The plot of land that spreads out towards the east of the large elevated altar constructed for conducting yajña (yajna) is known as agnikṣetra (agnikshetra). A fire in the shape of a falcon needs to be lit and maintained within this plot of land. Owing to the importance of this fire or agni, this plot […]

– ‘Agre’ means ‘in the beginning’. And the meaning of Ayana is motion or journey, shelter or the way of duty. Yajña is another meaning of ‘Ayana’. So, the yajña (yajna)performed before the cultivation of crops, is called Āgrayana (Agrayana). In his dictionary , Pandit Haricharan Bandyopadhyay has said that this yāga(ritual) is performed in […]

The offering of havi or ghṛta (ghrita, ghee) or any other element dedicated to a specific Deity, along with the utterence of mantra, is called Āhuti (Ahuti). At first, ghee contained in a pot should be heated with Gārhapatya Agni (one kind of fire). Then the Adhvaryu (the Yajurvedic priest) has to fill up the […]

Anubandhya is the name of the animal sacrifice performed at the end of Somayāga (Somayaga) after the abavṛt (abavrit) bathing. The animal should be preferably a barren cow or a bull in case of unavailability of a barren cow.  R.N. Dandekar informs that the sacrificial animal was bound to a post or peg from the […]

while offering an oblation in all the important as well as unimportant yajña (yajna) of Iṣṭiyāga (Ishtiyaga), taking the offering in his hand advaryu (adhwaryu) tells hotā (hota), “Please recite anuvākyā (anuvakya)” – amuṣmi anubrūhi. The hymns then recited by hotā to please the concerned deity are called anuvākyā or puro’nuvākyā (puro’nuvakya). 

To put ‘Samit’ (the sanctified wood for yajña) to Āhavanīya agni (Ahavaniya agni, the ritual fire to be welcomed for the beginning of the yajna), so that the fire may become favourably disposed to the worshipper, before any kind of iṣṭiyāga (ishtiyaga), is called Anvādhāna (Anvadhana).

At the end of Vaisika Daśapūrṇayāga, it is a custom to offer dakṣiṇā (daksina; what is given to the priests as a token of honour) to the Ṛttvik(s) (Rittwik; priest of a Vedic ritual). The four Ṛttvik(s) are given an immesurable amount of rice, so that they can cook it on their own. That cooked […]

Some portions of the annapiṇḍa(s) (annapinda; food in the shape of a ball, used in sraddha-rituals) that are placed on kuśa (kusa; a king of grass), to be offered to the deceased spirit, are given to the Brāhmaṇa(s). Since Brāhmaṇa(s) partake of the anna, that portion of the anna is called anvāhāryaka (anwaharyaka). yasmādannād dhṛtā […]

Prior to the performance of a Vedic yāga (yaga ; a holy fire-ritual) called ‘Upasat’, the Somalatā (the creeper named Soma, sacred to the Vedic rituals) is sprinkled with water in order to keep it alive. This act is called the āpyāyana (apyayana; gesture of greeting) of Soma. This act is performed for three days, […]

Atirātra (Atiratra) is a special kind of a yajña (yajna) or yāga (yaga), a type of Somayāga (Somayaga). Its ancientness can be guessed from its mention in Ṛgveda (Rigveda) – brāhmaṇāso atirātre na some/ saro na pūrṇamabhito vadantaḥ.  During night, in three segments of paryāya (paryaya) Atirātra is observed. In each segment a cup full of […]

Āvasathya agni is mentioned in Mahābhārata , while describing different types of Agni. Āvasathya agni is the fire contained in a small oven that used be required in Vedic yajña. This triangular oven would be of 25 fingers in length, and fire was brought to this oven from Gārhapatya agni. Āvasathya agni was placed towards […]

During iṣṭiyāga, while giving ghee as āhuti, the kind of mantra which is uttered both in high and low volume, is called upāṃśu yāga. Professor Amarkumar Chattopadhyay has talked about the significance of Upāṃśu-yāga– upāṃśu is ̍karaṇavad aśavdam amanaḥprayogam To utter words, one has to move the tongue, lips, and the mouth, but the words […]