What is the True Meaning of ‘Yajna’?

Yajna originates from the root word ‘Yaja’ in Sanskrit language. It means worship of divinity, congregation and charity. Yajna’s spiritual activity involves worship of divine powers of Almighty God, associating with God, devotion/meditation and whatever we call as ‘mine’ erroneously should be humbly placed at the feet of God so as to self surrender. Yajna also means humbly serving hallowed saints and associating with them with the aim of helping in their sacred mission. From the social standpoint we can say respecting our elders, friendship with those of our cadre and selflessly serving those of the lower strata of society too is true Yajna. Thus Yajna also connotes devotion to God, augmenting of the truth principle and mutual love and cooperation. Of course in terms of Havan or fire sacrifice Yajna is very well known. Even via fire ritual the above mentioned 3 goals can be attained.

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Following are some memorable quotes on Yajnas:

“Yajna is the union of 3 sacred tasks viz. offering Havi to demigods, Vedic Mantra chanting and giving gifts/wealth to Ritwijas”.
-- Matsya Purana

“Yajna is when preceptors teach Vedas to pious disciples along with Anga and Upanga”.

“Yajna is that activity which pleases demigod Indra who in turn showers rain”.

“Yajna is that program which helps us easily attain heaven and other hallowed worlds”.

“Yajna is that program which leads to world welfare and well being”.

“Yajna is that program which uproots strife pertaining to natural calamities, physical body and the psyche”.

“Yajna is giving charity with the aim of eulogizing divinity via Vedic Mantra chanting”.

WORSHIPPING DIVINITY (a few quotes):
“Yajna means revering and worshipping divinity”.

“Yajna is that activity which honors demigods”.

“Yajna is that activity which worships demigods”.

“Yajna is that activity which worship and satiates demigods”.

CONGREAGATIONAL ACTIVITIES (a few quotes):
“Yajna is a program that congregates great people for spiritual, national and religious protection purposes”.

“Yajna is inviting a gathering of great, wise and Vedic scholarly people for world welfare”.

“Yajna is a gathering of relatives, friends etc in a cordial and reverent manner”.

CHARITY (a few quotes):
“Yajna is donation of wealth for a great purpose keeping in mind whether the place and hour of doing so is appropriate or not”.

“Yajna is that activity wherein wealth is donated with devotion/faith to appease demigods”.

“Yajna is the holy act of humble surrendering everything to Almighty God”.

“Yajna is satiating those who beg for alms. In this manner Yajna has 3 meanings: 1) worshipping Divine Powers 2) sacred congregational programs and 3) charity/donation.

In the very initial stages God first manifests himself as Divine Powers. These Divine Powers create, propagate and nurture this world. Via their worship they are appeased and via devotion these Divine powers manifest in the devotee’s psyche. Thus these powers proliferate and help greatly in the sacred task of world welfare.

Man’s power and reach is extremely miniscule. At a gross level he/she cannot contact Divine Powers. If someone wishes to sit near the blazing sun, for sure that person will be burnt to ashes immediately on doing so. Agni, Indra, Varuna etc are all powers/energies. Since these energies cannot be contacted grossly spiritual seers unearthed a science for their manifestation. While chanting Vedic Mantras Ahutis are offered to the mouth of a sacrificial fire. This word power renders our sentiments and materials offered subtle which then reach the upper subtle worlds. Agni or fire is called Hutavaa (Yajna offerings are used as ‘vehicles’) and demigods are called Purohitas (priests). Mantra chanting awakens certain energies and fire transports our offerings (Aahutis) to demigods. This science was unfolded by great Indian Rishis with their subtle divine vision. Thus mankind’s hardships were warded off and by contacting any Divine Power the door of prosperity was thrown wide open for world humanity.

Aahutis please demigods and in this manner they are honored too. They are eulogized. This is true worship. In return they give their powers to the devotee. Fire possesses qualities like heat, light and activity. The meaning of meditating on fire is advancement of these qualities and divine energies. Wind is feather weight, the power to reach heaven and augmenting of the vital force (Prana). Meditation on Maruta (wind god) results in control of the vital force, hearing of far off sounds, seeing of far off places etc. All demigods thus have various kinds of Divine Powers. When these qualities manifest in our psyche they do so by a divine magnetic attraction towards us. These Divine powers are called ‘miracles’ and Sidhis. In reality man’s contribution regarding this is negligible and it is these powers that create miraculous feats. It helps man contact demigods and this is the second leg of Yajna.

