Agni is called Deva Mukha and is the central deity for yaga. Oblations (havis)
are offered in the fire and gni is said to carry those to the Devatas.
Offering and the carrier of offerings are inseparable and the former is stated to
be the consort of the latter (gni). There are two contexts of offering, the para
(pertaining to Devatas) and apara (pertaining to Pitris). The presiding deities of
these two kinds of offerings are Svha and Swatha respectively. These are the
two consorts of gni. The offerings to Devatas and Pitris are made through
these two.
Classification of Agni
Dakia
havany
Grhapatya is the origin of the other two, and all the three are worshiped
regularly. Besides, Aupsana is performed by ghasthas.
Each of these two has eight sub-categories and are positioned in different
places in the premises where sacrifice is performed.
3. vtrosi Praceta, at the place of Maitra Varua (the place where these
Devatas are invoked)
8. undhyrasi Mrjlya, near the utvik called Mrjla (the one who does
mrjana or purification and consecration)
Types of Yajna
Another classification is the scale of the rite. The ones like Agnihotra are done
in the house while the sacrifices like soma yga or vjapeya need to be
undertaken at a much bigger scale involving priests. The rites undertaken at a
household level are called ghya rites. The ones performed at a collective level
are called rauta rites.
Samskras
Samskra is a rite that involves mantra. There are forty samskras or rites
performed in ones lifetime:
Seven are paka Yajas (ataka, sthlipka, parvana, srvai, grahayani, caitri
and svyuji). They involve consecrating cooked items.
Remaining ten are one-time samskras that are done at different stages in life.
The samskAras after vivha are not popular today. As was noted earlier, the
vivAha
samskAra is the 14th samskAra. There are 26 more samskAras which are highly
ritualistic.
Total 26
iii. Deva Yaga - Offering oblations to devatas like Indra, agni, varuNa etc in
hom, to express our gratitude to the natural forces and seek their blessings.
Pancamahyaga are very important for a grihastha. All these are fire-rituals
and are very seldom done these days. Before discussing these twenty one
rituals, it is useful to understand a few details.
During the vivha samskra, a particular fire ritual known as vivha homa is
performed.
That vivha homa agni is supposed to be preserved till a person dies or takes
to sannysa. ll the above mentioned 21 yagas are to be performed in that
agni alone. (t the time of sannysa, the person renounces all karma and gives
up all agnis, and so is called nirgni.)
Since these agni samskras are connected with the well being of the family, it
is called grihya agni. This will vary from family to family; for example, for
Rigvedis, it is prescribed by the Aswalyana grihya sutras; for Yajurvedis, by the
pasthamba griya sutras; for Smavedis, by the gobila grihya sutras etc. These
rituals are not given in Sruti (the Vedas), but prescribed by the Rishis in grihya
sutras from smritis. Since rituals prescribed in the smritis are performed in
this agni, it is also called smrta agni, grihya agni, aupsana agni etc. It is in
this smrta agni, the first set of seven pka yagas are performed.
These involve the offering of cooked grains in the form of gruel, and are done
at different times, and frequencies:
1
Herbs and bark of specific trees used in Yaga
4
Immediately after and along with vivha, the first of the seven pkayagas are
initiated.
Vivha agni is also known as smrta agni. This agni is maintained in a circular
kunda. A portion of this agni is taken to perform vedic rituals srauta karmas
and is called srauta agni. The fourteen yagas, namely the sapta-havir-yagas
and sapta-soma-yagas, which are prescribed in the Vedas, are performed in
the srauta agni, which should be preserved all the time. Elaborate procedures
are given regarding the use of this agni for the performance of the 14 rituals.
The yga sla is also known as a deva sla. Kalpa sutras contain a
description of it, not omitting minute details.
There are altars called ayanas to be built with bricks. (There are no ayanas
for havir
and pka yagnas. ) Several kinds of ladles are used in making offerings in the
fire, darvi,
The srauta agni is like the master of the griha the grihapati - is supposed to
protect from all calamities etc. and so is called the grhapatya agni This is
divided in to three, before the ritual. On the eastern side, a square kuNDa is
established and a portion of the grhapatya agni is transferred. There are
prescriptions regarding the size of the kuNDa, the size of the bricks etc. This
agni is called havaneeya agni. On the southern side of the grhapatya agni
another kuNDa semicircular in shape is established. nother portion of fire
from the grhapatya agni is transferred to this kuND and is called
dkshiNgni:
Srauta Agni
Since the smrta agni is never divided, it is also called ekgni, and, since the
srauta agni is divided in to three, it is also called tretgni. Most of the srauta
rituals are done in the havaneeya agni. No ritual is actually done in the
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grhapatya agni and is only a witness. fter the performance of the ritual, the
havaneeya agni and dkshiNgni are joined back in to grhapatya agni.
When a person dies, his cremation is performed using the srauta agni. The
smrta agni is preserved for the wife. When the husband dies first, he will use
up the srauta agni, and the smarta agni will be used to cremate the wife,
which is supposed to give her svarga loka. If the wife dies first as a sumangali,
part of the srauta agni will be used for her, which is believed to give her
brahma loka. One should remember that these rituals are prescribed according
to the Dharma and in the karma knda manuals viz., Dharma Sindhu, Nirnaya
Sindhu, Vedokta Agni Krityam etc.,
Thses are supposed to be performed in the havaneeya agni. The seven yagas
are:
The above 4 rituals are small rituals, done, mostly, within the house.
In these yagas, soma juice is offered with the chanting of sma veda in high
pitch. ll are very big yagas and are done outside the house, for the benefit
of the entire country. The seven yagas are:
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Darsa is the specific time when the lunar 15th tithi, Amvsya is present at the time of sunrise. Amvsya is
divided into 3 parts Kuh, Sinivli and Darsa. Sinivli is the 1st part when Amvsya begins, also called, Am Gaja
Sparsa, Kuh is the 2nd part and specifically that part which is present during 3rd and 4th prahara of midnight. (12
am 4 am) and the 3rd part is the Darsa.
1. Agnishtoma or jyotishtoma
2. Atyagnishtoma
3. Uktyam
4. Shodasi
5. Vjapeya
6. Atirtra
7. ptoryma
It is generally observed that one does aupsana and agnihotra daily, and the
rest, at least once in a life time.
During vivha, the first smrta yaga, namely, sthli pka, and the first srauta
yaga, agni dhna are initiated. mong the 21 yagas, the seven pka yagas
are done in smrta agni and the remaining 14 are done in srauta agni, till
death or till becoming a sannysi
s already mentioned, the daksingni and the havaniyaagni are made from the
grhapatygni. When srauta rites for the fathers have been performed in the
dakhsingni and other srauta rites in the havaniygni, the two fires no longer
have the exalted name of srautgni and are just like any other ordinary fire
and they have to be extinguished. Only the grhapatya and aupsana fires are
to be kept burning throughout.
Sthali is the pot in which rice is cooked and it must be placed on the
aupasana fire and the rice called caru cooked in it must be offered in the
same fire. The rite that is the basis of many others (the archetype or model) is
called prakrti. Those performed after it, but with some changes, are known as
vikrti. For the sarpabali called sravani and the pkayaga called agrahayani,
sthlipaka is the prakrti. The haviryaga performed on every prathama is
darsa-purna-ishti, darsa meaning the new moon and purna the full moon.
So the ishtis or sacrifices conducted on the day following the new moon and
the full moon (the two prathamas) are together given the name of darsa-purna-
ishti. The two rituals are also referred to merely as ishti. This is the prakrti
for haviryagas.
For soma sacrifices agnistoma is the prakrti, the word stoma also meaning
a sacrifice.
The person who performs the yaga is called the yajamana and those who
perform the sacrifice for him are called rtviks (priests) who consist of the hota
(Rg veda priest), adhvaryu (yajurveda priest) udgta (sma veda priest) and
brahm (atharva veda priest). In pkayagas there are no rtviks; the
householder (as the yajamna) performs the rites with his wife. In haviryagas
there are four rtviks and the yajamna. But the udgtas place is taken by the
agnidhra. The udgta is the one who sings the sman. It is only in somayagas
that there is smagna, not in haviryagas. In cturmasya and pasubandha
there are more than the usual number of priests of priests - the hota, the
adhvaryu, the udgta and the brahm.
Each priest is assisted by three others. So in all there are sixteen priests in a
somayaga. agnistoma which is the first of the seven somayagas is the prakrti
(archetype) and the other six are its vikrti. These six are: atyagnistoma, uktya,
sodasi, vaajapeya, atiraatra and ptoryma.
