What is Yajna?

Our journey is going on in the third chapter with special reference to karma yoga. For karma yoga, the main master key word is yajna. Without yajna if we go for karma, it becomes monotonous bulls work, run of the mill actions. Then what is this yajna, the main ingredient of karma yoga?

Today there is common misconception that yajna means fire sacrifice and creating of fumes. There is one variety of fumes which people use to relieve Divas and Bhutas in Srirangapattana. Another variety used by Purohits and Jyotishis in cities like Bangalore.  Is this what the yajna is, then what is yajna?

Yajna can be understood with the help of three words;

•          Mukta sangaha,
•          Vigata jwaraha,
•          Lokasangraha.

Simple formula is;

Yajna = Mukta sangha + Vigata Jwara + Lokasangraha

If we know these three keywords, we can understand how this concept of yajna is embedded in karma yoga.

Mukta sangha (मुक्तसङ्गः Muktasaṅgaḥ)

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः।

तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर॥गीत ३-९॥

Mukta sangha means actions performed without attachment. In the normal course of actions, we join unnecessary egoism, hateredness and selfish desire to grab all the fruits of actions. There will be overwhelming joy, if there is success, deep sorrow and depression if there is failure. Today's TV reality shows, music competitions etc. are very good examples of these extreme emotions. Such attached actions with egoism and selfishness and without emotional equilibrium becomes binding and deteriorating.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदा चन।

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥गीत २-४७॥

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनंजय।

सिध्यसिध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥गीत २-४८॥

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कर्यं कर्म समाचर।

असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः॥गीत ३-१९॥

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Vigata Jwara (विगतज्वरः Vigatajvaraḥ)

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा।

निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युद्यस्व विगतज्वरः॥गीत ३-३०॥

Vigata Jwara means work done in a duty sense. If an action is done in duty sense without Jwara (extreme passion or whining), then karma won't be binding.

Today's trend is to attach Vega speed to all our actions. This speed results in Chinta + Krodha + Bhaya which leads to Jwara and Jwara further leads to psychosomatic diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension etc. The driving mechanism behind psychosomatic diseases is this mano vega, speed of mind.

सक्नोतिहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात्।

कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः॥गीत ५-५३॥

In this state of Jwara, we expect to get all the results immediately. Will the mango grow in winter just because you have planted it and want results immediately?

Rrutu ave phala hoive...

Nature drives flower blossoming, fruits ripening, not because somebody is in a hurry. Our actions against this natural cycle like growing of unseasonal fruits and vegetables, artificial ripening of fruits using chemicals etc. are causing dreaded diseases like cancer. Then what is the solution, how to act without getting this Jwara?

Performing one's own actions in a duty sense is the solution. Every one of us in our society has a duty.

•          Doctors have to treat patients,

•          Mothers have to accept responsibilities of upbringing progeny and creating future good citizens,

•          Fathers have to accept responsibilities of taking care of the family,

•          Guru has to perform his duty of teaching and showing the right path.

If guru deviates from this path, it will be a catastrophe. Drona is one such example. Drona driven by hatred to teach a lesson to his classmate Drupada was in search of eligible rajakumaras who could fulfill his revenge. Then he found 105 rajakumaras of pandavas and kauvaravas, with Bhishma's approval, he started teaching the skill of warfare. After their studies when the time came for departure, he asked Arjuna to capture Drupada (a brave warrior) alive and tie him to his chair, and this act would be his Gurudakshina. Drona's, action driven by revenge and passion, compromised his duty of a guru. Drutarashtra, the father of Kauravas feel trap to putra vyamoha, blind attachment towards children and compromised his duty. Mother Gandhari, driven by wrong understanding of pativrata dharma fell trap to attachment and did not perform higher duty of motherly hood.

•          A mother who did not do Yajna    -> Gandhari
•          A father who did not do Yajna      -> Drutarashtra
•          A guru who did not do Yajna        -> Drona

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