Yajna Upakaranas (यज्ञोपकरणानि)

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Yajna Upakaranas (Samskrit: यज्ञोपकरणानि) deals with the specialized implements, containers and utensils (upakaranas) used during the conduct of yajnas. A large number of specialized storage vessels, buckets, leather bags for storing liquids, spoons and ladles, mixing vessels, strainer, sieves, grinding stones, mortar and pestle, knives, winnowing baskets, pounders are a few common names of utensils of various types used since ancient times. They are made of metals or wood mostly, as revealed by the archaeological excavations in many sites of India. The ample references of these upakaranas in Vedas are mentioned as required instruments or implements for the performance of yajnas such as Somayaga, Asvamedha yajna and Pashuyajnas which were quite elaborate.

Introduction

The knowledge of making utensils, instruments and implements for both common and specialized activities of bharatiya jivana vidhana dates back to hoary antiquity. The Rigveda mentions the use of a large number of utensils used during yajnas. Later the Grhya and Shraura vaidika yajnas enshrined in the Sutras employed an enormous number of utensils of rigidly specified design and structure.

It is interesting to note that preparing these vessels or implements would require the knowledge of ganita shastra, geometry, and of metallurgy and alloys which appears to be of advanced nature.

Containers used in the Yajnas

	Name	Descrption
1	Patra	wooden vessels, placed in pairs on the yajnika grass, and of five kinds (upamsu-, urdhva-, rtu-, sukra- and manthi-) for different uses
2	Sambharani	wooden vessel in which is placed the wet, pounded soma stalks
3	dronakalasa	bucket-type vessel covered with a filter to receive strained soma juice
4	putabhrt	clay trough to hold prepared soma juice
5	Chamasa	oblong tub with handle, of ten types, for use by different priests for various purposes, such as; holding soma, drinking soma (by the priest); holding sacred water; and holding food in the vow rite
6	agrayanasthali	vessel to receive strained soma juice in the agricultural rite when new fruits are eaten
7	sarava	earthen dish holding water with which a new mother is sprinkled
8	pinvana	two milk vessels
9	sarpirdhana	bowl for butter
10	Idapatra and pranitapranayana	deep oblong container with a flat rim to hold ghee
11	ninahya	earthen waterpot buried in the ground to keep its contents cool

The rites for somayajna were performed three times a day, and employed twelve main vessels for various types of cooking, like sthalipaka, cooking in a pot, and sutagrava, roasting on a spit. The pravargya rite, which is part of the somayajna, required the making each time of a special, round, fired clay vessel with a wide mouth called a mahavira which is heated intensely in the course of the rite.

For the Ajamedha yajna (a pashu yajna) where a goat is given as an offering, a special clay cauldron called the gharma had to be made for cooking the meat.

The asvamedha yajna where a horse is offered in yajna, also called for a huge square clay cauldron termed the ukha for cooking the flesh, and hollow metal skewers for roasting certain organs after their dissection.