Homa/Yagna

What is Homa/Yagna?

Homam/Yagnam is a sacred fire ceremony performed by Hindu pundits in temples, homes and working places by involving a sacred fire. Various forms of the Divine gods and Demi-gods are invoked in a sacred fire according to the guidelines in the Vedic scriptures.

Significance of Homa/Yagna:

Homa/Yagna attaches humans to the divine nature by providing them with a way to burn away one’s karma and get closer to the Almighty. Thus, Homa/Yagna is performed by believers of the Hinduism at almost all religious ceremonies and important events.

A Homa/Yagna has a purifying effect not only on the performer but also on the environment. Offering environmental-friendly goods to fire and chanting of mantras re-energizes one’s chakras, producing a re-vitalized and invigorating effect for one’s the body as well as mind that leads to further success by swapping negative energies such as anger, rashness & irrational thinking with positive ones like calmness, tranquility and controlled attitudes.

Cultural Beliefs:

As per ancient Sanatana dharma texts on homa, any offering to Fire (Agni God) is actually an offering to the Sun. Offerings such as ghee, rice, dry fruits, honey, herbs, wood etc. are offered to the sacred fire while reciting Sanskrit mantras.

Mantras are recited to ask Fire God to take the offerings & prayers to the wished-for divinity. For instance, if the host wants to perform a Homa/Yagna for enhancing his/her health, he/she can direct the offerings to the Surya (Sun God). If he/she wants to increase luck and prosperity he/she can ask the sacred fire to take the offerings & prayers to Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi.

Substances Used in Homa/Yagna:

• Wood (samidhá): Wood has to be dry and free from dust, insects and worms. Wood is cut into small pieces of varying sizes called samidhás depending upon the size of the altar or pit (kunda) in which the yagna is to be performed.
• Medicinal herbs (Homa/Yagna sámagri)
• Substances like saffron, musk, agar, tagar, sandalwood powder, cardamom, nutmeg, javitri and camphor.
• Substances with Healing properties: clarified butter (ghee), milk, fruits, lin seeds, and cereals like wheat, rice, barley, various millet, gram, peas, etc.;
• Sweet Substances: sugar, dried dates, resin, honey, etc.; Medicinal Herbs: These are used as per the specific requirements.
• Different combinations of these and/or other special herbs are used for the treatment of specific diseases through yagna-therapy.

Benefits: 

• There are two basic energy systems in the physical world: heat and sound. In performing yagna, these two energies, namely, the heat from yagna’s fire and the sound of the chanting of the Gayatri and other Vedic Mantras, are blended together to achieve the desired physical, psychological and spiritual benefits.
• Agnihotra farming methods of growing plants in pure and healthy atmosphere and balancing the ecological cycles by performing agnihotra (yagna) in the middle of the farm and using the yagna-ash as a fertilizer. Several experiments have been conducted in the East European countries on the use of yagna ash in soil treatment. These, too, have shown positive effects and potential applications in Agriculture.
• By performing yagna one can get peace of mind, good health, which improves mental faculties and increases discriminating power, ensuring success in all goings-on.
• The various volatile oils(sandalwood, camphor and clove.)Get diffused in the surrounding atmosphere along with steam and smoke. Since these oils have distinctly good smells, the foul odors are automatically neutralized.
• There are non-bacterial parasites like flies, ringworm, dice fleas etc., either get killed or are driven away when they come in contact with volatile oils like camphor, which are diffused in the environment.

Scientific Reason: 

• Yagna renews the brain cells, revitalizes the skin, purifies the blood and prevents growth of pathogenic bacteria. Agnihotra is basically a healing process.
• Homa/Yagna destroys harmful bacteria in the environment. Experiments have also shown that a patient suffering from typhoid disease can get rid of this bane by exposing his/her self to the smoke of Homa/Yagna for just half-an-hour.
• According to Dr. Hafkine, the smoke produced by burning the mixture of ghee and sugar kills the germs of certain diseases; inhaling it from some distance induces secretion from certain glands related to the windpipe that fill our heart and mind with relaxation. 
• Cow ghee of 10grams used in homam wil produce 1 ton of oxygen. Etholine oxide, propylene oxide, Foramaladeyore are produced When cow’s ghee is burned with rice. Ethelene oxcide and Formaldehyde are used in operation theaters as this gives immunity against. Sacrifice done with cow ghee purifies atmosphere and raises rain(Propylene oxide)