Rituals
Vedic(Śrauta) yajnas are typically performed by four Vedic priests, the hotṛ, the adhvaryu, the udgātṛ and the brahman. Rituals associated with each of the priests are detailed in dialogue between Aśvala and Yajnavalkya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The functions associated with the priests are —
- The hotṛ recites invocations and litanies drawn from the Rig Veda. The verses recited by hotṛ are of three kinds – introductory verses, verses pertaining to sacrifices and eulogistic verses. The hotṛ is also supposed to contemplate on and identify with the deity of the speech - Fire or Agni.
- The adhvaryu is in charge of the physical details of the sacrifice like measuring the ground, building the altar etc mentioned in the Yajur Veda. The adhvaryu offers three kinds of oblations, those that blaze up, those that make great noise and those that sink. Adhvaryu is supposed to contemplate on and identify with the deity of the eye - Sun or Surya.
- The udgātṛ is the chanter of hymns set to melodies(sāman) drawn from the Sama Veda. The udgātṛ, like the hotṛ, chants the introductory, sacrificial and eulogistic verses. These three types of hymns are identified with the three kinds of vital breath Prana, Apana and Vyana in the body and the udgātṛ himself contemplates on the vital breath.
- The brahman is the superintendent of the entire performance, and is responsible for correcting mistakes by means of supplementary verses invoking the visvedevas(pantheon of celestials or devas). In the Brihadaranyaka, the pantheon of visvedevas are held to be a creation of an infinite mind assuming infinite forms. Therefore, the only god that protects the yajna and with which the brahman has to identify himself with is the deity of the mind - Moon or Chandra.
There is usually one or occasionally three fires lit in the center of the offering ground. Oblations are offered into the fire. Among the ingredients offered as oblations in the yajna are large quantities of ghee, milk, grains, cakes and soma. The duration of a yajna depends its type, some last only a few minutes whereas, others can take hours, days or even years. Some yajnas are performed privately, while others include a large number of people in the audience.
Post-Vedic yajnas, where milk products, fruits, flowers, cloth and money are offered, are called homa or havanam. A typical Hindu marriage involves a yajna, where Agni is taken to be the witness of the marriage.
Right to perform a yajna or homa is received by an initiation ceremony known as yajnopavita. In this ceremony, a "sacred cord" is vested to the initiate, symbolizing this right.
Read more about this topic: Yajna
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