INDIA IS THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN HERITAGE AND CULTURE. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE CITY OF TEMPLES. OUT OF IT:

1. ASHTADASA SHAKTHI PEETHAS.
2. DWAADASA JYOTHIRLINGALU.
3. SABARIMALA AYYAPPA- KERALA.
4. TIRUMALA TIRUPATHI DEVASTHANAMS- TIRUPATHI, ANDHRA PRADESH.
5. SAI BABA- SHIRDI.
6. DATTATREYA- GAANGAPUR.
7. BADRACHALA RAM MANDIR, BADRACHALAM.
8. YAADADRI, YADAGIRIGUTTA.
9. OUR UPCOMING AYODHYA RAM MANDIR ETC;

A HINDU IS A PERSON WHO BELIVES IN THE RELIGION CALLED HINDUISM. THE WORD HINDU REFERS TO ANYONE FROM INDIA FROM THE PERSIAN WORD FOR INDIA HIND. THE ULIMATE ROOT IS THE SANSKRIT WORD SINDHU OR RIVER.

YAJNA: SACRIFICE, DEVOTION, WORSHIP, OFFERRING REFERS IN HINDUISM TO ANY RITUAL DONE IN FRONT OF A SACRED FIRE OFTEN WITH MANTRAS. YAJNA HAS BEEN A VEDIC TRADITION, DESCRIBED IN A LAYER OF VEDIC LITERATURE CALLED BRAHMANAS, AS WELL AS YAJURVEDA. THE PANCAHYAGNA (ALSO KNOWN AS PANCHA MAHA YAGNA) ARE:

1. DEVA YAGNA (WORSHIP OF DEVAS).
2. PITR YAGNA (WORSHIP OF ONCE FORE FATHERS).
3. BUTHA YAGNA (WORSHIP OF OTHER BEINGS).
4. MANUSHYA YAGNA (WORSHIP OF FELLOW HUMANS).
5. BRAHMA YAGNA (WORSHIP OF KNOWLEDGE).

HENCE EVERY FAMILY SHOULD PERFORM THE PANCHA YAGNA EVERYDAY.

WORSHIPPING OF THESE PANCHA YAGNAS:

• GIVING IS THE MODE OF WORSHIPPING. OFFERING TO DEVAS THROUGH AGNI IS DEVA YAGNA.
• OFFERING RICE (PINDA) OR WATER TO OUR FORE FATHERS IS PITR YAGNA.
• GIVING FOOD AND OTHER NEEDFUL TO ANIMALS, BIRDS, INSECTS ETC IS BUTHA YAGNA.
• GIVING WHAT EVER ONE HAS TO FELLOW BEINGS IS MANUSHYA YAGNA.
• OFFERING ONCE KNOWLEDGE TO OTHERS AS WELL AS LEARNING FOR SELF IS BRAHMA YAGNA.

WHY DO WE NEED PANCHA YAGNA?

• TO MAKEUP FOR OUR EVERYDAY HIMSA- EVERY DAY WE DO HIMSA (VOILENCE) DURING OUR COOKING, CUTTING ETC; TO MAKEUP FOR THESE UNAVOIDABLE HIMSA, ONE SHOULD DO THE PANCHA MAHA YAGNA.
• TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE -OUR WELL BEING IS DEPENDEDNT ON THESE FIVE ENTITIES. IT IS THE BLESSING OF DEVATAS, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO LIVE ON THE EARTH. (WE ARE UNABLE TO LIVE ON THE MARS OR ON VENUS OR EVEN ON THE MOON). SO, WE SHOULD EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO ALL DEVAS BY DOING DEVA YAGNA. IT IS DUE TO OUR PARENTS AND FORE FATHERS, THAT WE HAVE THIS BODY. SO PITR YAGNA IS AN EXPRESSION IS OUR GRATITUDE TO THEM. WE ARE DEPENDANT ON A DAILY BASIS TO LIVING BEING AS BIG AS THE COW FOR ITS MILK AND AS SMALL AS THE BACTERIA FOR CONVERTING THE MILK INTO CURD. IT IS THE FRUITS OF OUR FELLOW BEINGS WORK THAT WE ENJOY- RANGING FROM THE FOOD ON OUR PLATES TO THE INTERNET ON OUR HANDS!

KNOWLEDGE, BE IT ON THE MATERIAL LEVEL OR ON THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL, IS WHAT ENABLES US TO REACH OUR GOALS. SO, THESE FIVE ENTITIES DESERVE OUR GRATITUDE.

• TO PLEASE, TO BE PLEASED AND BE SUPREME LORD KRISHNA SAYS IN THE GEETHA:

“BY WORSHIPPING THE DEVAS, THE DEVAS ARE PLEASED, WHO INTURN PLEASE US. THUS, IN THE PROCESS OF PLEASING EACH OTHER, WE BECOME THE SUPREME”. LORD KRISHNA SAYS THIS TO ILLUSTRATE THE VALUE OF DEVA YAGNA.

THIS HOLDS TRUE FOR THE OTHER FOUR KINDS OF WORSHIP TOO. HENCE THIS FIVEPART DAILY WORSHIPPING IS A PATH TO THE SUPREME.

SRUTI:

VEDAS, SAMHITAS, BRAHAMANAS, ARANYAKAS, UPANISHADS.

SMRITI: UPAVEDAS, VEDANGAAS, DARSHANAS, DHARMAS, HASTHRAS, SASTHRAS, AGAMAS, TANTHRAAS, PURANAAS, UPA PURANAAS, ITIHASAAS, BHAGAVADGEETHA, STOTRAS, SUBASHITAAS, BHASHY AS AND OTHERS ETC;