In the old days a Brahmin used all his wealth in performing the somayaga.
Much of this was spent in dakshina to the priests and the rest for materials
used in the sacrifice. There was also a time when even poor Brahmins
performed this sacrifice every spring ( vasante vasante) by begging! Brahmin
who conducted the sacrifice every year was thus called prativasanta-
somayjin.
Constituents of Yaga
The primary constituents of a Yaja are the inspiration or urge of the doer
(bhvana), learning (svdhyya), rites involved (karma), offerings (tyga), devata
and the results (phala).
a. Karma
There are two types of rites in a sacrifice, principal (artha karma) and
subsidiary (gua karma). Gua karmas are the constituent accessory rites
associated with a principal rite.
In artha karma, the rite is primary and material is subsidiary to the rite.
Material is treated as accessory. In gua karma, material is primary and rite
secondary to it.
rtha Karma
Nitya karma, done regularly. Example of nitya karma is gni hotra (the homa done
thrice a day).
Naimittika karma, done occasionally. These are rites involving specific occasions. Those
like pitru tarpana are naimittika rites. Nitya and naimittika rites are mandatory. There
are specific Vedic injunctions that make the rites mandatory.
Kmya karma, done optionally. Optional rites are performed when a specific purpose is
intended to be served through a sacrifice. The sacrifices like soma yga and vjapeya
are examples of optional rites. These are in turn three types based on the results they
give. The rites that give results in the present life are called aihika. The ones whose
results are enjoyed after the present life (such as heaven, prosperity in the next life or
breaking the cycle of life itself) are called mumika. The rites that give both kinds of
results are called aihika-mumika.
Gua Karma
Gua karmas, which are subsidiary and form components of artha karmas, are
intended for purification (samskra). They are four types:
Subsidiary rites are in general meant for purification. This is again of two types,
disposal (pratipatti) and purification.
Pryacitta or expiation rites are also part of the subsidiary rites/gua karmas.
b. Bhvana
Bhvana is the urge, inspiration to perform yaja. This is caused by the desire
for its result. Thus from the perspective of yaja, desire is seen as an
inspiration to performing karma. Need and desire are the two inspirations for
beings to perform karma that run the activity of phenomenal world.
what is desired
what is the means
what is the method.
From the injunctions of ruti, these are learned. For instance, from injunctions
such as one who desires cattle should perform Citra
In pravtti mrga, one performs karma with a desired result. Following the
injunctions of the scriptures and being righteous, one can fulfill these. However
in the advanced stages in karma mrga, sacrifice alone remains the purpose. All
that is desired is also desired for the sake of performing sacrifice, making
yaja the ultimate purpose. The Camaka of Sri Rudram starts with praying for a
variety of material gains, fulfilment of desires, grace of devatas, asking for
devatas themselves, the various ingredients involved in sacrifice, the different
rites of a sacrifice, and then towards conclusion, makes all these along with the
life, mind, speech, soul and the whole sacrifice, a part of the sacrifice itself.
This explains how desire is positively treated, and then sublimated in karma
mrga.
c. Svadhyaya
Svadhyaya means learning ones Veda (the branch of Veda one is ordained to
pursue) along with the Vedangas. It is through learning that one gains the
knowledge of the rites he should perform as his duty, the rites he can perform
for various other desired purposes, how to perform those, and what his conduct
should be to gain the desired results (these could be material or heavenly or
liberation).
Svadhyaya is the primary duty during brahmacarya, and forms the basis for
performing all the rites of subsequent ashramas.
d. Tyga
yga (sacrifice)
dna (giving)
homa (offering)
Of these, the word yga refers to principal rite and the other two are
associated with subsidiary rites.
Dna is transferring ones right over what is given, to the one who is taking.
This does not involve any expectation of result (though it has an invisible
result, and it ensues only when the result is not desired for).
Homa is offering of havis in gni. This involves tyga of what is being offered,
with the mention na mama, meaning what is being offered is no more mine, it
belongs to the Devata (or the pitri as the case may be) to whom the offering
is being made. There is no expectation of result in the homa itself, but its
result will become part of the result of the entire sacrifice.
