Yajna and Gayatri are inseparably bound to one another. The following verses eulogize the great import of Yajna and Yajna Purusha:
He who is worshipped via Yajnas, who is Yajna incarnate and Yajna manifest is none other than Lord Vishnu and I bow down to him.
Yajna satiates innumerable desires of humanity and also bestows them with heaven and salvation (Moksha). Those who renounce Yajnas are derided a great deal in Vedic scriptures:
Yajna help us in atoning for many sins and thus with a sacred mind we can attain the abode of Almighty God.
HAAREETI
Taking cognizance of this great aspect of Yajnas our country India was known encourage them in a big way. Via Yajnas people got their desires fulfilled in their own way. Balivaishwa Yajnas are known to help people achieve a happy householders way of life faith in God, spirituality and mental purity. Vaajpeya Yajnas helped awaken the latent soul forces and intellectual/ethical consciousness of world humanity. Rajasuya Yajnas were executed so as to solve political and governance problems. Gayatri Yajnas are said to be a symbol of all these.
Great scholars accept the auspiciousness of Agnihotra performed with the help of apt Gayatri Mantra chanting on all occasions.
GAYATRI SAMHITAA/70
Yajna is the supreme most action of this world. Those who do not perform Yajnas lose their divine aura. Although it is true that nothing is greater than Agnihotra rites yet Gayatri reigns supreme amongst all Agnihotra methods.
.GAUTAM 5/7/12
In the Yajna Yaag Samhita we are advised to commence every auspicious program with a Gayatri Yajna. In the Gaargeeya Samhita it is said: Who ever worships Primordial Divine energy Gayatrivia Yajnas isactually worshipping Almighty God via the medium of gods/goddesses. Meaning, worshipping and performing Yajnas of the Vedic Mother Gayatri amounts to worshipping all gods/goddesses.
Gayatri Yajnas executed with the aim of fulfilling material desires too bears fruit immediately. Any individual who worships Gayatri for fulfilling any desire will actually witness it being fulfilled. And at the time of death he/she attains Gods supreme abode.
It was only after deeply realizing the great import of Gayatri Yajnas that they were encouraged and lauded worldwide. Whenever Yajnas were ignored dire circumstances were faced both individually and socially. Hence it is imperative that Gayatri Yajnas be performed again with a sound scientific basis. The tradition of Agnihotra must recommence in every household the world over. There was a time when this did happen in ancient India and hence it was a period of heavenly comforts and inner bliss too. Why is the world today so full of strife and stress? It is because we have ignored Yajnas at our own peril.
In laymans parlance Yajna is synonymous with charity, congregationalism and worship of Almighty God. The deeper meaning is contribution towards divine endeavors in a congregational manner. This is that meritorious deed which helps an animal-man to pole vault into a human god. Human glory is definitely rooted in this generous attitude of service to the world in a selfless manner. Just as the ore of gold sheds its dirt when exposed to fire so as to shine brightly so too when mankind imbibes the philosophy of Yajnas they climb the peak of greatness and thus march towards divinity.
Vedas are nothing but the Speech of Almighty God. Shruti is the process of hearing and conveying this timeless Divine wisdom. When this hear and say was penned it was called Chanda (also poetic meter). Further when it is transformed into the divine power of Shabda Brahman and Naad Brahman it is called a Mantra. Vedic Richas are called Shriti and Chandas are called Mantras. They ooze with potent divine mysterious powers of knowledge and science. Amongst all Vedas it is said that at first Riga Veda manifested. The very first Mantra of riga Veda is AGNI MEEDAY PUROHITAM. In this Richa God is called Agni or Fire and with the grace of the fire of that Purohit everything can be attained which man so desires.
Since Almighty God is omnipresent He is in the absolute sense without name and form (Niraakaar). God can be experienced only as Sat-Chit-Anand or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. If we wish to see God at work it can be done via ones causal body as good will, subtle body as great thinking and gross body as wholesome actions. Or else by looking upon this world as a cosmic form of the Divine Lord one can contribute like a cog in the wheel to render the world advanced and progressive via selfless service, spiritual practices and Karma Yoga. And yet for the purpose of worship if an image is required other than fire none can depict Gods divine form. The very first Mantra of Riga Veda accepts Gods image for meditation and devotional purposes in the form of fire. Thus it says God is Divine Fire. Other synonymous terms include Brahman Tejas, Latent Light, Divine Light, Sacred Light etc.
research scholars in the field of primordial worship methods in Indian Religious Culture have called it Fire worship. Aryans dwelling in Iran called themselves Parsis and yet their mode of worship is predominantly fire based. Their worship homes are called Fire Temples. In India the Jwalamukhi Temple situated in the state of Punjab is very famous wherein fire is worshipped. Eternally lit fires in the form of pyres were reinstated in the Ashramas or hermitages of great Rishis of yore. Within Vedic rituals devotees are commanded to light 5 eternal fires and regularly perform Yajnas in it. In mythological times although the 5 Yajnas were associated with ones daily worship duties but along with it food disbursement and other such activities were too attached to them.
