“Yajna” is a special ritual performed as a spiritually symbolic gesture of using fire as the metaphor to the achievement of liberation. It is a religious ceremony, where ghee (clarified butter), incense, and flowers are offered into the sacred fire with specific chants and prayers. In the Vedas, this word Yajna is often mentioned, and which has also historically included ritualistic sacrifice. The word Yajna has a socio-religious connotations and it is believed to have a cosmic dimension as well.
Offering clarified butter in the fire, symbolizes, uniting man’s purified mind with the cosmic consciousness of the God. Flowers are a symbol of our purified senses (smell, touch, vision, etc). Symbolically we offer our pure life force to the sacred fire, through flowers, incense, etc. The burning of incense and pouring of other oblations in the fire also has a beneficial impact on the immediate physical environment and infuses the air with a pleasant aroma. It is a cause for extended families to come together, and with their united devotion offer prayers to God. And so it has the effect of strengthening familial and social bonds.
A key aspect of Yajna is the understanding of inter-connectedness between our conscious life and the elements. To maintain karmic equilibrium, before we take something, we must give something back to the universe. In that way, renunciation of the concept of self-ownership is not at odds with experiencing the fullness of life and the material offerings it brings. It is the imbalance of consumption and hoarding that karmically brings misery and stalls our path of evolution.
The Upanishads say, “Enjoy life through renunciation. Do not greed (ten taktena bhunjhita, ma gridham)”. Our creator, and nature has given wonderful precious life giving gifts to us - like sunshine, fresh air, pure water, forest, fruits and everything for our enjoyment. So it is our duty and also our obligation to our mother earth, and nature, to nurture it and repay back that which we consume. Destroying the very nature that enables our existence due to our greed belies a complete lack of understanding between nature and our existence. It must be preserved and enriched by us rather than blindly consumed. In that way, we may leave a prosperous earth for our future generations.
The whole environment including all species of life must be nourished by our noble actions and with our kind thoughts. The Bhagvad Gita says, “if one enjoys what is given without returning to them their share, then one is a thief” (Chapter III verse 12).
Yajna is not only a ritual that takes place once a year but a practice that must be reflected in our daily life activities - our actions done for well-being of others is also Yajna. In traditional Hindu homes, when food is prepared, some portion is kept separate to feed birds, or a hungry person. This way Yajna is practiced in our daily life.
Yajna means take and give back, so a healthy relationship between man and environment can be sustained. Any society or civilization can truly progress only when they choose to act for welfare for all, and not by isolation, confrontation or exploitation. With greed, we are violating nature, and as a result, we are and will be violated by nature.
The Bhagvad Gita also mentions about three other debts, which must be paid back by us, in our lifetime with sincere devotion. They are Pitri Rin, Rishi Rin and Deva Rin.
Pitri Rin is a genetic debt. This body owes its existence to its ancestors. So not only by taking good care of our parents, but also by maintaining our body, mind and intellect healthy, and by helping next generation to do so, we can bring glory to the family and debt of Pitri Rin can be discharged.
Rishi Rin signifies our debt to our teachers, and to all great thinkers, who groomed us with knowledge, with the values of life, and taught us to face life with courage and confidence. When we do not compromise with unethical situations in life, we establish truth, inspire future generation and satisfy those noble souls who were our great teachers.
Deva Rin can be discharged by protecting environment, plants, animals, rivers, etc. These three debts are also central teachings within traditional Indian Society.
With these debts in mind, when we perform Yajna and light the ceremonial fire, it must extend to every moment of our life and enable us to find balance between us and nature and ultimately connect with the divine. Then only can life be blissful, leaving the bondage of our ego behind and our material bodies, we may be connected with the supreme self.
As Tagore said,
“My sacrifice will be thy victory
In my love Thou will be known.
My patience is Thy highway
That will cross woods and hills.”
(Tagore, mor marane tomar habe joy), translation – Dr. A. C. Bose)
Edited by Prodeep Bose