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e. Devata
Havis offered in a sacrifice is the food for Devatas. Devatas grow on havis and
bring the well-being of men (through rains and so on). Thus Devatas grow on
mans offerings and mans elevation is brought by the Devatas. Thus through
mutual nourishment, men and Devatas bring about the well being of all.
f. Phala
The result of a sacrifice ensues from the results of each of the subsidiary rites,
combined with the result of the main rite.
Each rite creates a unique result, in terms of visible or invisible effect. This is
called apurva. The total of unique results of all the rites of a sacrifice cause
the grand unique final result of the sacrifice, called Mahpurva.
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There are two kinds of results of a sacrifice visible (pratyaka) and invisible
(laukika). Pratyaka is the visible gain that results from performing the sacrifice,
material or otherwise. laukika result can be like begetting heaven in pravtti
and mukti in nivtti (through karma nivtti).
Prayoga
There are different stages in performing a sacrifice. It begins with cleaning the
place and building the altar. Then the dravya is acquired. Then the priest is
invited to officiate. Following that the altar is decorated and gni invoked. Then
the purification of each of the dravya is done. Then the homas (in the fire) and
danas (alms etc) are done. The sacrifice concludes with cleaning up the place
and taking the fruit of sacrifice.
gni karya forms the core of a sacrifice. It includes purification rites and the
homas. The ingredients used in a yaja are called dravya. There are six
ingradients involved in performing an gni Karya. They are:
Based on the dravya used and rites performed, there are two major classes of
prayoga Catuptra (using four ingredients) and aptra (using six ingredients).
aptra involves the usage all the six dravyas mentioned above. Catuptra
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does not involve idhma and pra ptra. However, the regular rite that a
brahmacari performs, does not mandatorily involve any ptra (though usage is
not prohibited). Most of the prayogas nitya or otherwise, involve aptra
prayoga.
Some of the sacrifices are referred to variously as involving more than six
primary ingredients. For instance marriage ritual in pastamba smpradya is
called dasa ptra (involving 10 ingredients). Major ygas like Vajapeya use many
more. However all of them come under aptra only and the additional dravya
is classified as one of the six - idhma or ajya for instance.
In general, Catuptra is sufficient for the regular homas to prajpati, Indra gni
etc. In order to propitiate a specific deity, one has to perform aptra. This
involves additional dravya and homas. Dravya depends on the nature of rite. It
could be rice, corn, specific samidhas, blades of grass, milk, curd etc. Fifty
eight homas (to Prajpati, Dikplakas and Grahas Lokaplakas etc) inclusive of
Cakur-homas (literally the homas of eyes - two homas with clarified butter
poured in the fire circularly, as if they are the eyes of gni) and done in the
beginning of the sacrifice. Then oblations to the main deity of the sacrifice are
offered. Jaydi homas (additional homas to propitiate various Devatas
representative of faculties of consciousness, pryacitta homas etc) follow that,
and it is concluded with Prhuti (literally the completion oblation or the
conclusive one).
These homas also include the pryacitta rites (expiation rites), as applicable.
However pryacitta rites are common to Catuptra and aptra.
Participants of a Yga
The primary participant of a sacrifice is the one who performs it the owner or
the yajamni. dvija performs regular rites himself. However any major yga
requires the yajamni to be accompanied by his consort, she should offer the
fire (pastamba Stras). In case of a kmya prayoga, a tvija (priest) is involved.
In major ygas, there are at least four rtviks involved. They are hota, adhvaryu,
brahma and udgta. Hota should be learned in Rig Veda, and chants the ks.
dhvaryu is the one who performs the sacrifice (makes the yajamni do it with
instructions). He should be learned in Yajurveda. Udgta sings the Sma Veda.
Brahma supervises the sacrifice.
Yga Sla
The regular rites are conducted in a designated place in the house. Major
ygas are performed in premises meant for them, called yga ls.
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There are positions designated for the yajamni, each of the tvijas, dravya and
the audience. Besides there is a bali sthana, where the bali (sacrificial offering)
is made.
i
It would be huge task to list down the various practices and rituals involving fire, for it requires mastery in the
compendium of the Vedas, Smritis and Puraanas, of which the author claims none what so ever. The above
article is just a collation of few ideas and topics as available from various sources of knowledge and grouped in
the above few lines. The above article is only meant to give an idea and an image of the structure and
processes involved in Yagna and related rituals - Author
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