The yagna is one of the most sacred rituals in Hinduism. Derived from the Sanksrit word ‘yaj’, which means to give, this sacred ritual is performed to appease the various Gods in this religion. It is believed that performing a yagna purifies the person of all his sins and provides him with health, wealth and happiness.

Let us look at the various things that go into performing this sacred ritual:

                                 Sacred ritual – Yagna

Vedi – The platform on which the yagna is performed

Kund – The pit into which the fire is raised

Samidh – The wood that is used to raise the fire

Agnihotra Havani – The small wooden ladle that is used to pour ghee into the fire. It is made out of vaikankata wood i.e. Flacourtia Sapida.

Yajamãn – The person who sponsors for the yagna

Hotru/Adhvaryu – The chief Brahmin who performs the yagna

Prati-prasthãtru/Udgãtru – The person who assists the Brahmin by chanting stotras

Some of the different types of yagna performed are:

Rudrayãg – For Lord Shiva

Vishnuyãg – For Lord Vishnu

Lakshmihom – For prosperity

Gãyatriyãg, Ganeshyãg, Vãstuyãg – Before someone moves into a new house

Lagnayãg – The marriage yagna

The Bhagawad Gita mentions 12 types of yagna:

– Deva Yagna

– Brahma Yagna

– Indriya Yagna

– Mano Yagna

– Atma-Samyama Yagna

– Dravya Yagna

– Tapo Yagna

– Yoga Yagna

– Swadhyaya Yagna

– Jnana Yagna

– Prana Yagna

– Deha Yagna

More details about these types of yagna, in another follow-up post.

Visit us at www.ishtadevata.com