The Concept of Yagna and Vedic Cultural Values - 1545 Words

Introduction Vedic tradition promotes sacrifice (yajna) as one of the essential concepts in peoples lives, as people believed that it assisted people in connecting with the divine. This would enable individuals to complete the purpose of living: to worship divinity and accept its role as the creator of the universe. Sacrifice is generally regarded by Vedic tradition as having the mission to bring harmony and stabilize conditions in nature. In addition to this, harmony is also believed to assist individuals in achieving harmony with themselves, as they would apparently experience harmony if they performed sacrifice. Sacrifice was often used with the purpose of assisting kings and their families care for state affairs and being able to deal with demanding situations that the community came across. Background Yajna was a concept that needed to be looked at from two perspectives, as in addition to having to perform the process in accordance with cultural values, individuals also had to go through great efforts in order to influence divinity to accept their sacrifices. Now, as for many other peoples, for the Vedic people too, the means through which sacrifice must pass to be brought to its fulfillment is fire (Vesci 14). The God Agni is one of the principal figures in Vedic tradition that has the purpose of assisting people in connecting with the divine. The fact that even his name stands as a reference to fire demonstrates that fire holds a particularlyShow MoreRelatedIndo-English Women Poetry: A Journey From Feminism to Post-Feminism1820 Words   |  8 Pagespurple buds and red, Leant down, - and, mid the pale greens edge The louts raised its head And softly, softly hour by hour Light faded and a veil Fell over tree, wave, and flower On came the twilight pale(Dutt1986:90). These romantic poets value spontaneity in thought and expression. Words and images were chosen to turn the familiar into a thing of beauty and tenderness. This early poetry is generally sentimental and sad. Indo-English poetry was first written by Kashiprasad Ghoshe (1809-1873)Read MoreThe Ramayana Is Not Just A Story5045 Words   |  21 Pagesexplores human values and the concept of dharma. Verses in the Ramayana are written in a 32-syllable meter called . The Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Hindu life and culture. Like the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is not just a story: it presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages in narrative allegory, interspersing philosophical and devotional elements. The characters Rama, Sita, Lakshman, Bharata, Hanuman, and Ravana are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness