Hinduism For All - Homa And Their Various Benefits

Hinduism For All

Homa and their various benefits.

This is an act of invoking the deity in the fire and offer oblations. The deity is invoked in the fire using the vedic Agnikriya and then the mantra for the deity is chanted to offer oblations in the form of ghee, fruit, rice, herbs etc. The word homa comes from the Sanskrit root ‘hak – tyage’ i.e. to give up an attachment or sacrifice his possessions to attain favour of God. This is a symbolic act of sacrifice that the devotee makes to attain the Lord.

Yajnyas & Homas

Hinduism from Vedic period has been centred on Yajnya. The reason why even day-to-day obligations are termed Yajnya (Pancha – Mahaa – Yajnya) is the great importance attached to sacrifices. While the Yajnyas are entirely based on Vedic mantras and procedures laid down in Braahmana literature and Shrauta texts (texts explaining the Vedic=Shruti procedures), Homas are Puraanic or Tantric in nature developed under Vedic influences.

Homas are propitiation of a particular deity and is modelled upon the Shrauta Yajnyas. Nowadays performing homas have gained popularity due to their convenient procedures as contrasted from the elaborate and detailed set up and requiring perfection in minute aspects of the Shrauta Yajnyas.

The establishment of the Fire for the sacrifices has two procedures - elaborate Vedic procedure and the simplified procedure laid down in Smritis. The fire established in the former manner is called Shrautaagni and by the latter as Smaartaagni. Smaartagni is used in Homas.

The Yajnyas performed in Smaartaagni are seven :

1. Aupaasana

2. Vaishvadeva

3. Paarvana

4. Ashtaka

5. Maasika Shraaddha

6. Shraavana

7. Sulagava

The seven Havir Yajnya (performed using Havir – cooked rice) performed

in Shrautaagni are –

1. Agnihotra

2. Darshapoornamaasa

3. Agraayana

4. Chaaturmaasya

5. Niroodhapashubandha

6. Sautramani

7. Pindapitru

The seven Somasanstha (performed using extracted juice of Soma creeper)
in Shrautaagni are

1. Agnistoma

2. Atyagnistoma

3. Ukthya

4. Soolasi

5. Vaajapeya

6. Atiraatra

7. Aptoryana

Apart from these, the kings performed the Raajasuya, Ashvamedha etc.

Some of the homas which are performed in Smaartaagni or Tantrikaagni are :

1. Mahaa Ganapaty Homa

2. Navagraha Homa

3. Aayushya Homa

4. Chandi Homa

5. Mrityunjaya Homa

6. Sudarshana Homa

7. Shreevidyaa Navavaarana Homa etc.

This article is a snippet from the Book Hinduism For All, Authored by TS Srinivasan and Edited By Dr Ramchandrashekar. Hinduism for All is available online at www.giri.in & across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture & Tradition.

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