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| + | === Categories of Srauta Yagnas === |
| + | Aitreya Aranyakam (2.3.3) (belonging to Rig veda) describes five categories of srauta yagnas as follows |
| + | |
| + | sa esha yajnah panchavidho agnihotram darsapurnamaasau chaturmasyaani pasu somah |
| + | # Agnihotra |
| + | # Darsapurnamaasa |
| + | # Chaaturmasya |
| + | # Pasu |
| + | # Soma |
| + | As per tradition, the Srauta Shastras identify the following six types of sacrifices (yajnas). |
| + | ==== Paaka yagnas ==== |
| + | They involve cooking of food (paka) for offering to gods. They go by different names such as aṣtaka, sthālipāka, parvana, srāvaṇi, āgrahayani, etc. |
| + | ==== Soma yagnas ==== |
| + | These sacrifices involved the extraction of Soma and its offering to Soma, Indra and their companion gods. Examples of Soma sacrifices are Agnistoma, atyagnistoma, uktya, shodasi, vājapeya etc. |
| + | ==== Havir yagnas ==== |
| + | In these sacrifices, the priests poured oblations of milk, vegetable oil, sesame oil, clarified butter, honey and other liquid offerings. Agniyādhāna, Agnihotra, Darśa-Pūrṇamāsa, Agrayana, Cāturmāsya, Sautrāmaṇi are a few important Havir yajnas |
| + | ==== Panchamahayagnas ==== |
| + | They are performed daily by the householders. |
| + | ==== Vedavratas ==== |
| + | These were meant to mark the progress of a student’s education under a teacher and his success in attaining the knowledge of the Vedas, while keeping his vows of celibacy and secrecy until his graduation as a Snataka (one who has bathed and was ready for the life of a householder or an apprentice). |
| + | ==== Shodasa Samskaras ==== |
| + | They are performed at different times in the life of an individual. |
| + | |
| + | == Srauta Yajnas Classification == |
| Srauta Yajnas are 14 in number. They are divided into two main groups of seven each : Haviryajnas and Somayajnas<ref name=":122222222">Purkayastha, Dipanjona (2014) Ph. D Thesis from Assam University : ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/41946 A Study of the Asvalayana srauta sutra with reference to the principal sacrifices]''</ref><ref>Introduction to Rituals ([http://vedicheritage.gov.in/rituals/# Vedic Heritage Portal])</ref>. | | Srauta Yajnas are 14 in number. They are divided into two main groups of seven each : Haviryajnas and Somayajnas<ref name=":122222222">Purkayastha, Dipanjona (2014) Ph. D Thesis from Assam University : ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/41946 A Study of the Asvalayana srauta sutra with reference to the principal sacrifices]''</ref><ref>Introduction to Rituals ([http://vedicheritage.gov.in/rituals/# Vedic Heritage Portal])</ref>. |
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