Based on the person’s character, those times and situations when he/she is given donation and their needs are fulfilled, that too is a Yajna. It is a very difficult question to answer as to who deserves to e given help, charity and donations. Despite this revered Rishis have given us a solution wherein one must give our most valued materials to demigods because the latter never hoard anything. Instead whatever they are given is made subtly n-fold more potent and thus millions of people the world over without any restriction benefit from them. Thus whatever man cherishes most must be first offered to demigods and Almighty God himself. So it is clear that anything offered to demigods with devotion is returned to mankind that is manifold times more in measure. This is true Yajna. Under today’s circumstances when the above 3 points are analyzed deeply the conclusions are as follows:

1) This world abounds with both divine and demonic powers. Hence mankind the world over must pursue those powers and worship them which inspire divinity, good will, justice and righteousness in our soul. We must have deep faith in such Divine powers and every step of ours should go in that direction only. We must gird up our loins in an alert manner to eradicate, fight and obstruct demonic powers and anti social elements. If out of helplessness one must live physically amidst vile elements yet mentally never ever accept or succumb to their wily nature. At least within in the psyche one must abhor such demonic forces and constantly pray to Almighty God to wrench your self free from its dangerous clutches along with necessary effort too. If we our selves imbibe demonic qualities and then execute worship rites know for sure it is very detrimental because it would become worship of demons (while worshipping and praying it is very essential that the mind leans towards sacred and wholesome qualities). Those having faith in Yajnas must totally stay away from demonic qualities and vile leanings both mentally and at the level of activities in ones day to day lives.

2) This world is full of hatred, communal tension, terrorism etc. Hence it is our prime duty not only to abstain from encouraging it but that strong efforts must be made to manifest world unity, selfless love, friendship, cooperation and congregations that induce world brotherhood (AIM: A BEAUTIFUL BORDERLESS WORLD). All earth denizens must generously help one another with a sense of oneness of soul. Today there is hatred and strife amongst various communities, religions, nations, regions etc. Instead of adding more strife it is imperative that all of us the world over help overcoming tension and resolve all difference of opinions amicably and aptly. Hindu religion ordains its followers both tolerance and sense of unity with others. It has so many cultures, thought flows, beliefs etc and ironically some of them are totally opposite to one another. And yet all of them exist peacefully and tolerantly. Despite some many ‘isms’, precepts, principles etc man can yet aspire to live in an atmosphere of good will, cooperation and tolerance. Instead of fighting for trivial matters we must think tolerantly and spread the message of divine love and peace in every corner of the globe. This world unity/brotherhood is an extremely important aspect of a true Yajna.

3) Whatever almighty god has given us is certainly not meant for our use only in a selfish manner. God gives us rivers, oceans, trees, flowers, natural resources, animals etc for the use of all creatures and hence is it appropriate that we being his children use things given to us selfishly? Selfish use is bang opposite to Yajna sacred sentiments. We must use our intellectual wealth, wisdom, finances, comforts etc with those who are less fortunate and help those of the higher strata of society in their gigantic endeavors of world welfare activities. Our needs must be kept minimal and labor hard to augment worldly, mental, bodily and soul forces. But the aim of this augmenting should be: “Earn with 100 hands and donate with a thousand hands”. We are all used to amassing so much wealth that after our demise our inheritors become unruly and indolent. Instead use as much of your earnings for world welfare/unity while you are alive and spread the message of great thinking, great character, good will and ever lasting peace.

A very important point to note is that donations and charity are being openly misused. Undeserving people in a wily manner live on ‘freebies’ when they have not the slightest need of them. We must stop this and yet where the cause is genuine and people are truly deserving we must give up stinginess and donate our time, energy and finances as much as possible towards such sacred endeavors.

