Sri Bharatamata

Ashtottaram 8

 

 

 

8) OṀ YĀGA BHŨMYAINAMAH:

        OṀ (AUM) - YAA - GA - BHOO- MYAI- NA--MA- HA

 

        (Yāga: means “Vedic sacrifice or ritual; offering”)

 

 

 

 

 

You don’t see much difference in between yajṇās and yāgās in the Vedas and Upanishads. But during Vedic and Upanishadic times we see detailed descriptions and procedural manuals related to animal sacrifices and yūpasṭhambas (sacrificial posts). Later times, non-violence became the main subject and animal sacrifices were completely abolished in Vedic rituals.

 

There are many varieties of Yagās like Aswamedhayāgam, Chatusṭoma, Ukdhyama, Jyothisṭoma, Atirātram, Abhigidyāgam, Viswagidyāgam, Aptoryāmam, RajassoyaYāgam, MaheswaraYāgam, Vaishnava Yāgam, AgnisṭomaYāgam, Bahu suvarṇakamyāgam, Gomedhayāgam, etc; were mentioned in our scriptures.

 

It was mentioned in the Rāmāyaṇam that only a qualified king should perform the Aswamedhayāgam. The whole procedure of this yāgam from the beginning to the end was clearly described in the Krishna Yajurvedam. In Śukla Yajurveda and in Bhāgavatam it was clearly described what yāgas to be performed and which Gods to be worshipped to fulfill particular type of desires.

King Daśaradha performed Putrakāmeṣhṭi Yāgam with intense desire to have sons and was blessed with four children: Rāma, Laxmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna. Every person who studied Rāmāyaṇa knows this. It was mentioned in the Vedas that when we perform the sacrifices, homās, yajnās and yāgas and other rituals with utmost purity of our minds then the gods and deities will fulfill our desires. There are different kinds of verses in the Vedas to praise, to invite and to worship various deities, gods and goddesses. We believe that offering oblations and āhutihs to deities, we will be blessed with health and wealth.

 

Even in this Kali yuga and 21st century, we see that in our temples vaidic priests still perform these Vedic rituals like yāgas, yajnās and homams to please the gods and goddesses in order to prevent famines and draughts, etc.

 

Hence, this is our “Yāgabhūmi”