Home > Society > Religion in India > Yajna - Hindu Ritual
Yajna - Hindu Ritual
Performing a Yajna is expected to ensure fulfilment of specific desires and the overall welfare of an individual.

Share this Article:

YajnaYajna is a ritual of sacrifice, practised during the Vedic age by the Hindus, to appease the Gods or the Supreme Spirit Brahmin. Yajna is the outer form of worship in which offerings are made to different deities in a systematic manner, to help the worshipper achieve certain results in life.

Concept of Yajna
The concept lays emphasis on the pouring oblations into the sacrificial fire, while reciting the mantras, so that it directly reaches the Gods. The chanting of mantras is expected to ensure fulfilment of specific desires, the overall welfare of an individual, a group of people or the entire society. Yajna is used on most important occasions, ranging from weddings to the opening of new businesses to graduations to prayers for someone"s health. Some Yajnas are also performed on large scale for the general welfare of the entire community, to increase fertility of soil, to invite rains, to welcome peace and wealth, etc.

Performing of Yajna
Depending upon the degree of complexity, these yajnas may last from a few hours to several days. The number of priests participating and conducting the ceremony would depend upon the nature and objective for which it is performed. The outer aspect of Yajna consists of building an altar, generally with bricks, kindling fire using specific types of grass and wood. A Yajna is typically performed by a Hotar, along with many additional priests chanting Vedic verses. Often there will be a fire in the centre of the Yajna and items are offered into the fire. The offering, which is placed into the fire, consists of several elements, including jav, sesame seeds, rice, ghee, incense and sandalwood. Each element has a different significance. The Yajna, where milk products like ghee or yogurt, fruits, flowers, cloth and money are offered, is also termed "Homa" or "Havan".

Pancha Maha Yajnas
The Hindu tradition has the Pancha Maha Yajnas (Five Great Yajnas) namely:

1. Deva Yajna -consists of offering ahutis to Devas.
2. Pitru Yajna - consists of offering libations to ancestors or pitrus.
3. Bhuta Yajna - consists of offering bali or foodstuffs to all creatures.
4. Manushya Yajna - consists of feeding guests.
5. Brahma Yajna - consists of chanting Vedas, namely Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda.

Types of Yajna
There are also the three kinds of Srauta Yajnas, which explicitly describe around 400 yajnas in the Vedas. In the category of ` Nitya Karma` there are 21 sacrifices. There is no compulsion with regard to the rest of the 400 Yajnas. But the 21, included in the 40 Samskaras, are required to be performed at least once in a lifetime of a Dvija. These are divided into groups - Paka Yajnas, Havir Yajnas and Soma Yajnas.

Yajna in Modern Days
It is a fact that the incidence of performing the yajnas and other forms of sacrifices is slowly deteriorating in modern Hindu Society. Hence, today many educated Hindus are not very serious about performing the yajnas and for most of them they are just a part of the tradition, without any significance. The influence of western education, the complexity involved in performing the Yajnas and the decreasing number of priests is the main reasons for it.

However, some devout Hindus still believe in their efficacy and organize Yajnas for various purposes, sometimes in public for a social cause or sometimes in private for a personal gain. Thus, there are yajnas for acquisition of a spouse, childbirth, wealth, removal of obstacles, family happiness and so on.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Religion in India


Religion in Indus Valley Civilization
Religion in Indus Valley Civilisation included Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Details about the religion in Indus Valley Civilization have been gathered from archaeological artefacts.
Shaivism Religion
Shaivism is the second largest “religious community” in modern India with its roots deeply seated in the Hindu Vedic belief.
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is among the more popular denominations of Hinduism, with its own distinctive ideas about spirituality and morality. Vaishnavism concentrates on worshipping god Vishnu and of his incarnations.
Hinduism Religion
Hinduism is more of a philosophy which is a way of living according to the understanding of the principles of Vedas and Upanishads.
Islam
Islam is a religion that beliefs in Allah as the one and only God and creator of the Universe. Islamic law or Sharia is characterised by the five pillars of Islam which comprise the essential duties of every Muslim.
Christianity
Christianity is a religion based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ and it is the largest religion in the world.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and a philosophy that encompasses a wide variety of beliefs, practices and traditions that are chiefly based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha and its later disciples.
Jainism
Jainism chronologically preceded the religion of Buddhism. It is considered as one of the oldest religions of India. Jainism in India shared with Hinduism and Buddhism. It is an integral part of South Asian religious belief and practice, but it is not a Hindu sect and not a Buddhist heresy, as earlier scholars believed.
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism, closely related to Judaism, Christianity and Islam was founded by Zoroaster.
Sikhism
Sikhism is a religion started by Guru Nanak in land of Punjab in 15th century A.D.
Iyer Brahmin
Iyer Brahmins are originally from Tamil Nadu of South India. The Iyers have always taken an interest in preserving the arts and sciences.
Barai Caste
Barai Caste is the professional cultivator caste of betel leaf. Tamboli and Pansari are the terms used indifferently for Barai Caste. The diversity of names of the sub-divisions of Barai Caste discloses the mixed elements that formed the caste.
Dangi Caste
Dangi Caste is largely distributed in the high land regions, and the word Dangi is said to have originated from the geographical features of their territory. Main occupation of the members of Dangi Caste is cultivation.
Nadar Caste
One of the most renowned castes of Tamil Nadu is the Nadar caste. The Nadar community is a mixture of sub-castes and classes of different origins, which came under one banner of Nadar caste gradually.
Kumbhakar Caste
Kumbhakar is the potter caste who manufactures all kinds of earthen vessels.
Gujjars in Maharashtra
Gujjars in Maharashtra have several sub-castes. Here, in this state the Gurjars are listed as a separate caste. They are included in the Maharashtra OBC list.
Awasthi Brahmin
Awasthi is a surname or a family name of a particular sub-caste of Brahmins in the Indian continent.
Bhoyar Caste
Bhoyar Caste is largely found in the Central Provinces of the country. Traditional occupation of Bhoyars is agriculture. They are good cultivators and mostly grow sugarcane.
Gujjars in Mughal Era
Gujjars in the Mughal era enjoyed great power. Further their power increased with the decline of Aurangzeb, Mughal emperor.
Origin of Vaishnavism
Origin of Vaishnavism shares its attributes to many sources and religious evolution, dating back to pre-Vedic epoch.