Pranam
It is erroneous to have used the word YAGNA;" samskaras" are that of
the grihasthas; generally kamya karmas and samskaras require a man and
wife. In some samskaras, Yajaman need not be married. The problem in the
question arose from Valmiki Ramayanam, where Sri Rama did one with the
prathima of Sita even while she was alive living with Valmiki.
In Hindu dharma, any rituals or practices performed in front of the
holy fire is Yajna (*Yagna or Yagya*). Yagya or Yagna or Yajna derived from
the Sanskrit word “Yag,” meaning worship, pray, offer and honour. However,
the English translation of it means sacrifice, offering, and devotion.
Based on Kalpa Sutras – text based on Hindu Vedic rituals listed
out following Yajnas:
1. Paka Yajnas: This yajna deals with offering cooked foods into fire
performed at a specific time of the year. It includes astaka, sravani,
sthalipaka and agrahayani.
2. Soma Yajnas: Performed to please the Hindu celestial gods for the
welfare of individuals, families, and humankind. During the ritual, soma
plant (king of all medicinal herbs) drinks are offered as oblations to
gods. Agnistoma, uktya, Shodashi, and Vajapeya, fall under soma yajnas.
3. Havir Yajnas: Involves the offering of uncooked foods as oblations,
including cow milk, barley, ghee, and other vegetable oils. Havir yajnas
are Agniyadhana, Agrayana, Caturmasya, Sautramani, and Agnihotra.
4. Vedavratas: Done to mark the progress of Vedic students in achieving
Vedic knowledge. There are four vedavratas which are *Mahanamni vrata, Maha
vrata, Upanishad Vrata and Godana vrata*.
5. Pancha Maha Yajnas: It is a yajna performed daily by every
household. It has further five types which are as follows;
· Brahma Yajna: Performed through reading the Vedas and sharing
the Vedic knowledge with others.
· Deva Yagna: Offering all the deities uncooked foods like ghee,
cow milk, grains, and soma.
· Pitri Yagna: It involves the offering of pinda to the ancestors
of the family tree.
· Bhuta Yagna: Includes food offering to the animals, birds, and
living beings from spiritual worlds.
Manushya Yagna: Helping and Feeding the guest (athiti), poor people, hungry
people, and providing shelter to the homeless falls under Manushya Yajna
The *Hota* or *Hotri* recites the three parts from the Rigveda
(introductory, accompanying, and blessing). The *Adhvaryu* *(the priest of
Yajurveda)* is the head priest’s helpers who prepare and decorate the
ground, altar, and even pour oblations. Similarly, like the Hotri, the *Udgata
or Udgatri* chants the religious hymns from the Samaveda and the Brahma,
the main priest who controls and performs the entire ceremony.
In fact according to the traditional rule a man becomes eligible
to celebrate the Vedic rituals only after marriage (Madhaviya Shankara
digvijaya 2.14) and the samskaras (the ritual purification ceremonies) can
be successful only if the two spouses sit together (Aitareya Brahmana 7.10,
Rig Veda 8.31.5-9, Taittiriya Brahmana 2.2.2.6, commentary by Shabara Swami
sul Purvamimamsa sutra 6.9.17, Siddhanta kaumudi on Ashtadhyayi 4.1.33).
Tradition requires the wife to support the husband's hand every time he
pours the ahuti (ritual oblation in the sacrificial fire) to indicate that
the ritual is performed jointly. However, there is no similar prescription
for women when they directly celebrate the homa and pour the ahuti -
something they can do independently. In the Mahabharata we see Savitri and
Amba performing the Agnihotra, the fire sacrifice, by themselves and in
their own right. This tradition is confirmed in the Gobila Grihya Sutra
(1.3.15) and in the Asvalayana Grihya Sutra (1.9), which quotes the famous
female teacher Vadava Pratiteyi (3.4.4). In Ramayana we see Kausalya, Sita
and Tara (respectively wives of Dasaratha, Rama and Sugriva) independently
performing the Agnihotra, while on the occasion of Rama performing the
Asvamedha yajna in the absence of his wife Sita, he is required to install
a golden statue of his wife in the yajna site so that the process will not
be invalidated.
