[Butiqueso]

I would classify the Homas into three categories.

Private Homas:

These are conducted by individuals by engaging a qualified Sasthirigal. He does it for the individual Yajamana. The most common type. Some of the important homas are

1. Ganapthy Homa.

2. Navagraha homa.

3. Mrithunjaya homa.

4. Sudharshana Homa.

5. Tila homa.

6. Chandi Homa.

Public Non-Participative Homas.

Here a group of individuals get the Homa conducted. The homa is still done only by the sasthirigals. There is individual sankalpa in favour of the individual members of the group. Sometimes it is done by an organization. They sell tickets or invite contributions. The contributor gives the details of name, Gotra etc. for sankalpa.

The most common Homa done this way is

Chandi Homa.

Public Participative Homas.

These are conducted by individuals/organizations. Though there may be qualified sasthirigals participating, they do only in their individual capacity. All individuals take sanklapa, chant the mantras and offer ahudhis into the fire.

Smaller Groups:

This is done mostly by members who follow a particular Guru. We used to perform a Yagna every Pournami night at the temple erected by my Deekasha Guru. Here people who have the Adhikara sit along with the Guru around the fire with all the numerous Samagris. All of them recite the Mantras and offer Ahudhis into the fire. Many Deities are worshiped and Mantras recited. A specific number of Ahudhis are offered with each mantra. There is no distinction of sex or caste. People belonging to both sexes and all castes recite the Mantras and offer Ahudhis.

The Purna Ahudhi is done by the Guru.

There are also people who come to witness this Yagna. They sit around the fire. They are permitted to chant the Mantras, though they do not offer the Ahudhis.

In a similar way Chandi Yagna, Dhanvantari Yagna and others are conducted. In these cases the Mantra is that of a particular Deity.

Bigger Groups:

In bigger groups all the people recite the Mantras and also give ahudhis. But in a large crowd it is not possible for their offerings to reach the Fire. So two plates are given to all. One plate for holding the Samagri and the other for putting them in. You recite the mantra and put the samagri in the other plate. At the end of the yagna you walk up to the fire and pour the samagri into the fire. Of course it all depends on how well the yagna is organized.

The point to be noted here is that all the participants irrespective of any distinction of sex, caste or for that matter religion take the sankalpa, recite the Mantra and offer Ahudhis.Generally this kind of yagna is only with one Mantra for the deity. The Mantra is printed and distributed to all the participants.

There are many variations of this. A couple of years back we did a yagna on the Banks of the Ganges river in Varanasi. Early morning before sun rise facing the Manikarnika ghat. We recited Siva Sahasranama. Some bodies were burning in the back ground. It was fantastic.

In all these yagnas there is no role for the Priests. There are none in many cases. I remember a local person who joined us in the Varanasi yagna, inquiring about Brahmin dakshina at the end of the yagna. We had a hearty laugh.

These participative yagnas are becoming popular. It is very satisfying as there is no intermediary. You take the sankalpa and you perform the yagna.