Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori

WORSHIP 99
deva offering, 1 bhatayajiia or bali, in which offerings are
made to Deva, Bhūta, and other Spirits and to animals;
pitṛ -yajña or tarpaṇ a, oblations to the pitṛ ; Brahmayajña,
or study of the Vedas and Manusyayajña, 2 or
entertainment of guests (atithisaparyā). By these five
yajñas the worshipper places himself in right relations
with all beings, affirming such relation between Deva,
Pitṛ , Spirits, men, the organic creation, and himself.
Horna, or Deva-yajña, is the making of offerings to
Fire, which is the carrier thereof to the Deva. A firepit
(kuṇ ḍ a) is prepared and fire when brought from the
house of a Brāhmaṇ a is consecrated with mantra. The
fire is made conscious with the mantra, Vaṃ vahnicaitanyāya
namah, and then saluted and named. Meditation
is then made on the three nāḍ is (vide ante)—Iḍ ā,
Piṇgala, and Suṣumnā—and on Agni, the Lord of Fire.
Offerings are made to the Iṣṭ adevata in the fire. After
the pūjā of fire, salutation is given as in Ṣ adāṇga-nyāsa,
and then clarified butter (ghee) is poured with a wooden
spoon into the fire with mantra, commencing with Oṃ
and ending with Svāhā. Homa is of various kinds, 3
several of which are referred to in the text, and is performed
either daily, as in the case of the ordinary nityavaiśva-deva-homa,
or on special occasions, such as the
upanayana or sacred thread ceremony, marriage, vrata,
and the like. It is of various kinds, such as prayakittahoma,
sṛ śtikṛ t-homā, janu-homa, dhārā homa and others,
some of which will be found in the “Principles of Tantra.”
1 Offerings of food and other things are made in the domestic fire. (See
Krīya-kāṇḍa-vāridhi, p. 917).
2 Also called Nṛ -yajña (man-sacrifice).
3 See Kriyā-kāṇḍa-vāridhi; p. 133. Homa may be either Vaidik, Paurāṇik,
or Tāntrik.