chap5 chapter04.html chapter05.html chapter06.html Vedic Roots of Hindu Iconography R. Nagaswamy CHAPTER-5 Fire Offering: Agni Karya - Homa
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Four Brahmin priests are invited to officiate as Ṛtviks, to perform the Vedic chants. The performer now seeks the approval of these Bramaṇa priests and with their approval, gets the purificatory chants recited. The priests are expected to give their approval by loud acceptance which is given in the following manner. The performer will say let there be peace “śāntiḥ astu” and the Brahmin priests will say let it be so “astu”. The following are the requests so made:
  • Let the day be declared auspicious for this ritual: the priests will say let it be so.
  • Be pleased to pronounce thy blessings on all the acts performed in this ritual with purified material : let it be so.
  • Let everything performed in this ritual be complete without any shortcoming. Let it be so.
  • Let this day be auspicious on all counts: let it be so.
  • Let the ritual be auspicious: let it be so.
  • Let there be peace everywhere: let it be so.
  • Let there be good health everywhere: let it be so.
  • Let there be happiness everywhere: let it be so.
  • Let there be prosperity everywhere: let it be so.
  • Let there occur no impediment: let it be so.
  • Let there be full life everywhere: let it be so.
  • Let there be healthy body everywhere: let it be so.
  • Let any sin that remains be extinguished: let it be so.
  • Let there be wealth everywhere: let it be so.
  • Let there remain all auspiciousness: let it be so.
 The Brahmin priests pronounce all these requests will be fulfilled. It is seen these prayers are general in nature and are sought after for the whole community and not for any individual. That shows there was a stronger concern for communal health, prosperity, wealth, life, knowledge and happiness. It is also noticed that all the material used in the ritual should be pure and great care was taken not only to collect pure material but also attention to see that they are made pure. It also suggests that health, long life, wealth, knowledge and peace were emphatically prayed for all and in this sense there seems to have been a universal outlook permeating the Vedic society. The individual is only a part of the society and the happiness of the society is vital for individual happiness.
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