According to Vedic scriptures, women also possess the necessary
requisites to perform the daily sandhya rituals. In Vedic Arya society all
women wear the sacred thread (upavita), as brahmacharini (celibate
students) or as married women. In Dandin's Kadambari (8th century CE) a
lady called Mahasveta is described as decorated by a white sacred thread
resplendent like pure moonlight. According to the Harita smriti, the second
category of women (sadyo vadhus) having more ordinary tendencies, who have
not undergone the stage of brahmacharya and connected rituals, received
their sacred thread (in the ceremony called upanayana) just before
marriage. In fact the Gobila Grihya Sutra (2.1.9) states that during the
marriage the bride must wear the upavita (sacred thread) signifying that
she has undergone all the samskaras or prescribed purification rituals, and
is therefore an arya, a "civilised and educated person".
Ashvalayana Grhyasutra (3.4.4) and Shankhayana Grihya Sutra (4.10)
list female Vedic gurus, such as Sulabha Maitreyi and Vadava Prathiteyi.
Some Vedic texts present women as authorities on the details of the Vedic
rituals; for example the Aitareya Brahmana 2.9 quotes the opinion of Kumari
Gandharva-grihita on the ritual of Agnihotra (the daily celebration of the
fire sacrifice). The Rig Veda suktas 10-134, 10-39,10-40, 10-91, 10-95,
10-107, 10-109, 10-154, 10-159, 10-189 are explicitly feminine in origin.
saa kSauma vasanaa hRSTaa nityam vrata paraayaNaa |
agnim juhoti sma tadaa mantravat kRta mangalaa || 2-20-15
*15. saa =Kausalya vrata paraayaNaa = who was interested to *pracise*
religious vows nityam =regularly, *kshhouma vesanaa* =was wearing white
silk sari *kR^ita* maN^galaa =made up of auspiciousness, hR^ishhTaa
=thrilling with rapture,* juhotisma =was doing sacrificial ceremony agnim
=in fire mantravat =reciting vedic hymns.
Kausalya, who was interested to practise religious vows regularly was
appearing auspiciously by wearing a white silk sari and gladly performing
sacrificial ceremony in a sacred fire, by reciting vedic hymns
Conclusion: Women can and are supposed to perform yajña in the absence of
their husbands if due to some reasons, he couldn't take part in the yajña.
Same goes for the husband in the opposite case. KR IRS 28/01/22
On Fri, 28 Jan 2022 at 08:45, 'gopala krishnan' via iyer123 <
[email protected]> wrote:
> QUES ANSW DIVINE 2022-29
>
> Dear friends,
>
> These are information posted by members compiled as QA by me in
> 1998’s-2004’s and stored in my computer. At this date I have no information
> of the members posted.
>
> *BEING COMPILATION THERE MAY BE ERRORS.*
> Sincerely,
>
>
> *R. Gopalakrishnan, 78, dated 28-01-2022 *
>
> Q1 Do women have right to perform sacrifices?
>
> A1 Women are important part of them. Men too have no right to do the
> sacrifices without a wife *.A man can perform sacrifices only with his
> wife. *
>
> He does them for the well-being of all mankind and for his own inner
> purity. It is for this purpose that, after the samavartana following the
> completion of his student-bachelorhood, he goes through the samskara called
> marriage.
>
> The wife is called "dharma-patni", "saha-dharma-carini", thus underlining
> her connection with dharma, and not with kama or sensual pleasure
>
> *Only a householder with a wife may perform sacrifices, not
> student-bachelors and ascetics.*
>
> If the wife were meant only for sensual gratification, would the
> dharmasastras have insisted that *a man cannot perform sacrifices after
> her death? *
>
> *Woman cannot perform a sacrifice on her own, must also recognise that
> fact that the husband loses the right for the same without the wife and
> this is according to the Vedas themselves*
>
> Our sastras have thus given a high place to women in the matter of duties
> and works.
>
> Q2 Do performing shradham is advocated in Vedas?
>
> A2 On performing Shraardham, we already had the learned opinion that *there
> is no mention or sanction in the Vedas/Sruthi* and as such performing
> shraardam to the persons passed away is not a must.
>
> It is only one's belief and faith and if they want to do it, they can do
> so, otherwise, no harm will come.
