#153 Panchamahayajna – the 5 sets of relationships we must honor
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‘Ishaa vasyam idam sarvam’
All that is here, is Isha, Ishvara.
Conscious and inert, Form and formless, Sacred and secular, Defined and undefined…
All that is here is sacred and we are connected to everything.
This is the profound and timeless vision of the Vedas.
But our experience of the world does not quite match the vision.
We see much selfishness and suffering, ancestral property disputes and ugly fights among close family. No one is away from experiencing the impact of climate change.
Our vision or the way we see ourselves, the world and God is shaped by our world view which is further shaped by our history, geography, traditions, climate, ways of living, the dynasties, the relations between tribes etc.
I am going to contrast the Dharma view born of Hinduism, an indigenous religion with the Western Universalism view that is related to Abrahamic religions. This assumes that the norms for aspiration and ways of living should be the same for all people and if indigenous people choose to live any other way, they are inferior and must be reformed. There is no attempt to defame Western universalism. By contrasting the two world views we can see what shapes our world view.
Some of the differences are
Dharma says that both the sacred and secular are one. Western Universalism says that there is a sacred and secular divide.
Dharma emphasises the collective while Western Universalism emphasises the individual
The different systems of knowledge arising from Dharma such as Ayurveda or Yoga are holistic while disciplines of knowledge such as Allopathy in Western Universalism are reductionistic
Knowledge traditions emphasise a guru-shishya Parampara and transmission is oral, visual and written. Western universalism only values written knowledge. If it has not been documented or there is no evidence, it does not exist.
Dharma includes the Veda, the sixth means of knowledge along with perception and inference while Western Universalism largely values perception and inference.
Dharma includes the framework of karma and karma phala and hence punya paapa which modify into situations of sukha and dukkha, happiness and sorrow. Western Universalism recognises actions and consequences but only in this life and cannot explain why bad things happen to good people and vice versa.
Dharma says that all wealth is meant to be shared for collective good while Western Universalism highlights accumulation of wealth because it is never enough
Dharma fosters a culture of reverence and respect for Nature while Western Universalism looks upon nature as a resource for utility.
Dharma looks upon contribution as a sign of success while Western Universalism looks upon consumption as a sign of success
Dharma emphasises gratitude as a way of life while Western Universalism emphasises entitlement.
And so does Dharma or rather the Veda offer us a framework of living that helps us relate with the world?
Yes.
The TaittiriyaAranyaka says,
Panchavaaetemahayajnaassatati
Prataayantesatatisantishtante
Devayajnahpitryajnobhutayajno
Manushyayajnobrahmayajnaiti
-TaittiriyaAranyaka 2.10 “
These five great offerings are called the Pancha maha Yajna-s and they are to be performed on a daily basis. They are deva yajna, pitruyajna, bhutayajna, manushyayajna and brahma yajna”.
Offerings to Devatas (Ishvara and deities),
Offerings to Pitr-s (parents and ancestors),
Offerings to Brahma/rishi (Teachers and Vedic culture)
Offerings to Bhuta (our eco system) and
Offerings to Manushya (our fellow beings).
The word is yajna – not yajna..nya..nasal sound.
Yajna literally means a fire ritual offering to devatas and the meaning is extended to a reverential offering to another.
Hindus have protected, cultivated, nurtured and live this tradition of panchamaha yajna. We recognize our place within the larger scheme of things. Much happiness comes from relating with all beings with dharma, sensitivity, contribution and not taking anything for granted. Hence the Pancha-mahayajna are our five sacred duties – our daily acknowledgement and grateful offering for what we have been blessed with. Based on the principle of reciprocity, we contribute to these relationships because of a rnam, a sacred debt. We contribute as per our understanding and capacity, yatha mati, yatha shakti.
Let us look at them in some detail.
Deva yajna – Actions and offerings for devata-s – Bhagavan in the form of many cosmic forces presides over different phenomena as the devatas or deities. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the sunlight that helps us see, the earth that nourishes us with all the food are all presided over by devatas – Vayu, Varuna, Agni, Bhumi. Creation, sustenance and resolution at the level of a project or at the level of galaxies are sustained by intelligence and material that is Bhagavan. We do not take this for granted but instead acknowledge and make our offerings. These may be in the form of simple thank you every day or prayers, recitation of stotra-s, chanting of mantra-s, performing puja and yajna, going on pilgrimages and so on. If we don’t do any of this will the devatas stop doing things for us? Devatas will do their job anyway. But we honor our connectedness to these devatas, express our gratitude and allow ourselves to be blessed with punya.
Bhagavan Krshna reminds us 3.11
Devaanbhaavayataanena te deva bhaavayantu vah
Parasparam bhaavayantah shreyah paramavaapsyatha
Propitiate the deities with yajna. May the deities too propitiate you. Propitiating one another, you shall gain moksha also.
If one enjoys objects given by devatas without offering to them in return then one indeed is a thief.
Pitra yajna/ Actions and offerings for pitr-s. Our sages recognised that all of us have a pitr rnam, a sacred debt woven by an intricate tapestry of karma across lifetimes, that we must honor. Pitr-s include one ‘s parents whether they are here or if they have moved on, grandparents and other ancestors. We have a deep connectedness to our pitr-s through our:
Genetic connection,
Our family traditions,
The values imparted – dharmika values of integrity, strength of character, truth, humility, valor, equanimity, commitment, and love.,
The wealth passed on,
The stories that live, long after they have passed on.