When we say donation and charity we mean utilizing our potential, brilliance, skills, wealth etc for world welfare and readying our minds for the same. It is this generosity based viewpoint that inspires mankind to renounce and sacrifice transient pleasures for attaining eternal divine spiritual bliss. This world’s existence itself is based on charity. From the individual (micro) to the cosmos (macro) this precept is at work. It is the reason why this world is balanced and well managed. If the concept of charity goes haywire even a fetus in its mother’s womb will die and thus the wheel of procreation will come to a grinding halt. The existence of human and other beings is absolutely dependent on this. It is cooperation and renunciation that help individuals and the world progress both materially and spiritually. The proof of any one remaining alive is the fact that his/her mother has sacrificed a lot so as to nurture/nourish them. For 9 months in her pregnancy period the mother nourishes her fetus in the womb through her blood and umbilical cord. It is because of this supreme sacrifice a radiant wonderful child is born who later attains manhood and womanhood. The Yajna viewpoint is clearly seen in a father earning daily bread for his family and society too helping in the nurturing of every child in society. Not only in human beings but other creatures like plants, birds, animals too coexist in a sense of mutual cooperation which again is the Yajna concept. They mutually benefit one another. Great Rishis knew very well the secret of the importance of charity which advances all creatures and the world wholesomely. They inspired every subtle and powerful individual to utilize their radiant potentials and skills for the welfare of society. If the weak and downtrodden class of society are not given help from their well of brethren world mismanagement will set in without doubt. Such undesirable attitudes will crush human grandeur and glory to dust.

YAJNA INSPIRATION:
Yajna inspires mankind to renounce with zest their all for charity/sacrifice and thus herald world well being. The second leg is no less important. The word Sangatikarana means a sense of oneness. There is same sightedness and equality. There should be oneness of nature and soul. Yajna encourages world humanity to congregate with a sense of oneness of soul. One must have oneness with the cosmos since it is Almighty God’s manifestation and thus look upon every inanimate/animate being too as divinity incarnate. Ones individual consciousness (ego or ‘I’) should merge into cosmic consciousness (God). A wooden stick on entering a blazing fire takes up the form of fire. Ordinary ponds and small rivulets on entering the River Ganges become Ganges in nature. Almighty Lord oozes with divinity and supreme greatness. When one merges into God one becomes God manifest. This sort of merging induces total transformation of man’s inner personality. In fact many a times even the external appearance/form changes. The merging of world humanity with world consciousness takes the form of generosity and supreme greatness. When we conjoin to cosmic consciousness the sentiments of “Aatmavat sarva bhootayshoo” (all beings are manifestations of my soul) and “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam” (the entire world is my family) manifest in full strength.

Ordinarily man identifies/associates himself with material objects. As a result the inert nature of objects seeps into his/her psyche and makes it very materialistic. Attachment to fleeting objects is like running after a mirage in a dessert. It is the cause of discontent and lack of satiation. Thus man never experiences consciousness’ qualities like divinity, nectarine bliss and timelessness. This is because our association especially at the psychic level is with inert material objects (TV, computer, cell phone, property, bank balance etc). Thus we lack eternal bliss and peace. Yajna inspires mankind to associate his/her consciousness with God or cosmic consciousness. God is the very root substratum-existence of all creatures without exception. If thus all creatures merge their individual ego with this divine existence, all divine qualities and grandeur of cosmic consciousness will manifest in ones soul. Yajna inspires us to tread this sacrosanct path that leads to eternal bliss and peace.

Associating/merging into divinity results in all creatures/humanity experiencing the infinite fount of their true sacred existence. This is that human basis whose inspiration makes man generous and magnanimous to a fault. If all creatures are manifestations of ones very soul where is the question of ‘you are mine’ and ‘you are not mine’? At such times everyone’s sorrow will become ones own and we will be happy when others are happy. Man will then realize deeply, that only in world well being, exists the welfare of every individual. All forms of narrow minded, fanatic, fundamentalist and selfish beliefs will be pounded to naught. In true spirituality the attitude is yearning well being of each and every animate/inanimate being. Thus the dreams of ‘world united peacefully as a family’ and ‘creation of a beautiful borderless world’ can definitely be realized.

