Somayag

The Somayajña is a yajña (ritual) performed for appeasing the celestial entities in Hinduism. It is primarily performed to promote the wellbeing of all humanity. The ritual is based on methods prescribed in the Vedas. Soma is used as the main oblation in this yajna, hence the name Somayajña. The Soma plant, the king of medicinal herbs, is said to be relished by the celestials.

Types

In a Somayajña, there is a full complement of priests, with each of them being assisted by three others. In all sixteen priests participate in the Somayag. There are a total of seven types of Somayag:

1. Agnistoma - This is the first and main type, referred to as the ‘Prakriti’ (archetype) while the other six are its ‘Vikriti’
2. Uktya
3. Shodashi
4. Atiratra
5. Atya Agnistoma
6. Vajapeya
7. Aptoryam

Benefits

Somayajña has unparalleled importance in the yajna culture. This special yajna is said to provide an extra powerful boost of healing energy for those who participate and also to the whole world. Performance of a Somayajña is intended to cleanse the atmosphere so that it becomes medicinal, nutritious and disease-free, yielding a qualitative and quantitative improvement in the psyche. The benefits of Somayajña for the public are similar to those of the other Śrauta yajnas, e.g. cleansing of the environment of toxins and harmful pollutants. The performance of a Somayag has some prerequisites apart from the knowledge of Yajurveda in full together with the auxiliary sutras e.g. Srauta grihya-dharma-kalpa pertaining to the particular recension of the Veda.

In Practice

In 2015, an Atya Agnistoma Somayag was performed by Dharma Vardhiny Sabha in Telangana, India near Gnana Saraswati Temple, Basar, an important places of pilgrimage. This is the first ever recorded performance of a Somayajña in Basar. The yajna was performed over six days at the Naimisharanyam Yagashala^[1] from 27 July 2015 to 1 August 2015.^[2]

See also

• Vedas
• Yajna

References