00:00The importance of yajna in daily life, yajna is a highly sacred act of divine worship.
00:07Yajna is an ancient Hindu tradition that has been followed since time immemorial.
00:14The Vedas declare yajno vai vishlua, which means that yajna can be perceived as a manifestation of Lord Vishnu.
00:22The word yajna originates from the root yaj, meaning worship of the divine.
00:28Therefore, yajna is divine worship.
00:32In India, since ancient times, various types of yajnas have been performed.
00:38The ultimate goal of a yajna is to please the deities to win their favor.
00:44Yajnas are generally performed in front of a sacred fire, humakundam, accompanied by Vedic mantras.
00:52There are numerous rules and customs associated with yajnas.
00:57Agnihotra, offering to fire, is a crucial element of yajna and it is believed that whatever is offered into the yajna fire reaches the gods.
01:07Yajna Procedure
01:09In a Vedic yajna, the dvaryudu is the main priest and under his guidance, all the yajna activities are carried out.
01:18Several priests and scholars assist him by chanting Vedic mantras.
01:23In a yajna, there may be one or more sacrificial fires.
01:28Into these fires, various offerings such as tea, milk and grains are poured.
01:35Yajna can last from a few minutes to several years.
01:39There are different types of yajnas, including Ashwamedha yajna, Putrakamishti yajna, Rajsuya yajna, Sarpa yajna, Vishwajit yajna and Gayatri yajna and so on.
01:52Hila, the son of Kardama Prajapati, performed the Ashwamedha yajna to regain his masculinity.
01:59After the destruction of Ravana, Lord Rama, upon being crowned the king of Ayodhya, performed the Ashwamedha yajna.
02:08In the Mahabharata, Janmeja performed the Sarpa yajna, snake sacrifice.
02:14There are six types of yajna.
02:171. Dravya yajna, earning wealth righteously and spending it for dharma-related activities.
02:242. Tapa yajna, purifying and illuminating the soul with the fire of knowledge is the sacred Tapa yajna.
02:323. Swadhyaya yajna, studying any knowledge, understanding it and using it for the welfare of society is Swadhyaya yajna.
02:424. Yoga yajna, controlling the mind through practices like Yama, Niyama and acquiring mental strength is Yoga yajna.
02:515. Jnana yajna, reflecting on questions like Who am I? Why was I born? What should I do? and experiencing self-realization is Jnana yajna.
03:046. Sansita yajna, overcoming desires, anger and jealousy and performing disciplined actions is Sansita yajna.
03:13In addition to these, there are three more types of yajnas.
03:191. Paka yajnas. These include seven types.
03:221. Apasana, 2. Sthalitka, 3. Vaishudeva, 4. Ashtaka, 5. Masashradha, 6. Sarpabli, 7. Ishanabali.
03:322. Haver yajnas. These also have seven types.
03:371. Agnaya Hotras, 2. Darshapurni Masasas, 3. Adrayana, 4. Chaturmasyas, 5. Pindapitri yajnas, 6. Niruddha Pasubandha, 7. Svatramani.
03:493. Soma sacrifices. There are seven types.
03:531. Agnishtoma, 2. Atyagnishtoma, 3. Uptya, 4. Atiratra, 5. Aptoryama, 6. Vajpaya, 7. Pandarika.
04:03Benefits of Yajna
04:05The smoke produced by the yajna fire purifies the air, eliminating environmental pollution.
04:12This prevents extreme weather conditions like drought and excessive rainfall.
04:18As a result, not only the person performing the yajna but also their home and surroundings benefit.
04:25The entire community reads the benefits.
04:29Crops grow abundantly, livestock thrives, contagious diseases are prevented and health issues do not arise.
04:38This is why our epics and Puranas frequently mention yajnas and homas.
04:44Yajnas also destroy harmful microbes in the environment.
04:49Additionally, the ash produced in the yajna fire can be used to prepare medicines.
04:55When the ash is spread on farmlands, it acts as a fertilizer.
05:00Inhaling the smoke can cure internal health problems.
05:04Yajnas maintain environmental balance, ensuring fertile lands and prosperity in the country.
05:12That is why it is advised to have yajnas performed and to take the remaining ash as a blessing.
05:19Decline in Yajna Practices
05:22In recent times, yajnas have become rare and it's a practice that is seldom heard of.
05:29But this is not right.
05:31After understanding the immense benefits of yajnas, we should step forward to perform them.
05:38Some may think that performing yajnas is going back to the times of kings, but we must discard this misconception.
05:47By conducting yajnas, not only do we benefit, but so does everyone around us.
05:54They help mitigate some of the pollution caused by machines and vehicles.
05:59The Puranas say that by performing yajnas, we repay our debt to the gods.
06:05In a way, repaying this divine debt is like doing good for ourselves.
06:11Blessings of peace and love to all divine souls watching.
06:16Thanks for watching and understanding.
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06:33Prasad Bharadwaj
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