And most importantly the thread of gratitude that runs through the rich tapestry of all that our pitr-s have blessed us with.
Every year generally in the month of September comes a fortnight, Pitr Paksha dedicated to making our offerings to our departed ancestors. Garuda Purana talks about how the jiva moves to pitra loka and also the details of the ceremonies to be conducted. Pitra loka is a realm of experience where our ancestors may have gone to, or they may have gone to svarga loka or they wait in pitra loka until going to svarga loka or being reborn.
Pitra yajna, may take the form of daily remembrance, offering prayers for their lives, special offerings on their Shraaddha day or in sanctified spaces, instituting awards and scholarships or making contributions to the community in the name of ancestors, performing family traditions that have been inherited and so on . The Taittiriya Upanishad reminds us – Matr devo bhava, Pitr devo bhava. May we grow into people who consider our parents as manifestations of the divine.
A more detailed article on Pitra Yajna is there in our September article of our newsletter, Aarsha Vidya Bharati, the link to which can be found in the description of the episode.
Bhuta yajna – Actions and offerings for bhuta-s or the ecosystem:
Bhutas are all beings which include plants, animals, insects, as well as the panachamahabhutas – air, water, fire, earth and space. The Taittiriya Upanishad reveals that all forms have come from and are pervaded by Brahman, the limitless being. From Brahman have come these panchmahabhutas. And then, Oshadhibhyoh annam. Annaat purushah. Plants are referred to as oshadhi the word for medicine from which food is born. We our dependent on plants for our food. There are rules in Dharma about planting many more plants for the ones that are cut. Some of us will remember moments in childhood when we were scolded for wasting food. It traces back to the teaching from the Taitiriya Upanishad Annam na nindyaat…do not disrespect food and hence do not waste it. Least injury in the form of ahimsa towards the ecosystem and hence adopting vegetarianism or reducing the consumption of meat is a form of bhuta yajna. The practice of drawing kollam with rice powder outside our homes in the morning which are eaten up by ants is a practice of bhuta yajna. Feeding birds in the balconies and having bird feeders and water to drink as a part of the architecture of buildings in Gujarat or the reverence towards cows, or the practice of adopting cats, dogs are all practices of bhuta yajna. We appreciate the importance of all beings to preserve the dynamic balance of the ecosystem. Thus our ecology and sensitivity makes us grateful and we make efforts to reduce global warming, use clean and green technologies, reuse and recycle as much as we can.
Sharing a true story from betterindia.com.
In 1974, 18-year-old Himmataram Bhambhu would spend his days keenly observing his grandmother plant a Peepal tree in his ancestral village, Sukhwasi in Rajasthan. 14 years later, When Himmataram saw how this tree was giving shade and oxygen to the residents of the village, he had found his life’s purpose. He created a safe habitat for birds and wildlife by planting over three lakh trees across his district which includes a mini forest of 16,000 native trees. He was a poor farmer and even took a loan. Recently he received India’s civilian honor the Padmashree for his pathbreaking work.
Manushya yajnah, Actions and offerings for manusyah, people: It is a given that we will do a lot for our family and friends. But what about atithis or neighbours in need or communities that require assistance. Again Taittiriya reminds us Atithi devo bhava, May you be the one for whom Atithi a guest who arrives without a prior appointment be deva like for you. The tourism campaign for India called Incredible India has as its tagline – Atithi devo bhava.
Manushya yajna may take the form of serving guests and community through donations, construction of infrastructure, provision of food, shelter, clothing, education, access to resources and healthcare. An example – Dr Ravindranath Shanbhog, a professor from Udupi, started an organisation to senior citizens who have been rendered homeless after being turned away or cheated by their family members. Payal Rajpal chose to teach Robotics to 24000 poor children studying in government schools.
One does not require much wealth to do things for others but some sensitivity to other people’s needs and the willingness to persist and innovate. We do what we can.
Brahma yajna – Actions and offerings for Rsi-s, Teachers. Brahma is another word for the Veda and can refer to Vedic culture which helps to preserve the knowledge of the Veda. Gurus and teachers being central to the transmission in the oral tradition, the Taittiriya Upanishad tells us ‘Acharya devo bhava’. May you be for whom the Acharya, is like a devata. All knowledge is sacred and can transform one’s life more than any other resource. Brahma Yajna is our reverential contribution to preserve Vedic culture through worship of the scriptures, the rishis and teachers of the Vedic vision who have contributed to the spiritual culture of our land. Brahma Yajna is the effort to study and understand the scriptures under the guidance of a teacher trained in the sampradaya tradition. Supporting Veda patashalas, Vedanta teaching ashrams, instituting scholarships for study are important aspects of this Yajna.
Brahma Yajna can be extended to respect for all knowledge. Sometimes when we search via Google or other search engines, we forget that it is the generosity and kindness of people who have put their knowledge out there, be it how to make bread or how to make a website and so on. Sure they may have other motivations but one cannot deny their generosity.
And so, our sages offered us this meaningful, sustainable framework of living called panchamahayajna.
Based on our sacred debt to different beings and also a responsibility to contribute, performing panchamahayjna can truly change our lives. It makes us happy, feel deeply connected and in harmony with the world.
“Ishaa vasyam idam sarvamidam”
All that is here, is Isha, Ishvara is seen and experienced as a reality.
