with the instructions contained

in the

Vedas.

The

kusha

grass seats for the

participants, the ingredients for the

yagna

eg. ghee, twigs....

By pouring three tins of sanctified ghee

into the

yagna

fire, mankind gets in return

the equivalent of three hundred tins of ghee.

Its purifying effect is spread by the wind to

the four corners of the world.

It is specifically mentioned in the

Vedas

that when the Vedic chants fill the air, rays

of Divine Grace shower upon all mankind.

Thus the

yagna

promotes the welfare and

prosperity of the world.

The

Devi Bhagavatha

also contains

many potent mantras and mystic formulas.

The 18,000 verses of this sacred text are

recited during the

yagna.

Yagnas

are performed for diverse rea-

sons. The chanting of select mantras have

been specially formulated by the

rishis

awaken our latent spirituality.

However there is no need to have holy

priests or costly material for the

yagna

elaborate ceremonies.

There are other simple

yagnas

which

any one of us can perform and derive happi-

ness and mental peace.

Deva Yagna

Dev a

means Divine. Think-

ing of God ... contemplating upon His multi-

farious activities....offering all actions to

Him is called

Deva Yagna.

Pitru Yagna

: This is a sacrifice offered to

one's ancestors beginning with one's mother

and father. It is an expression of gratitude

since they have brought us into this world.

Performing various sacrifices and ceremo-

nies for one's deceased ancestors is also a

form of

Pitru Yagna.

Brahma Yagna

: This

yagna

portrays an

acquisition of the ageless wisdom which is

enshrined in our sacred scriptures.

Atithi Yagna :

This

yagna

is performed by

providing hospitality to guests, to serve the

sick and poor... provide food to the hungry

and in being charitable.

damp wood is placed and only smoke issues

forth.

The perennial wisdom of the

Bhagavad

Gita

details the importance of

yagnas.

The

mellifluous poetry of Lord Krishna's Divine

song stands testimony to its ageless wis-

dom in today's world of imperfection

The five

yagnas

have been explained by

Lord Krishna in Chapter Four (

Shloka 25

and 26). Lord Krishna elaborates on the

word

Yagna

by considering all actions that

are performed without attachment and do

not stem from ego-centric desires.

Through Arjuna Lord Krishna teaches us

to perform all actions in a spirit of dedicated

activity. Such actions/

Yagnas

do not taint

his consciousness. These actions could be

performed for any personal/community/na-

tional cause which the individual is willing to

perform. In this context the word

Yagna

has

a more universal application.

The four essential constituents of a

Yagna

are explained by Lord Krishna in an

oft-quoted

shloka

of the

Bhagavad Gita

(Chapter 4

Shloka

24) :

"BRAHMAN is the oblation; BRAH-

MAN is the clarified butter, etc., constitut-

ing the offerings; by BRAHMAN is the ob-

lation poured into the fire of BRAHMAN;

BRAHMAN verily shall be reached by him

who always sees BRAHMAN in all ac-

tions."

The man who has realised

Brahman

per-

ceives the instruments by which the obla-

tion is poured in the fire as

Brahman.

All

Yagnas

arise from

Brahman

i.e. the sacrifi-

cial fire is also perceived as

Brahman.

The

Yagna

is being conducted by

Brahman

i.e.

the performer of the

Yagna.

All

Yagnas

lead to the one and same goal:

Brahman.

Many sacrificial rites or

Yagnas

are of-

ten specifically performed by people who

are longing for a certain preconceived result.

Such

yagnas/

actions bind a person since

they stem from egoism.

However if a yagna/action is performed,

by one who has realised

Brahman,

then he is

free from the binding effects of such an

action.

Therefore it is obvious that right appli-

cation of knowledge makes every action a

glorious

yagna.

The result of this form of

Yagna

is a greater amount of self-control

(over the senses) and a consequent inner

integration which leads to the inner flower-

ing of the individual personality.

( H M S )

"The heart of man is itself the sacrifi-

cial fire altar. The pangs of desires are

the tongues of flame; the evil that is in

man is the offering that goes into the

fire and the treasure of unruffled

ananda is the ultimate gain. This is the

real Yagna you have to perform every-

day in your life. All these ceremonies

are but a symbolic reminder and an in-

ner prompting for you to act according

to the dictates of Dharma, in everyday

life. The Vedapurusha receiving these

outer offerings is in you. Dedicate all

your thoughts, words and deeds to

Him. That is the real Yagna. Offer all

bitterness in the sacred Fire and

emerge grand, great and godly”

Baba

Bhootha Yagna :

Bhootha Yagna

con-

sists of rendering service to all living beings.

This includes kindness to animals... feeding

them...protecting them in their natural habi-

tat.

In today's world, most of us do not have

the time, the knowledge of hymns and

man-

tras

and the necessary inclination to perform

these

yagnas.

However the efficacy of the purifying

effect and spiritual potency of the

yagnas

NOT LOST due to our non-observance of it.

These ceremonies and religious rites can be

viewed in another perspective....that of

being entirely symbolic in nature.

The offerings to be made in the fire of

Brahman is the EGO ...(desire for) wealth,

materialistic fame and power...Once any-

thing is dropped into the fire it cannot be

taken back because it is reduced to ashes.

Our egoism..our desires..our hatred..our

attachments..must be burnt out..turned to

ashes..then only can it be called a

Yagna

sacrifice.

If we perform the ritualistic sacrificial

rites without having the corresponding

knowledge and spiritual wisdom, we can

compare this form of

yagna

to one in which