The Somayajna () or Somayaga (
ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
Me ...
: ) or Soma sacrifice is a
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
ritual. It is a type of
Yajna
In Hinduism, ''Yajna'' or ''Yagna'' (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐd͡ʒɲə ) also known as Hawan, is a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedas, Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature ...
associated with the lunar cycle, and regarded to be performed for the maintenance of the cosmic order.
This ritual is based on methods described in the
Vedas
FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...
.
Soma is used as the main offering in this Yajna, regarded to be able to propitiate deities. It is prescribed to be performed only by the
Brahmanas
The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedas, Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rigveda, Rig, Samaveda, Sama, Yajurveda, Yajur, and Athar ...
.
A priest who performs this Yajna is termed as a Somayaji.
Types
The seven types of Somayajna are:
* ''Agniṣṭoma'' – The first and main type, the six others are considered variations of this
* ''Uktya''
* ''Ṣoḍaśī''
*''Atyagniṣṭoma''
* ''Atirātra''
* ''Āptoryāma''
*''Vājapeya''
See also
*
Vedas
FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...
*
Yajna
In Hinduism, ''Yajna'' or ''Yagna'' (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐd͡ʒɲə ) also known as Hawan, is a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedas, Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature ...
References
External links
, , Acharya Dr. Vrajotsavji , , - Creative projects for revival of Ancient Vedic practices
{{Hindudharma
Soma (drink)
Yajna
Hindu rituals
Vedic customs