Viväha (marriage) - Yojaka Agni

Cathurthé Homa (establishing household yajïa) - Çikhi Agni

Dhåti Homa (conclusion of marriage)- Dhåti Agni

Puàsavana (rites to beget a male child) - Candra Agni

Sémantonnayanam (parting the wife’s hair) - Maìgala Agni

Çoñyanté Homa (rites before childbirth) - Maìgala Agni

Näma Karaëa (name-giving ceremony) - Pärthiva Agni

Pauñöika Karma (ceremony for the child’s health) - Balada Agni

Anna Präçana (first grains) - Suci Agni

Cuòä Karaëa (hair cutting) - Satya Agni

Upanayanam (sacred thread)- Samüdbhava Agni

Samävartana (graduation from the gurukula before marriage)- Tejaù Agni

Udicya Karma (concluding rites of the yajïa)- Vidhu Agni

Västu Homa (entering or building a new residence)- Prajäpati Agni

Dékñä Homa (initiation)- Vaiñëavägni

Nitya Homa (daily Deity worship yajïa) - Vaiñëavägni

The Maëòapa

The maëòapa is the place where the yajïa-kuëòa is situated and the ceremony will be performed. The maëòapa should be sprinkled with pure water, cleaned with a mixture of cow-dung and water and decorated with designs on the floor, banana trees, leaves, garlands, flags and “maìgala-ghaöas” (auspicious pots that have been installed by mantra) in the eight directions, and the four Vedas installed in pots in the four cardinal directions.

The Kuëòa

In the maëòapa a square pit is built measuring one “hasta“ (the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, approx. 18 inches) with a one “muñöi“ (the width of the fist, approx. 3 inches) step on each side. The size of the kuëòa, according to convenience, may be larger depending upon the area available, the ceremony, number of guests, etc. The pit may be surrounded by one or three step walls. If a kuëòa cannot be constructed, one can perform the yajïa on a bed of sand of the same dimensions (this is known as a “sthandila“). In the Kåñëa Yajur Veda Saàhita it is stated:

Vediç ca samamärjanoddananädibhiù saàskäraiù saàskåta bhümiù

“When a yajïa-kuëòa is built, everything becomes well established - wealth, welfare, energy, health, and spiritual knowledge.”

The Wood

The wood should be cut to the size of the kuëòa and some should be cut to one “prädeça” length (aprox. 9 inches). One should avoid using any type of second-hand wood (i.e. orange-crates and old chairs etc), wet wood, wood from a dirty place, wood contaminated by impure items, wood eaten by worms, wood with thorns, or wood with bitter, milky or sour sap (such as ném, banyan, or pine-wood).

The Oblations

Normally, the oblations offered into the fire consist of ghee, barley and sesame seeds, although one can also add other ingredients such gur, dry fruit, dürva-grass, camphor, lotus-seeds, etc. In some yajïas it is perscribed that one should offer caru. This is made in two ways, one can either make sweet caru which is basically the same as sweet-rice with raisins, cardamon pods etc. or one can make the caru as one makes khichari. In both cases one should add extra ghee so that the offerings burn easily in the fire.

In the final offering (Pürëa Ahuti) one may offer fruits, new cloth, haritaki, pän, betel nuts, flowers, navaratna, etc. The remnants from the ?ürëa Ahuti may be accepted as prasädam after the yajïa - as this final oblation is an offering to the Lord for His satisfaction. One’s karma does not contaminate the final offering. It is understood that the spiritual master takes on the reactions of his dependents, as explained in the ‘Hari Bhakti Viläsa’ quoting the ‘Niti Çästra’ -

räjänam rästrakåtam päpam

räja päpam purohitam

bharatänam strékåtam päpam

çiñya päpam gurum vrajet

“The sins of the citizens are suffered by the king; the king’s sins by the räja-guru; the wife’s sins by the husband and the disciple’s sins by the guru.”

The Priests

A yajïa may involve the following four priests (åtviks) -

Hotå: The priest who invokes and worships the Lord, through the medium of the fire.

Udgätå: The priest who is in charge of chanting the mantras.

Advaryu: The priest who prepares and installs the paraphernalia, and ignites the sacred fire. He sees to the smooth running of the ceremony.

Brahma: The master of ceremonies. He sees that all the mantras are recited properly, corrects any errors that occur during the proceedings and sees to the proper stoking of the fire.