Yajna, Daana, Tapas
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
Actions are generally classified as divine and secular. Those acts related to God and religious in character are called divine. Those done with worldly objectives are, in contrast, deemed secular. On this basis, all religious acts constitute yajna. Anything addressed to the Supreme Reality, the Almighty, will fall in this category.
Actions are generally classified as divine and secular. Those acts related to God and religious in character are called divine. Those done with worldly objectives are, in contrast, deemed secular. On this basis, all religious acts constitute yajna. Anything addressed to the Supreme Reality, the Almighty, will fall in this category.
Daana, as stated earlier, consists of all items offered with the sole aim of serving or helping those who receive them.
Tapas, austerity is religious or spiritual discipline of various kinds. In all forms of austerity, either something special is taken up or something harmful is avoided. The purpose is to have a measure of discipline and restraint. In other words, it can be denials or inclusions of special acts, processes or pursuits. The intention is to sublimate and enrich the inner personality with noble qualities and potentials., daana and tapas are always a need of human life. These cannot be avoided at any time. Yajna and daana instill and reinforce a proper link between oneself and the Supreme Reality as well as the society. Tapas always is aimed at deepening and fortifying oneself.
Yajna
Krishna is quite firm that these should not be neglected on any account. There should be no thought of abandoning these any time. For, he says, yajna, daana and tapas are the ones meant to purify the inner being of man. Here, Krishna has something more significant to add. Yajna daana and tapas are no doubt holy. But even a holy act will be so only when pursued with a holy attitude, that brings a divinizing effect on the performer. If the same act is done with unholiness, then it will prove to be vitiating. Ravana had performed great austerities. Kumbhakarna also did. Hiranyakashipu undertook severe austerities and got a number of boons, making him almost invincible. Can their efforts be thought of as holy then? Were the effects holy?
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He wished to perform a great sacrifice. Accordingly he made elaborate arrangements. He began the performance. Nachiketas, his young son, was by his side, witnessing all that was being done.
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Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.he holiness of any act does not thus consist in its external character, but in the holy attitude and purpose the performer fosters. An act, held holy, is expected to instill holiness in the performer. But it need not always do so.he time for giving gifts came. And lo, the father had brought all useless and aged cows from his cowshed, for gifting to brahmanas reciting holy Vedic Hymns. Did the yaaga become holy or unholy by this attitude? Nachiketas felt the impact and tried to bring this disharmony to his father's attention. It made the father extremely angry and he sent the son to the abode of Yama.hat happened with Vaajashravas of the Kathopanishad?
He wished to perform a great sacrifice. Accordingly he made elaborate arrangements. He began the performance. Nachiketas, his young son, was by his side, witnessing all that was being done.
T
Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.he holiness of any act does not thus consist in its external character, but in the holy attitude and purpose the performer fosters. An act, held holy, is expected to instill holiness in the performer. But it need not always do so.he time for giving gifts came. And lo, the father had brought all useless and aged cows from his cowshed, for gifting to brahmanas reciting holy Vedic Hymns. Did the yaaga become holy or unholy by this attitude? Nachiketas felt the impact and tried to bring this disharmony to his father's attention. It made the father extremely angry and he sent the son to the abode of Yama.hat happened with Vaajashravas of the Kathopanishad?
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