The 3rd meaning of Yajna is worship of divinity. In its social aspect it means selfless service to the world. Worship of divinity means worshipping divine endeavors. For this the path of humble selfless service requires to be imbibed. It is via service that divinity manifests in society and that heaven like situations the world over pervades. Selfless service means utilizing our bodily and mental strength for overcoming strife and downfall that pervade in every nook and corner of the globe. This is the very ‘spine’ of humanity and its values. A compassionate heart not only sheds silent tears on seeing others pain and anguish but that it actually makes efforts to ward them off. It is only then can we say that we have truly worshipped divinity. Divinity’s worship encompasses the anguish of a compassionate heart when it encounters others pain and instantly works hard to help those in sorrow and strife. Selfless service to the world ensures that divine tasks are protected and are spread far and wide in the entire world. It is thus that activities of uplifting the downtrodden of the world proliferate.

The Yajna Philosophy of charity, oneness of soul and divinity worship makes mankind generous and large hearted in all aspects of life. Unlimited potentials flow in these 3 principles for man’s material/spiritual advancement. In order to sow the seeds of supreme greatness in the psyche of world humanity and in order to intensify their faith all the above 3 play an extraordinary role. There is no difference of opinion with reference to the fact that these 3 precepts make mankind large hearted and magnanimous. For a short time span with reference to difference of opinion as far as theistic principles amongst various schools of philosophy can take place and this is no doubt witnessed on a few occasions. But this never occurs with reference to those eternal principles that reinstate human values, inculcate greatness in individuals and society and those that make one sacred in character. Yajna Philosophy beyond all disputes is the only philosophy which enfolds within it all those principles which augment progress in the lives of all individuals and the world at large. This Rishi tradition spanning over centuries that oozes with inspiration and sage advice if imbibed deeply can help world humanity reach pinnacles of progress, prosperity and peace.

In its pristine pure form the word Yajna is used for the concept of congregational goals and endeavors. Today because it is used in a lone manner people are not attracted to it much. In the Bhagwad Geeta this has been discussed very deeply and has been correctly conjoined to spiritual leanings. In Apte’s Sanskrit to English dictionary Yajna is translated as ‘to sacrifice’. This can be utilized in the context of personality development too along with imbibing of supreme sacred sentiments. Yajna of Eye Donation, Yajna of Land Donation, Yajna of Knowledge Disbursement etc are used in the realm of spiritual aspirations. Its mission is service to the world and making this as a medium of soul purification. Ultimately this leads to Self/God Realization.

N.C. Bandhopadhyaya in his book “Development of Hindu Polity and Political Theories” while accepting the above observation gives necessary proof by quoting Rig-Veda’s Richas (Mandal 2 to Mandal 9). A great western thinker A Barth in his book “Religions of India” opines that Yajna is but the nectarine relationship between human society and Mother Nature.

“People light the symbol (fire) of Yajna and humanity invites fire in this sacred religious program”.
-- Rig-Veda (6/2/3).

While giving Mantra based proof, Yajnas have been described by A. Barth as an extraordinary experiment of society based cooperative endeavor. The truth too is this: Yajna endeavor involves rendering materials of utility gaseous so that when it spreads in all directions of the world countless creatures including mankind benefit tremendously. This it is micro merging into the macro.

Generally majority of Yajna methodologies are such wherein the help and cooperation of many individuals is required. Congregationalism and cooperation are the buzz word in it because for Yajnas to succeed pure water from holy rivers, pyre, dais construction and other tasks have to be executed which can be done only if many individuals volunteer to do so. Mantras have to be chanted, so many Aahutis have to be offered, circumambulations are executed and all this needs discipline and unison. Thus this philosophy makes man truly great. Along with the concept of Viraat Brahman or cosmic consciousness we are advised to par take Yajnaavashishta (sacred remnant Yajna food items or Prasaad). Anyone who eats food without first serving others is said to be a criminal. There are Vedic verses which say that demigods attained divinity via Yajnas. These observations exhort us to work for world well being like humble cogs in the wheel. Very briefly put Yajna Philosophy augments ones character individually and at the universal level it inspires one to contribute towards cosmic welfare. This is that supreme royal path which enhances all round progress of individuals and the world along with world peace and prosperity.