Gayatri and Yagya

Gayatri and Yagya form an inseparable pair. One is said to be the mother and the other, the father of Nepali Dharma. They are interdependent. Gayatri anusthan cannot be considered fully accomplished unless it is accompanied by Yagya. In old affluent time's agnihotra used to be performed of one-tenth of the quantum of Jap, but now in view of the prevailing circumstances ahutis are given in one to hundred ratios. Those lacking in requisite resources fulfill the requirement of Yagya by performing one tenth additional Jap.

There is reference in the scriptures to a famous dialogue between Janak and Yagyavalkya. janak went on pointing out difficulties in performing Yagya and Yagyavalkya, while emphasizing the essentiality of performing Yagya, suggested alternatives, one after another. Yagyavalkya said if Charu and other articles of Yagya are not available, food grains of daily consumption can be offered in Havan. If food grains are not available one can make do with herbs and vegetation. If they are also not available, mental Yagya can be performed by offering meditation and prayers in the symbolic fire of reverence and devotion. It has thus been emphasized that not only in Anusthan, but even in daily Sadhana, Yagya is essential along with Gayatri Jap.

In emergency, house-wives used to utter Gayatri Mantra and offer five morsels of first chapatti in the hearth. The daily routine of bali-Vaishya is nothing but a short form of Havan. The purpose of symbolic worship of Agnihotra can also be fulfilled by uttering Gayatri Mantra and offering ghee and sugar in the fire or lighting a ghrit lamp and burning incense-sticks. The celebration of Holi is nothing but a form of collective Yagya performed once in every year. Yagya is an essential part of every auspicious religious celebration, whether it be in the form of offering Ahutis in sacrificial fire (Yagya-Kunda) or burning candle-sticks, incense sticks or ghrit-lamp.

Our ancient scriptures describe one of the names of God as Yagya-Purush. In Shatpath, Yagya has been described as Vishnu, "Yagyovai Vishnu". In the beginning of Rig-Veda, Yagya has been described as Purohit (priest or religious guide). The importance of the fire of the Yagya has been stressed in all Vedic literature. In "Agne naya supatha raye…." an ardent prayer is made to Almighty God to lead us on righteous path as contained in the words "dhiyo yonah prachodayat" of Gayatri Mantra.

Yagya is essentially linked with all traditional religious functions. None of the essential sixteen purificatory rites (shodash-Sanskar) right from child birth till death can be celebrated without performance of Yagya. The ceremony of Yagyopaveet is intrinsically linked with Yagya. It combines the ideology and philosophy of Gayatri with the performance of Yagya. In marriage ceremony it is essential for the bride and the groom to perform Yagya and take seven rounds of the fire of Yagya. Circumambulation of the sacrificial fire alone is the visible proof of solemnization of a Hindu marriage. The last rite in the series of sixteen rites is the funeral rite, in which the dead body is put on funeral pyre, set fire to and kapal-kriya piercing of the skull is performed with ghee by way of Purnahuti.

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