Esoteric
Significance of the Veda Purusha Jnana
Yajna
by
G.V. SubbaRao
From Sanathana Sarathi, December
1997
(The
photographs on this page show scenes from
the Veda Purusha Jnana Yajna held in October
1988)
For
many years since 1962, Bhagavân Baba has
been conducting a Veda Purusha Jnana Yajna (a
ritual) for seven days during Dasara for the
promotion of the material and spiritual
well-being of mankind. After a break of about
three years, the performance of this rite
(yajna) was resumed in October this year (1997)
in the Purnachandra Auditorium.
The
ritual (yajna) is the means for securing
awareness of the divine. It is governed by
mantras, sacrifice and divinity. Hence by
performing the ritual for seven days, one
secures the two-fold well-being (shreyas) and
the awareness of the divine (jnana). It may be
asked why the ritual should be performed for
seven days. The number seven has a special
esoteric significance in relation to creation.
For instance, there are said to be seven worlds
(saptha lokas), seven sages, seven seas, seven
sacred mountains, seven musical notations
(svaras), seven colors of the sun's ray, and so
on. If these are worshipped as symbols of the
divine, awareness of the divine arises. By the
performance of the ritual for seven days
according to Vedic injunctions, man can acquire
the ability to get rid of the seven veils of
ignorance, ascend the seven stages of spiritual
knowledge and achieve liberation
(moksha).
Before
the commencement of the ritual (yajna), the
vedic pandits take the prescribed vow to perform
the ritual after chanting the mantras for
sanctifying the place of ritual.
All
the Vedic pandiths who taking part in the
ritual, wearing sacred orange robes, arrive in a
procession from the temple (mandir) to the
Purnachandra Auditorium to the accompaniment of
auspicious nadasvaram music and the chanting of
Vedic hymns by students.
The
ritual begins with the lighting of the sacred
sacrificial fire. The fire is started by the
rapid rubbing of two sacred wooden sticks by the
priests. The sacrificial fire starts burning by
the natural emergence of fire in the latent
sticks, symbolic of the latent presence of the
divine in every object in creation.
Bhagavân has often declared that if one
turns the vision inward he would be able to
experience the light divine effulgent in one's
heart.
In
this ritual (yajna), seven principal deities are
worshipped. Ganesha, Surya (the sun god), Devi
(the divine Mother), Brahmâ, Vishnu,
Shiva, and Agni Shakthi. Vedic chants are
recited to adore the four-faced Brahmâ who
is the propagator of Vedas. The fire god (Agni),
the transmitter of devotional fire offerings to
the deities (devas), is also propitiated by the
offerings to the sacrificial fire. Altogether,
seven divine potencies are worshipped.
Bhagavân has declared that all these
potencies are in man.
Before
worship is done to any particular deity, the
help of Vighnesvara (Ganesha, Ganapathi) is
invoked for the prevention of any obstacles to
the worship. Ganapathi is worshipped as primary
deity who is the embodiment of the sacred mantra
"Om" (Pranava). He is the bestower of knowledge
and powers of various kinds.
The
worship of the sun-god is an important part of
this ritual. The priest engaged in this
sun-worship repeats the sacred mantras relating
to the sun while offering prostrations
(Surya-namaskar) to the sun-god. The sun is the
bestower of health and is the lord of all
planets in the solar system. The worship is
offered not to the physical sun but to the
presiding deity, Suryanarayana.
Another
important feature of the ritual (yajna) is the
worship of Devi. She is Paramesvari,
Chithsvarupini, and Mayasvarupini. She
represents nature, the mother of the universe,
and is the supreme embodiment of love. She
represents seven material forms of the divine.
In the ritual, Devi is worshipped by the
recitation of Lalitha Sahasranama and the
reading of the Devi Bhagavatham.
Vishnu
is worshipped in this ritual by the recitation
of Bhagavatham and Purusha Shukta. Vishnu is
hailed as the all-pervading lord of the cosmos
in the Purusha Shukta. The sage Suka told King
Parîkshit that by listening to the glories
of Vishnu in the seven days given to him before
his end, he could attain salvation.
[Srîmad
Bhâgavatam]
The
reading of Valmiki's Ramayana is another
significant item in this ritual. The regular
reading of the Ramayana has great value for the
spiritual aspirant. In this context, Swami has
often stressed the special importance of
Sundarakanda, in which Valmiki extols the
exploits of Hanuman, the supreme devotee of
Râma.
The
most important aspect of this ritual (yajna) is
the worship of Shiva. This worship is done by
the worship (puja) offered to one thousand
lingas of Shiva and by the offerings to Shiva in
the sacrificial fire on all the seven days of
the ritual with the chanting of "Rudram". On the
final day of the ritual, Bhagavân
materializes various precious objects and offers
them to the sacrificial fire. Bhagavân has
declared that what everyone should offer in the
sacrificial fire are his bad qualities. Swami
has explained that the sacred smoke rising from
the sacrificial fire, fully charged with the
power of the sacred Vedic mantras, enters the
clouds and purifies the rain tailing from them.
The smoke of the sacrificial fire thus purifies
the pollution in the atmosphere and on
earth.
Brahmâ
as creator is propitiated in this ritual by the
chanting of the Vedas by the priests (rithviks).
The Vedas are eternal and are the basis for all
dharma. Bharath (India) is esteemed as the soul
of the Vedas and the land that gave the Vedas to
the world. Bhagavân has proclaimed the
glory of the Vedas in many of His
discourses.
Pandits
who have mastered the Rik and Yajur Vedas had a
prominent part in the ritual. Bhagavân has
often emphasized the purifying and sacrificial
power of the Vedic mantras.
Bhagavân's
discourses during the seven days of the ritual
(yajna) are veritable spiritual feasts for the
devotees. Bhagavân explains in the
simplest language profoundest Vedantik truths so
that everyone understands the message of the
nondualistic (advaitik) doctrine and the oneness
of the individual self and the Supreme Self.
This, indeed, is the real purpose of the
"Spiritual wisdom ritual (Jnana
Yajna)".
Baba
generously honors all the priests (rithviks) and
others participating in the ritual with gifts of
clothes and other things. This year's Veda
Purusha Yajna has become one of the most
memorable in the annals of Prasanthi
Nilayam.