>
> Q3 Is there any temple in Chennai where the temple priest himself
> perform Sraddah on behalf of any people?
>
> A3 Yes. I would like to inform that in Chennai , *MADHYA KAILASH TEMPLE
> (NEAR ADAYAR),* shraardham is performed by the temple priest on behalf of
> any person.
>
> Likewise, in Gujarat, lady priests are there to do such rites and
> *girls(married
> or unmarried) can perform the shraardham.*
>
> Q4 We are advised to avoid onion and garlic in our diet. Why?
>
> A4 Some explain that they trigger lustful tendencies; hence, we should
> avoid them in our diet. But what is the real reason behind this?
>
> Every body know Mohini story of distributing Nectar and Rahu in the form
> of a deva tried to drink nectar… The Lord hit Rahu on the head with the
> laddle and ordered him to spit out the ‘amrut’.*He spat out the ‘amrut’
> and that fell out as onion and garlic*.
>
> Since they have come out of the ‘amrut’ they are good for health but since
> they have come out of an Asura’s [demon] mouth they contain demonic
> elements in them.
>
> Q5 How a ‘jiva’ takes birth on earth ?
>
> A5 Our Puranas detail how a ‘jiva’ takes birth on earth. The ‘jivas’
> remain as tiny atoms in space.
>
> At the appropriate time, they enter the rain clouds, fall down as rain
> and enter the ‘Oshadiis’ [food grains] on earth.
>
> They enter the male as ‘retas’ [sperm] through the food he consumes and
> then is transferred to the womb of the mother where it begins to take form.
>
> The demonic qualities are present in onion and garlic. *Thus, one who
> consumes onion and garlic begets children with demonic qualities*. It is
> for this reason that one avoids onion and garlic.
>
> Q6 What are the attributes of Alangudi Guru temple?
>
> A6 There are many stories associated with this temple. The name sake of
> Alangudi, as per mythology, while the celestial milky ocean was churned by
> the Devas (celestial demigods) and asuras for elixir (amirtham) poisonous
> fumes from the snake Vasuki hindered the celestial task.
>
> * Lord Siva swallowed the deadly poison (Aala Kaala Visham) for
> deliverance. Thus giving rise to the name Alangudi to this temple and the
> Lord came to be called Aabathsagayar (Saviour) *
>
> Sundaramurthy Naayanar received his Gnana-upadesam after his darshanam of
> Lord Siva in the form of Dakshinamurthy at this temple.
>
> Worshipping Guru and Lord Siva at this temple can cure one from physical
> illness and provide progeny, good education, valour and longevity of life.
>
> Q7 What are the attributes of Tiruchendur Guru temple?
>
> A7 Tiruchendur is also one of the sacred places to Guru, since Lord Muruga
> was honoured here by Brihaspati and the Devas after their victory over
> Surapadman.
>
> Q8 What are the attributes of suryanar kovil Guru temple?
>
> A8 Shrine for Guru at Suryananr Koil near Tanjavur-This temple is
> considered most auspicious amongst all Navagraha temples. Only in this
> temple Guru keeps facing Surya.
>
> Q9 What are the attributes of Belur temple?
>
> A9 This quaint hamlet - is located on the banks of the river Yagachi. It
> was once the capital of the Hoysala empire, today made unforgettable for
> its exquisite temples.
>
> The Chennakeshava Temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala
> architecture. It took 103 years to complete and you can see why.
>
> The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes
> with no portion left blank. Elephants, episodes from the epics, sensuous
> dancers... they are all there - awe - inspiring in their intricate
> workmanship. Inside are hand-lathe-turned filigreed pillars.
>
> Q10 What are the attributes of Kapaleeshwarar temple Mylapore ?
>
> A10 The Kapaleeshwar Temple located in Mylapore in Chennai is a fine
> example of eight-century Pallavan architecture and is the oldest
> temple in the city.
>
> This temple forms a nucleus for the crowded residential area of Mylapore.
>
> Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kapaleeshwar Temple is characteristic of the
> Dravidian architectural style with its elaborate and intricately carved
> Gopuram,
> mandapams and a tank. *You can find fragments of inscriptions
> dating back to 1250 AD.*
>
>
>
>
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