Shrauta Yajnas (श्रौतयज्ञाः)

 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

1. Agnihotra
2. Darsapurnamaasa
3. Chaaturmasya
4. Pasu
5. 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.

Gopatha Brahmana (1.5.23) describes the Haviryajnas and Somayajnas as follows

अग्न्याधेयम् अग्निहोत्रं पौर्णमास्यमावास्ये । नवेष्टिश् चातुर्मास्यानि पशुबन्धो ऽत्र सप्तमः ॥ इत्य् एते हविर्यज्ञाः

अग्निष्टोमो ऽत्यग्निष्टोम उक्थ्यः षोडशिमांस् ततः । वाजपेयो ऽतिरात्रश् चाप्तोर्यामात्र सप्तमः ॥ इत्य् एते सुत्याः

Agnyadheyam and Navesti are given Gopatha Brahmana as one of the Haviryajnas, whereas according to Shabdakalpadruma the following are given summarized in the tables

तत्र श्रौताग्निकृत्य- हविर्यज्ञाः सप्त । यथा । आग्न्याधानं तदेवाग्निहोत्रम् १ दर्शपौर्णमासौ २ पिण्डपितृ-यज्ञः ३ आग्रयणम् ४ चातुर्म्मास्यः ५ निरूढ-पशुबन्धः ६ सौत्रामणिः ७ ।

श्रौताग्निसप्तसंस्थाः । यथा । सोमयागः स एवाग्निष्टोमः १ अत्यग्निष्टोमः २ उक्थ्यः ३ षोडशी ४ वाजपेयः ५ स द्बिविधः संस्था कुरुश्च । अतिरात्रः ६ अप्तूर्य्यामः ७ ।

Agnyadhana is also a haviryajna according to Gautama Dharmasurtras (1.8.20)

अग्न्याधेयमग्निहोत्रं दर्शपूर्णमासावाग्रयणं चातुर्मास्यानि निरूढपशुबन्धः सौत्रामणीति सप्तहविर्यज्ञसम्स्थाः ॥

Here we see instead of Pindapitryajna Agnyadheya (also called Agnyadhana) yajna as one of the seven Haviryajnas.

हविर्यज्ञाः ॥ Haviryajnas

There are seven Haviryajnas as given below.

• अग्निहोत्रम् ॥ Agnihotra
• दर्शपूर्णमास ॥ Darsapurnamasa
• आग्रयण ॥ Agrayana
• पिण्डपितृयज्ञ ॥ Pindapitryajna
• चातुर्मास्य ॥ Chaturmasya
• निरूढपशुबन्ध ॥ Nirudha Pashubandha
• सौत्रामणी ॥ Sautramani

सोमयज्ञाः ॥ Somayajnas

There are seven Somayajnas as given below.

• अग्निष्टोम ॥ Agnistoma
• अत्यग्निष्टोम ॥ Atyagnistoma
• उक्थ्य ॥ Ukthya
• षोडशी ॥ Sodashi
• वाजपेय ॥ Vajapeya
• अतिरात्र ॥ Atiratra
• आप्तोर्याम ॥ Aptoryam

Brief Description of Haviryajnas

Agnihotra, is a term specifically applicable to the first and important vaidika yajnas classified among the seven Srauta karmas - हविर्यज्ञानि ॥ Haviryajnas (offering of havis is made) or homas. It is performed as a daily worship to Agni and also with an intent to fulfill any specific desire.