Pakayajnas (पाकयज्ञाः)

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Pakayajnas (Samskrit: पाकयज्ञाः) are a class of yajnas defined based on the offering of cooked items (पाकसाध्यो यज्ञः) in the specific grhyaagni, at different times of the year and one some occasions (samskaras). Some of these yajnas are performed once while others are recurrent in the year. The Grhyasutras specifically deal with these yajnas which are the prescribed nityakarmas or obligatory activities of a grhastha. They are yajnas for individual and his extended family. The technical term Pakayajna is used to refer to Grhyayajnas to distinguish them from the Shrauta yajnas.

Introduction

लक्षणः ॥ Definition

Pakayajna is defined as follows in Vachaspatya

चरुपाकेन कर्त्तव्ये यज्ञभेदे स च यज्ञः वृषोत्सर्गादिहोमः ।

The kind of yajna performed using well cooked (food) items and they are Vrshotsarga and other homas.

References in Brahmanas

This term has been mentioned in Brahmana texts of the Vedas in a similar sense. Aitareya and Shatapatha Brahmana mentions about Pakayajnas as follows

...पाकयज्ञा इळामेवानु ये केच पाकयज्ञास्ते सर्वेऽग्निष्टोममपियन्ति सायम्प्रातरग्निहोत्रं जुह्वति सायम्प्रातर्व्रतम्प्रयछन्ति स्वाहाकारेणाग्निहोत्रं जुह्वति...। (Aite. Brah. 3.40)

एतेन वै सर्वान्यज्ञान्प्रणयन्ति ये च पाकयज्ञा ये चेतरे तस्मादाह प्रणीर्यज्ञानामिति - १.४.२.[१०] (Sat. Brah. 1.4.2.10)

मनुः इडा च ॥ Manu and Ida

Vaidika texts mention the connection of Manu and Ida (the daughter of Manu) with the Pakayajnas. Once Manu came to know that Devas and Asuras had performed Agnyadhana. To ascertain whether it was deposited at the proper time, Manu sent Ida (इडा or इळा) to them. Ida found that both parties had followed the wrong method, She said to Manu : "Your yajna (Agnyadhana) should not be as ineffectual as that of the Devas and Asuras. Therefore I myself shall deposit the Trividhagnis (the three Agnis which are to be set in the proper place) at the proper place." Manu agreed and began his yaga. As a result of it the Devas attained plenty and prosperity.

Once when Ida was in the presence of Manu the Devas invited her openly and the Asuras invited her covertly. Since Ida accepted the invitation of the Devas, all creatures abandoned the Asuras and joined the party of Devas.

सर्वेण वै यज्ञेन देवाः सुवर्गं लोकम् आयन् पाकयज्ञेन मनुर् अश्राम्यत् सेडा मनुम् उपावर्तत तां देवासुरा व्यह्वयन्त...। (Tait. Samh. 1.7.1.3)

Shatapatha Brahmana details another version of the anecdote. Manu desired to create beings after the earth was covered all over with water. He then performed Pakayajna by pouring ghee, curds and other offerings. From this rose Maitravaruna and later on Ida.

सोर्चंञ्छ्राम्यंश्चचार प्रजाकामः । तत्रापि पाकयज्ञेनेजे स घृतं दधिमस्त्वामिक्षामित्यप्सु जुहवांचकार ततः संवत्सरे योषित्सम्बभूव सा ह पिब्दमानेवोदेयाय तस्यै ह स्म घृतं पदे संतिष्ठते तया मित्रावरुणौ संजग्माते - १.८.१.[७] (Shat. Brah. 1.8.1.7)

Thus one may infer that Manu was the first to conduct Pakayajnas with a desire to procreate. Thus these yajnas are performed without Ida whereas the Shrautayajnas are performed with her presence.

अल्पःप्रशस्तो वा यज्ञः ॥ Alpa and Prashasta Yajna

Pakayajnas are described as Alpa (अल्पः) as these are done on a smaller scale, as compared to the Shrautayajnas which involve a high degree of involvement of the society. These are individual scale yajnas performed in the privacy of one's home.

पाकः अल्पः बालकसाम्यात् प्रशस्तो वा यज्ञः । २ अल्पयज्ञे ३ प्रशस्ययज्ञे च यथाह “त्रयः पाकयज्ञः” आश्व० गृ० १ । १२ । पाकयज्ञाः अल्पयज्ञाः प्रशस्तयज्ञा वा ।...कथं प्रशस्तत्वम् उच्यते यस्मादेतेषु संस्कारा उच्यन्ते ।

They are termed Prashasta yajnas (प्रशस्तयज्ञः) because in them are described (are told) the samskaras.

गृह्याग्निः ॥ Grhyaagni

Grhyaagni is the specific fire that is initiated at the time of vivaha samskara and it is obligatory to preserve it till the end of the life of the person or till he takes sanyasa ashrama. The Grhyaagni - the grhya fire, and the associated karmas are found mentioned in the brahmanas.

...गृहान्पश्चाद्गृह्यस्याग्नेरुपविष्टायान्वातब्धाय ऋत्विगन्ततः कंसेन चतुर्गृहीतस्तिस्र...। (Aita. Brah. 8.10)

Gobhila Grhyasutras mention the procedure of morning and evening ahutis to be performed along with the wife, in grhyagni.

स यदेवान्त्यां समिधमभ्यादधाति जायाया वा पाणिं जिघृक्षन्जुहोति तमभिसंयच्छेत् २० स एवास्य गृह्योऽग्निर्भवति २१ तेन चैवास्य प्रातराहुतिर्हुता भवतीति २२ सायमाहुत्युपक्रम एवात ऊर्ध्वं गृह्येऽग्नौ होमो विधीयते २३ (Gobh. Grhy. Sutr. 1.1.20-23)

Grhyagni is also called

• Aupasana agni
• Smarta agni
• Laukikagni

The grhastha is supposed to perform nityakarmas such as Aupasana, twice a day, in the grhyagni, a rite replacing the samidadhanam performed during Brahmacharyashrama. This same agni is used for all the later samskaras of the family, such as upanayana, vivaha and even shraddha. When the son gets married the father's vivaha agni is used to initiate the son's vivaha homa, thus it is preserved eternally, handed down to generations. This agni is also used to initiate the Shrauta agni or the (tretagni - the three fires) which is exclusively used to perform the Shrauta yajnas.