Why Are Yagnas Performed?

                               

                              Why Are Yagnas Performed?

                     

     Yagna or havan is an integral part of Vedic culture. The worship of fire has a deep philosophy behind it. The Aryans wrote the Vedas and the first word in the Rig Veda is agni or fire.

Yagna is based on the science of agni. According to the science of fire, whatever substance we offer into it is reduced to ashes, and its subtle elements turn gaseous and expand to soar high into the atmosphere and beyond. Before offering any article or substance into the havan kund, the pit made into the ground or made of metal for the purpose of making offerings to the god of fire, it is charged with a mantra and thus guided towards a particular deity by naming it. Our oblations are consequently received by the forces of nature. Like the ancient rishis, NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientists have also discovered that substances expand when heated. These scientists observed that when they fired rockets, the volume of the pre-recorded voices in the missiles automatically increased (Source: Kundalni Aghora-II by Robert E. Savoda, p. 33, 1993, Rupa & Co), which confirmed the truth in the ancient belief that things enlarge when they burn.

Mantras and the havan kund were two important constituents of fire worship in olden days, when havan kunds were prepared after due deliberations, and with great care. The size and shape of a havan kund differed from person to person. The shape and size of bricks to be used for preparing the havan kund were in accordance with the vital statistics of the person who would perform the yagna, after employing the principles of Vedic mathematics and geometry

Pieces of wood, ghee, herbs, grains and other articles used for offering into the fire are chosen very carefully. All the selected items are not only eco-friendly, but also air purifiers. And once these substances are reduced to ashes, they turn into a potent medicine and are distributed to devotees as bhasma prasadam which is applied on the forehead, and a pinch of the holy ash is consumed. The wood of only such trees and plants is used which does not emit poisonous gases and the resultant ash is agreeable to human beings when consumed or applied on the person. Only ghee made from cow milk, specified herbs, dry fruits and some other articles are offered into the fire while conducting a yagna.

Besides these, certain favourite items of a particular deity are also offered to the fire, e.g., pieces of sugar cane are offered in Ganesha havan, while kheer—a milk and rice pudding—is offered in Vishnu havan. Linseeds are offered in the havan held for ancestors. These articles are consigned to the fire after reciting the name of a particular deity or ancestor. These substances are reduced to gases and ash by the fire. Since astral bodies have a very keen sense of smell, they accept our offerings in the form of fragrance and odour.

There are certain rules and restrictions for both the priest conducting the yagna and the person performing it. Both have to abide by the prescribed code of conduct: maintain celibacy, avoid getting angry, speak less, sleep on the floor, control intake of food, and so on. The science behind such a code is that it makes a man physically receptive and sensitive to divine blessings and to conserve energy.

In ancient days, the festival of Holi was a collective yagna performed by the entire community of a village on the full moon night of the Hindu month of phalguna. Holi marked the end of winter and the advent of summer. The Holi yagna was intended to purify the atmosphere. It is believed that the fumes of cow dung fire protect people against harmful radiations. According to certain scholars, it was a special day for fire worshippers. Only cow dung cakes were used to make a fire and dry fruits, tender grains of wheat and green grams were offered to it. The yagna fire, unlike today, was ignited not through any matchstick, but through mantras. The bonfire was lit exactly when the moon attained its full glory of purnima. The precise moment was calculated by astrologers using Vedic mathematics.

The present character of this festival has radically changed, and what we see today is only its corrupted and distorted form. In the olden days, curd, cow dung and colours extracted from vegetables and flowers were used to play Holi, unlike today, when chemical colours are used, with severe side effects