In the scriptures, Yagya has been called the best work, since ancient times, Yagya is being done in our country: Swami Ram Bhajan Van

Yagya is such a multi-meaning word which is present in Aryavarta since time immemorial. Chaturveda testifies to the antiquity of Yagya. This prose work focuses on this antiquity and many meanings of Yagya.

Maharishi Panini, the famous grammarian of Sanskrit, has given the origin of the word ‘Yajna’ from the root ‘Yaj’. In Brahmin texts, ‘Yajush’ is said to be associated with Yaj metal. Thus ‘Yaju’, ‘Yaj’ and ‘Yajna’ all three become synonymous with each other.

Before the discussion of Yagya, first of all, this pronunciation of the Yagya which the people read as ‘Yagya’, is impure. The pronunciation of ‘J’ in this Yagya is ‘J’ instead of ‘Gya’. The sound of this ‘J’ is also there in the five (five).

This is the combination of Y+J+J. Its pronunciation will be ‘Yajna’. However, Yagya is a familiar term. This yajna in Sanskrit language, equivalent to the mother, is a Vedic ritual consisting of havan-worship. Many types of yagyas were organized in the Vedic period and the continuous stream of this Yagya culture has flowed till the 21st century of Vikram today.

Yajna has been said to be the highest act – Yajno Vai Shresthatam Karma.

One who desires to perform Yajna is called Yajnakama. The one who performs the sacrifice is Yajant, Yajatra, Yagyakarta, Yagyakrit, Yaji and Yaj. Yajna is the act of performing Yajna, and the Yagnik who performs it. A person who is proficient in yagyakarma is a yagya. The person on whose request the yajna will be completed is the host. That is why the Yajman can also be called Yajnapati. The abode of the hosts is also called Yajmani and there is a sense of hostility in the priesthood of the priest. The place which is surrounded for the purpose of performing Yagya is Yagyawat. Yagyasanstar and Yagyasadan are synonymous with Yagyabhoomi. The pavilion built from Kush is the Yagyasharan for performing the Yagya. Kush is a sacrifice.

Yagya is the one who invokes the deities in the Yagya. The time of Yagya specified in the scriptures is also called Yagyakal and also the full moon. The name of one type of saam is Yagyayagniyya. This sama is sung in the Agnishtom Yagya. Yagyatoor is also a type of sama.

Yajno Bhuvanasya Nabhi: That is, Yagya is said to be the navel of Bhuvan.

Sompana was also a part of the Yagya. This Soma was called Yagyaras and Somalatha was called Yagyavalli and Yagyaanga. Vat is a sacrificial tree. The operators of the Yagya are Brahmin gods and these gods are also called Yajudars. The meaning of Yazak is generous and worshiper. The sutra performed by yagya, the thread is the yajnopaveet, the yagyasutra. Upanayana ceremony is the sacrament of sacrifice.

It is not necessary that the sacrifices should be liked by all, so the person who has hatred for the sacrifice was given the adjective ‘Yajnakop’. For this reason, in the Puranas, the name of a demon is Yagyakop. If for some reason the yajna is broken, fails, then the yagya becomes vibhramsa.

Vedic culture was Yagya culture. There are many mentions of many sacrifices in the Vedas. The number of these Vedas is four and one of the Chaturveda is Yajurveda. This Veda contains a collection of Yajus (prose chants). The mantras which do not have any rules regarding phase or expiration are called Yaju. ‘Gadyatko Yaju:’ means these Yajus are prose and ‘Aniyataaksharavasano Yaju’ means those in which the number of syllables is not fixed, they are Yaju.

In Yajurveda, especially, there is a description and rendering of Yajna activities and its distinctions. It has two distinctions – Krishna Yajurveda and Shukla Yajurveda or Taittiriya and Vajasaneyi Samhitas. There are two brahmins of Yajurveda – Shatapatha of Shukla and Taittiriya of Krishna. It is the belief of the scriptures that whatever is propounded in the Yajurveda, the Yajna was performed from that. It was because of the Yajna of Yagyas that it was given the name Yajurveda.

The heart of Yagya is Vishnu. Yajnas are under him, so he is called Yajuspati, Yagyapati. He is wearing a yajna, from which he is the yagyadhar and yagyapurush. Giving the fruits of Yagya is also the work of Shri Vishnu, so he is called Yagyaphalad. He is the God of Yajna, therefore He is the Yagnesh, Yajneshwar and Yagyadhipati. They are yagya souls, yagya-bhavna, yajnakratu, yajnamurti, yajna-yoga, yajlinga, yajnavirya, yajnavayava, yajnasaar, yajnaguhya, yajnasen, and yajnatrata who protect yajna. In the Shatapatha Brahmana, Yajna has been given the name of Krishna – Yajno hi Krishna:. One of the names of Shri Krishna is Yagyanemi. Fire is sacrifice. Vaishampayana’s disciple Yajnavalkya was a famous Brahmavadi sage who composed the Yagyavalkya Smriti. Sati Draupadi and her brother Dhrishtadyumna were born out of Yagya.

On the other hand, Manusmriti says that the study of Vedas is Brahma-yagya, tarpan is Pitri Yagya, Homadi Karma is Dev Yagya, Balivaishvadi Karma is Bhuta Yagya and to satisfy guest etc. is human sacrifice.