[Advaita-l] Putra Kameshti Yagnam

[KAMESWARARAO MULA]

Dear Members,
                             Vajapeyam – Rajasuyam – Aswamedha Yagam

Vedic Hindus were very sportive, highly civilized  religious, ritualistic sacrifices had great sports events such as horse races with the beating of the drums. They aimed high in everything, they always aimed at victory. They were positive thinking people. Festivals of different religions and art went together in ancient times. Even the utensils and vessels used in the sacrifice were elevated to sacred objects. Atal Bihari Vajapayee was the tenth prime minister of India. He belongs to the family of Vajapeya performers. Because of him the word Vajapeya became familiar. Vajapeya is the name of a fire ceremony according to the Satapata Brahmana is performed by a Brahmins or Kshatriyas (Land Protectors). It is True that this sacrifice is superior to the Rajasuya, but the consensus of others assigns to it merely the place of a preliminary to the Brhaspatisava in the case of a priest, and to the Rajasuya in the case of a king.



Brhaspatisava: It is the name of a sacrifice which according to the Taittiriya Brahmana, the priest who desired to become a Purohita obtained that office. According to the Asvalayana Srauta Sutra, it was the sacrifice to be performed by a priest after the Vajapeya, while the king performed the Rajasuya. It is identified with Vajapeya in the Satapata Brahmana. The essential ceremony is a chariot race in which the sacrifice is victorious. There is evidence in the sankhyayana Srauta Sutra showing that once the festival was one which any Hindu could perform. Vajapeya was a preliminary rite performed by a Brahmin prior to his formal installation as a Purohita, or by a king prior to his consecration. The Kuru Vajapeya was specially well known (Sankhyayana and Apastmaba Srauta Sutras). Satapata Brahmana belongs to Sukla (white) Yajur Veda. Satapata is called 100 paths or sections (sata=100). Book 5 is taken up with the two great sacrifices of Vajapeya and Rajasuya or inauguration of a King. Vajapeya means Drink of Strength or Race cup. Sangam Tamil kings performed Rajasuya 2000 years ago according to Purananuru. But there is no reference to Vajapeya in ancient Tamil literature. Yudhishthira performed according to Mahabharata. It is very interesting to see that these Yagas and yajnas were rooted in Tamil Nadu 2000 years ago. Yudhishthira performed it 3100 years before the Tamils.

He who offers the Vajapeya wins food, for Vajapeya doubtless means the same as Anna-peya (food and drink). For Vajapeya sacrifice, wins everything as he does Prajapati, and Prajapati being every where & having appropriated to himself the glory, the power and the strength of this all, he now lays them within himself, makes them his own. ( Sat.Br. 5-2-1-15). The many ritual details of the Vajapeya (Vaja= Food, Peya= Drink) show that the rite is a variety of the Soma sacrifice with which includes various popular festivals and rites. It was performed in autumn, the season in later times kings set out on military expeditions for annexing contiguous or distant territories. In addition to Brahmins and Kshatriyas, even Vaisyas (business community) performed it for prosperity.The cups and ladles used in the Yajna were considered sacred or divine, deification of the  wheel  shaped cake in the Vajapeya sacrifice, the torch, the golden plater representing the sun by night. Vajapeya Yagna is a type of soma Yajna like Rajsuya Yagna. In this Yagna, 7 horses were tied in chariot. The other chariots were also pressed into races and after its victory. King and his wife sit down on the victorious chariot and both traveled to long defined place. The Chariot was welcomed by the people there gathering with the Sura of cups.

The Ashvamedha (अश्वमेध) is a horse sacrifice ritual followed by the Srauta sutra tradition as per the Vedic culture. It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty on whole states wherever the horse passes.



A horse after worshiped by the Vedic rules after Yagna was released, accompanied by the king's warriors for horse safety for a period of one year. In the territory traversed by the horse, any rival could dispute the king's authority by challenging the warriors accompanying it. It was also rule that after travelling one year, if it is not stopped by any rival group the horse was re back to the king Place. Then King would sacrificed the horse and then it was declared that the King was an undisputed mighty King of whole earth. Ikshavaku vamsa Kings had done so many Aswamedhya Yagna. Lord Sri Ram had performed also several such Yagna and that is why, he is considered as the Chakravarty King of whole earth.

