The term yajña and its meanings

[Advayananda]

ॐ

​Respected Scholars of the Forum,​

Hari Om! Salutations.

​The term 'yajña' has been interpreted variously:

1. As the Lord Himself as in Yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ anyatra, Bhagavad-gītā, 3.9

2. As a fire sacrifice and worship as in sahayajñaḥ prajaḥ sṛṣṭvā, Bhagavad-gītā, 3.10. ​

​3. As Ātman as in brahmāgnāvapare yajñaṁ yajñenaivopajuhvati, Bhagavad-gītā, 4.25.
The commentator, Veṅkaṭanātha (author of Brahmānandagiri, a commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā) in the context of the word 'yajñam' ​

​in 4.25, says it is Ātman, the individual self.​

​
He then says that among the various meaning​

​s given for Yajña by Yāska the individual self is one.

Request scholars to please guide me on this:

1. The actual Nirukta statement of Yāska stating the various meanings of the term 'yajña'.

2. Are there any other meanings for the word 'yajña' apart from what Yāska has mentioned? ​

​Ever grateful for the assistance.​

In Shri Guru Smriti,
Advayananda

[desikan desikan]

नमो नमः। यज देवपूजायामिति यजनं- देवताराधनम् श्रीदेशिकप्रियः - --- On Sun, 17/3/13, Advayananda <advay...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Hnbhat B.R.]

अध्वर इति यज्ञ नाम ध्वरतिर्हिंसा कर्मा तत् प्रतिषेधः

ज्ञा

१,१६ः         `` एतद् वै यज्ञस्य स्मृद्धम् यद् रूपसमृद्धम् यत् कर्म क्रियमाणम् ऋग् यजुर् वा अभिवदति ऽऽ (ङ्B् २,२,६) इति च ब्राह्मणम्

,१९ः         यज्ञः कस्मात्, प्रख्यातम् यजतिकर्म इति नैरुक्ताः। याच्नो भवति इति वा यज्र् उन्नस् भवति इति वा बहु कृस्न अजिन इत्य् औपमन्यवो यजूंस्य् एनम् नयति इति वा ।[३१९]

७,४ः          यज्ञ शब्देन च विष्णुरुच्यते  --- विष्णुर्वै यज्ञ इति हि विज्ञायते।

3,19: yajñaḥ.kasmāt,.prakhyātam.yajatikarma.iti.nairuktā.

yācno.bhavati.iti.vā.yajr.unnas.bhavati.iti.vā.bahu.kṛsna.ajina.ity.aupamanyavo.yajūṃsy.enam.nayati.iti.vā/[319]

१२,४१ः        `यज्ञेन यज्ञम् अयजन्त देवास् तानि धर्मानि प्रथमान्य् आसन् ।

१२,४१ः        ते ह नाकम् महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाह् ।ऽऽ 

१२,४१ः        यज्ञेन यज्ञम् अयजन्त देवाह्, अग्निना अग्निम् अयजन्त देवाह् ।

१२,४१ः        `अग्निः पशुर् आसीत् तम् आलभन्त ।

१२,४१ः        तेन अयजन्तऽऽ इति च ब्राह्मणम् ।

१३,६ः         अथ एषा यज्ञस्य ।

१३,७ः         `चत्वारि शृण्गा त्रयो अस्य पादा द्वे शीर्षे सप्त हस्तासो अस्य ।

१३,७ः         त्रिधा बद्धो वृसभो रोरवीति महो देवो मर्त्यान् आ विवेश ।ऽऽ 

१३,७ः         चत्वारि शृण्गा इति वेदा वा एत उक्ताह् ।

१३,७ः         त्रयस् अस्य पादा इति सवनानि त्रीनि ।

१३,७ः         द्वे शीर्ष१द् प्रायनीय उदयनीय१द् ।

१३,७ः         सप्त हस्तासः सप्त छन्दस्१प् ।

१३,७ः         त्रिधा बद्धस् त्रेधा बद्धो मन्त्र ब्राह्मण कल्पैर् वृसभस् रोरवीति ।

१३,७ः         रोरवनम् अस्य सनव क्रमेन ऋच् भिर् यजुस् भिः सामभिर् यद् एनम् ऋच् भैः शंसन्ति यजुस् भिर् यजन्ति सामभिः स्तुवन्ति  ।

१३,७ः         महो देव इत्य् एष हि महान् देवो यज्ञज्ञो मर्त्याम् आविवेश इति ।

१३,७ः         एस हि मनुष्यान् आविशति यजनाय ।

१३,७ः         तस्य उत्तरा भूयसे निर्वचनाय ।

The above are the contexts where the word यज्ञ appears in Nirukta in different shades of meaning. Durgacarya's commentary on the above portions can be referred  for more detailed information.. 

 I will get back if I can get any more information. But better to get mixed with the meanings in the context of Philosophy and other Puranic contexts with the one in Nirukta and Vedic texts. Each have their own circumference and limited in scope.

--
Dr. Hari Narayana Bhat B.R. M.A., Ph.D.,
Research Scholar,

Ecole française d'Extrême-OrientCentre de Pondichéry

16 & 19, Rue Dumas

[Hnbhat B.R.]

