In this final article on the State of the Seer and also on this entire series on Gita Sara - A multi-stage and multi-life journey we tackle the ultimate truth of Advaitic philosophy, namely “everything is Brahman and there is nothing that is not Brahman”. This abstract concept has some surprisingly practical suggestions on how we treat ourselves, everyone around us, and ultimate the planet and universe we live in. I will elaborate on the notion of ‘Yajna’ and what it means in today’s world. It offers a foundation for diversity, inclusion, and sustainable fulfillment for all. Mahatma Gandhi captures the spirit of Yajna when he says
“Every single act of one who would lead a life of purity should be in the nature of Yajna. Yajna is duty to be performed, or service to be rendered, all twenty-four hours of the day.”
Jñāna–Karma-Sanyasa Yoga - Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 4, Verse 24
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् | ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना || 24||
brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā
For those who are completely absorbed in God-consciousness, the oblation is Brahman, the ladle with which it is offered is Brahman, the act of offering is Brahman, and the sacrificial fire is also Brahman. Such persons, who view everything as God, easily attain him.
The oblation denotes the material world, the ladle denotes the instrument of action, the act of offering denotes our constant disposition to act, and the sacrificial fire denotes the ultimate goal or purpose to be happy. This verse declares that the material world, the instrument of action, action itself and the ultimate goal of the action and also the performer is all the one and only Brahman.
Achieving inclusion and sustainability through the Yajna spirit
The Sanskrit word ‘yajna’ comes from the root ‘yaj’ which means ‘to sacrifice’ or ‘to worship with sacrifice’. Some have interpreted the word more narrowly to just indicate the performance of the ritualistic fire sacrifice to the fire god Agni. The practice of worshipping the gods with the ritualistic fire is called Deva Yajna - or literally sacrifice to the god.
One of the great upanishads, the Brahadarnyaka Upanishad talks about the five great yajnas (or pancha maha yajnas)
Brahma Yajna - To sacrifice to the study of scriptures (also called Rishi Yajna)
Deva Yajna - To sacrifice to the devas or gods
Pitr Yajna - To sacrifice to the ancestors
Bhuta Yajna - To sacrifice to the universe
Manushya Yajna - To sacrifice to other human beings
The Bhagavad Gita verse considered earlier (Chapter 4, Verse 24) references the Deva Yajna or the ritualistic sacrifice of worshipping the fire god Agni. However, it applies to all forms of Yajna. The verse extolls that the subject of sacrifice (e.g., the fire god), the object of sacrifice (e.g., the ghee), the instrument of sacrifice (e.g., the ladle), the act of sacrifice (e.g., performing of the sacrifice), and the performer of the sacrifice are all Brahman. When everything is Brahman there is no differentiation between the subject, object, instrument, performer etc. and the person who truly realizes this ‘becomes’ Brahman.
Similar to the Deva Yajna, when one performs Manushya Yajna, the person who is sacrificing and the person who is the recipient of the sacrifice and the object of the sacrifice is all Brahman. This yajna emphasizes the equality of all humans with no regard to gender, color, race, ethnicity, disability or any other discriminating factor. Diversity and inclusion is just appearing as one of the major metrics that corporations should report on based on the work done by the World Economic Forum and the four big accounting firms. In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and gender equality and reduced inequalities are two of the seventeen SDGs.
If Manushya Yajna emphasizes the ‘oneness’ of all human beings, Bhuta Yajna emphasizes the ‘oneness’ in all living things and all elements of the universe. The evolution of the Universe in the Vedas is described as the transformation of the five elements or pancha bhuta. The five elements are akasha (sky), vayu (air), agni (fire), jala (water), and prithvi (earth). Bhagavad Gita repeatedly emphasizes the interconnectedness of the universe and our role within that. In Chapter 3 Verse 14, Krishna says
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भव: | यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञ: कर्मसमुद्भव: || 14||
annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
All living beings subsist on food, and food is produced by rains. Rains come from the performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is produced by the performance of prescribed duties.
This verse shows the interconnectedness of our planet - all living being subsist on food and food requires rain; and then links it to the role of humanity - rains come from the performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is produced by the performance of prescribed duties. The sacrifice required of humans here is not to just perform rituals or yajna to pray to the rain god, but to perform our prescribed duties. Earlier in the same chapter Krishna talks about how one should perform work as a sacrifice, without the expectation of results with the ‘yajna’ spirit (see efficiency in action and renunciation of action). Gita urges us to sacrifice for the welfare of other human beings, other species, and other elements of the universe. This sacrifice in turn will sustain us and all other species.
Somewhat belatedly we are recognizing the importance of this interconnectedness and the sacrifice that is required to bring back the ecosystem in a sustainable balance through (a) the adoption of the ESG (Environmental Social Governance) metrics for corporate reporting; (b) ESG investing, and (c) UN’s SDG’s that emphasize sustainable cities and communities as well as sustainable life on land and below water.
Pitr Yajna emphasizes the importance of our ancestors and Brahma Yajna emphasizes the importance of spiritual practice and the quest for the ultimate truth. In summary, the concept of ‘yajna’ beautifully encapsulates the mindset of ‘sacrifice’ in everything that we do and to treat everyone, everything as that one consciousness, existence principle called Brahman.
“A bud sacrifices itself to become a flower; a flower sacrifices itself to become a fruit; a fruit sacrifices itself to become a tree; a tree sacrifices (part of) itself to bear a bud, and the interconnected cycle of life continues in the spirit of sacrifice.”
Key Takeaways
Gita verse 4.24
Yajna
Five types of yajna
Sacrifice
Time Sacrifice
Exercise for the week
“Sacrifice” X minutes every day
For a cause you believe in
For someone you love
For someone who is less privileged