What exactly is Agnihotra? It is using fire as an image of God and worshipping him. Agnihotra is performed during all wholesome endeavors, festivals and special auspicious rites/rituals. The festival of color called Holi is an annual congregational Yajna. In Sanskrit language Holi means the new food grains grown in a new harvest. Holi is fire sacrifice carried out using these new grains as sacred offering to the fire. It is a festival of joy and is observed as a congregational Yajna. Alas today that great tradition of Holi has taken a highly distorted appearance. People merely burn wooden sticks and erroneously satisfy them selves calling it Holi. And yet before this fire sacrifice a tradition that includes a worship rite and after the fire sacrifice the holy ashes are devotionally applied to the forehead which goes on to show that it is nothing but a meritorious tradition of the congregational annual Yajna. Indias festival of lights called Deepavali involves reinstating of God of fire. In other small big festivals a symbolic fire sacrifice called Havan is generally performed. Women of India remove flame from their stoves and offer little ghee, cloves, sweet meats and other food items to it. after this they circumambulate this fire pouring a little water alongside. Thus they perform a symbolic Agnihotra rite.
There exist 16 Sanskars or rites right from Punswan to Antyeshti wherein Havan has to be performed imperatively. In fact 2 of these rites predominate with Havan. Vows taken with fire as witness only are given due recognition and the bride and groom circumambulate it 4 or 7 times for the marriage rite to be recognized as completed. It is said that the Yajna fire binds the souls of the bride and groom inseparably akin to welding of 2 iron bars. A Hindus body is cremated after death in a Yajna Fire called Chitaa. This in its pure form is called Antyeshti rite. Ghee and other materials are added to the fire and hence in a very gross manner it can be called Agnihotra. The Vaanaprashtha Sanskar is said to be completed only if Yajna rites are performed. The Yajnopaveet or thread ceremony rite is named after Yajna. Via sacred Yajna ritual a sacred thread is worn across the chest and is called Upanayan. The same holds true for other Sanskaras. Agnihotra is imperative for these too. In other religions too flame lamps, candles, incense, lanterns etc are lit and hence over here too fire is reinstated during their worship programs.
Even during spiritual practices Havan is most required. All the Paaths (reading scriptures etc), Mantra chanting and other rituals maybe either Vedic or tantra based yet performing Havan in one form or the other is most required. Even in Gayatri devotional practices Havan is a must. Barring certain situations where the 10th portion cannot be offered as Ahuti to the Havan yet a 100th portion of it has to be performed without fail. Gayatri is our mother and Yajna is our father. When these 2 unite man is reborn spiritually and is called Dwija (twice born). Dwijas include Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. Dwija means to be born twice. Just as it is mans righteous duty to serve his biological parents who gave him/her birth so too it is the spiritual duty of a devotee to serve his/her spiritual mother Gayatri and spiritual father Yajna on a regular basis.
At every step in religious literature Yajnas are eulogized. Vedas predominate with information on Yajnas simply because Yajna is that science which bestows both material and spiritual bliss on world creatures. The Almighty Lord can always be appeased via Yajnas. Hence it is said (Bhagwad Geeta 3/10/11):
Brahmaji created Yajnas also when he created human beings. Human beings were told that via Yajnas they will progress in life and that it was a sure means to fulfill all their desires. Humans were asked to nurture demigods via Yajnas and in turn they would help human advancement. Thus when both performed their duties aptly both attained all round prosperity. Demigods nourished via Yajnas would in turn help human beings prosper by leaps and bounds.
There are so many sacred texts which vouchsafe the deep import of Yajnas. In ancient times gigantic Yajnas were executed for both material and spiritual gains. Demigods, demons, Rishis, kings and ordinary householders too performed many Yajnas. Demons always set about destroying Yajnas being performed by sages and saintly people because they were sure that the latter would prosper both materially and spiritually and this the demons could not tolerate. In the same way Yajnas of demons too were destroyed because otherwise they would attain more demonic powers to harass innocent laymen. In the epic Ramayana there is a description of a very large scale Yajna being performed by demons or Asuras which was finally destroyed by the saintly Hanumanji. This had to be done because assuming the Yajna succeeded demons would have become invincible.
King Dashrath performed the Putreshti Yajna and thus fathered 4 sons. King Nriga entered heaven by performing Yajnas and thus dethroned its King Indra. King Ashwapati performed a Yajna and thus fathered a son. King Indra of heaven attained all that he possessed via Yajnas. Lord Rama too had performed the Ashwamedha Yajna. Shri krishna advised the Pandavas to perform the Rajasuya Yajna wherein the Lord himself welcomed guests and looked after their requirements. Havan Yajnas are carried out for atonements of sins, minimizing effects of a dire destiny, fulfilling a lack, overcoming diseases, attaining auspiciousness, appeasing demigods, attaining a good harvest, downpour of nectar like rains, overcoming air pollution etc and doubtlessly Yajnas aid in the success of these endeavors.
Yajna is a very important science. The fuel used from various trees to light the Yajna fire is imbued with special qualities. For which disease which herb is used? All this has a strong scientific basis. When certain materials are united the resultant admixture possesses a special quality which when exposed to fire rises up in the atmosphere so as to detoxify and de-pollute it. Further when Vedic Mantras are chanted simultaneously the influence on the atmosphere is that much more potently positive. Thus not only is air pollution taken care of but that individuals nearby Yajnas benefit health wise both physically and mentally. How do we describe demigods? They are nothing but various subtle powers at work in the deep cave of subtle nature or Prakriti. What is the meaning of appeasing demigods? The answer is it is the establishment of a good wholesome rapport with these subtle forces of nature. This goal can be easily fulfilled via performing of Yajnas.
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