यजयाचयतविच्छप्रच्छरक्षो नङ् ३।३।९०। इति "यज देवपूजा-संगतिकरण-दानेषु" इति धातोः नङ् प्रत्ययः। यज्+न - "स्तोः श्चुना श्चुः ८।४।४०" इति श्चुत्वेनानुनासिकस्य नकारस्य जकारेण योगात् चुत्वे ञः। यज्+ञ - यज्ञः।

The simple etymology for the word is above and the meanings for the verb is given as above in Madhava's धातुवृत्ति. The rest is limited by the context of the text where it appears and the topic defines its own concepts as done in भगवद्गीता.

 भावेऽकर्तरि कारके चेति वर्तते। अत एव "यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवाः" इत्यत्र इज्यते इति यज्ञ इति व्याचक्षते।

इति तत्त्वबोधिनी। 

[Advayananda]

ॐ

​T

​he Brahmanandagiri commentary on Bhagavad Gita 4.25 on the context of Yajna says: यज्ञशब्दस्य आत्मनामसु यास्केन पाठितत्वाद् आत्मनामत्वम् अवगम्यते

That means one of the other names of Atman is Yajna. I am interested in the exact line of Yaska's Nirukta wherein he says this.
​

In Shri Guru Smriti,
Advayananda

2013/3/17 Hnbhat B.R. <hnbh...@gmail.com>

[Hnbhat B.R.]

ॐ

​T

​he Brahmanandagiri commentary on Bhagavad Gita 4.25 on the context of Yajna says: यज्ञशब्दस्य आत्मनामसु यास्केन पाठितत्वाद् आत्मनामत्वम् अवगम्यते

That means one of the other names of Atman is Yajna. I am interested in the exact line of Yaska's Nirukta wherein he says this.
​

It does not mean one of other names Atman is Yajna. It simply means Yaska lists the word यज्ञ among the synonyms of आत्मन्, and I have given the occurrences of the word  यज्ञ in the Nirukta in my first post itself. As it can be seen in their contexts, it is not listed among the synonyms of आत्मन् which is not at all found in Nighantu in the first place. It is listed among the names of अध्वर and Nirukta is given for the word with different occurrences in Veda in the 7th Adhyaya.

Now the question is what is the source for the statement of Br. Venkatagiri? Is it simply the statement 

  यज्ञ शब्देन च विष्णुरुच्यते  --- विष्णुर्वै यज्ञ इति हि विज्ञायते।

in Nirukta?

 

[Dr. Yadu Moharir]

Namaskar Scholars

In the context of y}

AayuyR}en kLpta<, àa[ae y}en kLptampanae y}en kLpta<, Vyanae y}en kLpta< c]uyR}en kLpta‡, ïaeÇ< y}en kLpta< mnae y}en kLpta< , vaGy}en kLptamaTma y}en kLpta< , y}ae y}en kLptam! . éÔaXyay (cmk) 10.

 Here, all activities performed during living are classified under the term yajïa that includes designed efforts Therefore could we not make a generic meaning as - Carefully thought out & planned experiments that is known to all.

Going back to Nirukta

3,19: yajñaḥ.kasmāt,.prakhyātam.yajatikarma.iti.nairuktā.

yācno.bhavati.iti.vā.yajr.unnas.bhavati.iti.vā.bahu.kṛsna.ajina.ity.aupamanyavo.yajūṃsy.enam.nayati.iti.vā/[319]

I think the reference statement of Aupamanyaa also provides a clue that during this occasion there were many sages. Could this not be looked upon as an assembly of scholars at a conference? However, if one tries to explain the term through derivation from "ajina (बहु कृस्न अजिन इत्य् औपमन्यवो)" then the statement does not make any sense to me.

Also, it provides a clue that our ancestors were constantly striving to improve through interaction with others in the assembly. (vaade vaade jaayate tatva bodaH)

Thanks,

Dr Yadu

[Dr. Yadu Moharir]

For some reasons fonts did not come through

आयुर्यज्ञेन कल्पतां
प्राणो यज्ञेन कल्पतामपानो यज्ञेन कल्पतां
व्यानो यज्ञेन कल्पतां चक्शुर्यज्ञेन कल्पता
श्रोत्रं यज्ञेन कल्पतां मनो यज्ञेन कल्पतां
वाग्यज्ञेन कल्पतामात्मा यज्ञेन कल्पतां
यज्ञो यज्ञेन कल्पताम् .. १०..

---

From: Dr. Yadu Moharir <ymoh...@yahoo.com>
To: "hnbh...@gmail.com" <hnbh...@gmail.com>; Advayananda <advay...@gmail.com>
Cc: "srith...@yahoo.com" <srith...@yahoo.com>; "bvpar...@googlegroups.com" <bvpar...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2013 7:53 AM
Subject: Re: {भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्} The term yajña and its meanings

[Advayananda]

ॐ

​Respected Scholars of the Forum,​

Hari Om! Salutations.

​I gratefully acknowledge receipt of all inputs on the question of the term 'yajña'.​

​ It has helped me a lot.​

In Shri Guru Smriti,
Advayananda