Page 26 - Masala Lite Issue 176 August 2025

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BEYOND THE

RITUAL

Yagna: The Fire Within
BY KRIPA SINGH
So, what does this mean in practice?
Yagna is not limited to fire rituals or

Vedic chants. It is present in daily life,
f you’ve ever sat before a sacred in the way we give, serve, and show

fire, offered grains into the flames, up for the world around us. Forms

and chanted mantras, you’ve of Yagna can include:
participated in a ritual known as Yagna.

There’s something undeniably powerful • Offering one’s work as
service to the divine;
about the crackling sounds, the rhythmic
chanting, and the quiet focus as offerings • Sharing knowledge or wisdom

are placed into the flames. But behind without expectation;

the smoke and symbolism lie questions • Practicing charity, kindness, and
often left unasked: What are we really compassion; and

offering? Why does it matter? And what • Cultivating gratitude for all that is received.
exactly is Yagna?
This broader view of Yagna invites each of us to participate in the spiritual act of

The word Yagna comes from the Sanskrit root yaj, which means to worship, to sacrifice, offering, not just during pujas, but in every moment, we choose connection over
or to unite with the divine. Traditionally, a Yagna involves making offerings—usually of self-centeredness.

ghee, grains, herbs, or wood—into a consecrated fire, often accompanied by chanting

Still, during the currently on going period of Shravan (an auspicious month in the
Vedic mantras. Fire, or Agni, was seen as the messenger between the earthly and the

divine, carrying our offerings to the gods. Hindu calendar dedicated to worshipping Lord Shiva), when you physically offer
something to a fire or deity, there’s an opportunity to deepen your practice. Before

But Yagna isn’t just about feeding a fire. It is a symbolic act of giving—a reminder that placing your offering, hold it gently in your hands. Close your eyes and breathe. Ask

life itself is an exchange of energies. Whether it’s the sun giving light, trees offering yourself: “What am I truly offering?” Is it gratitude? Ego? A wish? A habit you’d like

oxygen, or humans sharing knowledge, everything thrives through mutual offering. to let go of? A part of yourself you’re ready to surrender?
In the Bhagavad Gita, Yagna is reinterpreted as a principle of cosmic reciprocity—the When you release the offering into the fire, do so with awareness. Let it symbolise

cycle of giving and receiving that sustains the universe. It’s through this lens that we your willingness to participate in the sacred cycle of ‘give and receive’. In that instant,
understand Lord Krishna’s powerful teaching: “All actions other than Yagna entrap ritual becomes meaningful. The fire is no longer just a flame—it becomes a mirror,

us. Yagna alone liberates us.” (Chapter 3, Verse 9.) reflecting your intention.

This means that when we act with self-interest, we become entangled in desire and In this way, Yagna becomes more than a ritual. It becomes a way of life. A practice

consequence. But when we offer our actions selflessly, as Yagna, we align ourselves that teaches us to give without clinging, act without ego, and serve with devotion.

with the greater order of life. Selfless action, performed in the spirit of offering, leads Because ultimately, what we offer to the fire is not just material, it is ourselves. And

not to bondage, but to freedom. that is where true transformation begins.