Rajsuya Yagna: It is also a Vedic tradition Sarauta ritual of the Vedic culture. It is also a consecration of a king with soma juice. The King who wanted to be the chakravarty King of earth would perform Such Yagna in ancient India. This rituals is also for Chakravarty King and for ever lasting Kingdom. It performs a similar function like Ashwamegh Yagna. The horse is an important part of the ritual. A flawless horse is sanctified as the sacrificial horse. It is then set loose, with the armies of the King following it. Whenever this procession enters the realm of another King, that ruler either has to fight the army or has to agree to pay tribute. Horse was finally freed after return or sacrified. Sri Rama in Treta Yug had performed this Yagna. Yudhishter  also performed Rajsuiya yagna. By performing this Yagna, arrows, bows and other Ashtras, Sastra were also appeared from the Yagna. It is well defined in Yajur Veda.

Jai Sri Ram

Sri Guru Padaravindarpana Mastu

Kameswara


    On Sunday, 30 June 2019 5:44:30 am IST, KAMESWARARAO MULA via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:  
 
 Dear Members,                          It isbelieved that if a couple remained childless or doesn't have a male child,performing Putra Kameshti Yajna will result in producing offspring, especiallya male offspring. It is also known as Santana Gopala Yagna i.e a Kaamya Karmafor the purpose of having a male child.  It is dedicated to pleaseLord Maha Vishnu. Maha Vishnu bestowed the knowledge of this homa toSanatkumara. Sanatkumara explained  this yagna knowledge to sageBodhayana. In Ramayana, sage Vashishta recommended this yagna to kingDasharatha. Dasharatha under the supervision of Rishishringa muni, who was anexpert in Yajurveda. Rishyashringa performed theholy sacrifice and the final day of the event, a dark skinned fire god appearedfrom sacrificial altar and handed over a vessel of payasam to Dasharatha and by this Dasharathahave been blessed with four male children Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata andShatrughna. Kaamya karmas are to those Karma or Rituals whichare performed with a specific objective. Unlike Nitya Karma,  the shastras do not require daily or regularobservance of these rituals. They are generally performed for the sake of theirintended results.  Kaamya-karmas includes Putrakameshti,Agnistoma (AtiRatram) and Agnicheyanam which involves pasubandha.



IIअथ यद्यज्ञ इत्याचक्षते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव  तद्ब्रह्मचर्येण ह्येव यो ज्ञाता तं 
विन्दतेऽथ यदिष्टमित्याचक्षते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्ब्रह्मचर्येण ह्येवेष्ट्वात्मानमनुविन्दते II
What is commonly called Yajna is really the chaste life of thestudent of sacred knowledge,for only through the chaste life of a student doeshe who is a knower find that, What is commonly called Istam (sacrificial offering) is really thechaste life of the student of sacred knowledge, for only having searched with chastelife of a student does one find ATMAN  (Soul, Self) according toChandogya 8.5.1.Vedic Upanishads explains about Yoga is a form of Yajna (sacrifice). The shvetashvatara upansihad (1.5.14) expalins Idealogy of Yajna materials by the means to see one'ssoul and God, with inner rituals and without external rituals. It states, "by making one's ownbody as the lower friction sticks, the syllable OM  as the upper friction sticks, thenpracticing the friction of meditation, one may see the God who is hidden.

Vedicyajnas which Shrautas (Shrauti: Whoperforms that) are typically performed by four priests of the experts in Vedas are the hotar, the adhvaryu, the udgatarand the Brahmin. The major functionsassociated with the priests were.The Hotri recites invocations and litanies drawnfrom the Rigveda. The Adhvaryu is the priest's assistant and is in chargeof the physical details of the ritual like measuring the ground, building thealtar explained in the Yajurveda.The adhvaryu offers oblations.The Udgatri is the chanter of hymns set tomelodies and music (saman) drawn from the Samaveda.  The udgatar, like the hotar, chantsthe introductory, accompanying and benediction hymns. The Brahmin is the superintendent of the entireperformance, and is responsible for correcting mistakes by means ofsupplementary verses. Kalpa Sutra’s give the various types of Yagna’s.The Pakayajnas : which are the aṣtaka, sthalipaka, parvana, sravaṇi, agrahayani,caitri and asviyuji. These yajnas involve consecrating cooked items. SomaYajnas: Agnistoma, atyagnistoma, uktya, shodasi, vajapeya, atiratra andaptoryama. Havir Yajnas: They are the agniyaadhana, agni hotra, Darśsa-Purṇamasa,agrayana, caturmasya, niruudha pasu bandha, sautramaṇi. These involve offeringhavis or oblations.The five panca maha Yajnas: Vedavratas, which are four innumber, done during Vedic education. The other sixteen Yajnas, which areone-time samskaras: garbhadhana, pumsavana, simanta, jatakarma, namakaraṇa,annaprasana, chudakarma/chaula, niskramana, karnavedha, vidyaarambha,upanayana, keshanta, snataka and vivaha, nisheka, antyeshti. 
 Learned members please put your views.
Sri Guru Padaravindarpana MastuKameswara
 


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