Āditya (Aditya) is the Sun. The most important observation about Āditya has been made in Aitareya Brāhmaṇa (Aitareya Brahmana). The One who provides heat, is manifested as Agniṣṭoma yajña (Agnishtoma yajna). Āditya is associated with daytime, and the Agniṣtoma yajña has to be performed in one day. So Āditya  himself is Agniṣṭoma. When rises in the morning, he emits a […]

Agni is the Sanskrit word for ‘fire’. Agni is one of the foremost among the Vedic deities. In regard of the number of Vedic hymns (sūkta; sukta) attributed to the deities, Agni comes only second to Indra (almost two hundred hymns have been dedicated to Agni). Since Agni’s deeds and actions are mainly observable on […]

Pṛśni (Prishni), the wife of Savitā (Savita), a representative form of Sūrya (Surya), gave birth to a sacrificial rite of immense significance known as agnihotra.  Agnihotra has been compared to the grinding of teeth of yajñavaraha (yajnavaraha), the sacrificial boar conceptualised as the mythical presiding deity of a yajña (yajna).  Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana) opines, while commenting on the […]

In the Agniṣṭoma (Agnishtoma) yāga (yaga), the formal first day of worship is called sutyādina (sutyadina). On the fourth day of the rite, Āhavaniya (Ahavaniya) Agni placed on the east of the aiṣṭika (aishtika) platform is brought to the āgnīdhrīyaset up on the saumika platform. On the next day, i.e. sutyādina, the same fire from […]

The characteristics of agniṣṭoma yajña (agnishtoma yajna) encapsulate the essence of the entire somayajña (somayajna). Those yajña the details which have been directly laid down by the śruti (shruti; another name of Veda) are known as prakṛti (prakriti) or ‘essence’. Aitareya Brāhmaṇa (Aitareya Brahmana) carries an anecdote about how agniṣṭoma yajña came into being. It is […]

The ritual of agnyādhāna (agnyadhana) is also known as agnyādheya (agnyadheya). This ritual used to be held grandly from the Vedic age to the age of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata). This ritual saw the gathering of araṇi (arani; firewood) from a few days before the ritual. After that, the yajamāna (yajamana; the host of the worshipping ritual) […]

The hymn(s) recited by hotā (hota) or his assistants to aid adhvaryu (adhwaryu) when the latter one is involved in a ritual is called anuvacana (anuvachana). Aitareya Brāhmaṇa recounts that when adhvaryu associates himself with the highly sacred ritual of igniting the holy sacrificial fire, hotā will recite the sāmidhenī hymn, i.e., will recite the […]

After the funeral rites of the Kuru grandsire Bhīṣma, Yudhiṣthira was highly upset. At this situation, Kṛṣṇa consoled him and asked him to perform several yajña(s) with many dakṣiṇā(s). Since Yudhiṣṭhira was suffering at heart for the people killed in the battle of Kurukṣetra. To get rid of that guilty feeling, Maharṣi Vyāsa said,– even […]

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 […]

The words, ‘Rājā’ (Raja or king) or ‘Rājan’ (Rajan or king) were used many times in the Ṛigveda (Rigveda). Likewise, the terms such as ‘Adhirāja'(Adhiraja or king) , ‘Samrāt’ (Samrat or monarch) and even ‘Sāvabhouma’ (Sarvabhouma or sovereign) which indicate the the sovereign power of the kingdom, were also used as the titles of the […]

The figure and characteristics of Indra  as depicted in Mahābhārata-Rāmāyaṇa-Purāṇa is completely different from that of his acts and manners as described in  old Veda and Brāhmaṇa treaties. Indra in/of Veda  the greatest warrior, he is slaughter of Vṛtra, Namuci, Śuṣṇa, Cumuri, Dhuni, Śambara, Pripru, Vala, Arbuda, Kuyava — killing these dangerous demons/Asuras he is […]