Homas: The different steps in a Homa and their significance

By Dasaji of Golden Age Foundation

During a homa, various rituals are performed successively in order to activate various energies and to also develop the right emotion to perform the homa. Some of these rituals are common and must be observed before every homa. After these rituals are performed, the main homa would begin wherein the rituals differ depending on which deity you invoke. The common rituals for every homa are as follows:

1. Pavitra Dharanam & Prarthana
   At this time, the performer as well as the other persons who are participating in a homa pray for the cleansing of their hearts and seek divine blessings of their ancestors and other divine beings. Having prayed thus, they wear a ring made of Darbha grass, which is known to repel negative energies, on the ring finger of their right hand.
   
   
2. Achamanam & Siromarjanam:
   Specially made copper vessels called Panchapatras are kept filled with water. (Note: during a homa, iron or steel vessels are not used because of their low spiritual energies. Silver, copper, bronze, brass or clay is preferred.) Water is taken with the left hand with a special copper spoon called udraneeya on to the cavity of the right palm and sipped three times chanting the names of Lord Vishnu. This procedure is to cleanse our body and mind & is followed by siromarjanam wherein the performers take water in the udraneeya and sprinkle water on their heads with their right thumb. The mantra chanted here means, ‘ whatever be the condition of my body, sacred or unsacred, by the very chanting of your divine names, I sanctify this body of mine in order to receive auspicious energies.’
   
   
3. Sthala Shuddhi
   This is a ritual wherein the performer takes water unto his right palm and chants a mantra which says, ‘ all you negative spirits who are trying to hinder our spiritual practices, immediately be gone and give way for the auspicious energies to enter our lives. Thereafter, the water is sprinkled all around to ward away these evil forces. Then the performer takes a vessel filled preferably with turmeric water and chants mantras inviting higher beings and sages and simultaneously sprinkles the water with mango leaves or Darbha grass in all eight directions. Sthala shuddhi is a purificatory rite.
   
   
4. Mahaganapati Pooja
   In the Hindu scriptures, the elephant headed God, Ganesha is always worshipped in the beginning of any ritual, for his blessings ensure that the whole procedure would move smoothly unhindered by any external obstacles at any stage. Lord Ganesha is invoked into a conical figure made by mixing turmeric powder and water. Turmeric is considered very auspicious and is therefore used to represent Lord Ganesha. Thereafter, a method of worship involving sixteen steps is performed to please Lord Ganesha. This is called Shodashopachara Pooja. All these steps are symbolical representations of the various forms of expressing reverence like offering the deity a golden throne to be seated, washing his feet, washing his hands, offering him water to drink, ceremonial bathing with sacred waters, offering new clothes, anointing him with sandal paste and other perfumes, adorning of jewels, worshipping with flowers, offering of fragrant incense, lighting the lamp, offering food, fruits and sweet drinks, chanting his praises, offering Arati and finally prostrating to him and seeking his blessings. This Shodashopachara Pooja is done to all the important deities in every homa.
   
   
5. Kalasha Pooja
   This is a very important step in the homa for it is here that we invoke the main deity of the homa. If it is a Gayatri homa, Goddess Gayatri is invoked; in a sudarshana homa, Lord Sudarshana is invoked and so on. The deity is invoked and worshipped in the Kalasha, which is a copper pot filled with water. A coconut is placed over the mouth of the Kalasha and the coconut is surrounded by five or seven mango leaves. This kalasha is further decorated with flower garlands and a cloth is draped over it. The Kalasha is placed at the North- Eastern corner of the Homa kunda or the sacrificial pit. Shodashopachara Pooja is performed to the respective deities in the kalasha. Yet another significance of the Kalasha is that it absorbs all the positive energies generated during the homa and hence the divine water in the Kalasha is sprinkled upon and distributed to the participants at the end of the homa. This water becomes charged with all the divine energies and has immense healing powers.
   
   
6. Sri Bhagavati Bhagavan Pooja
   All the homas performed by the members of the Golden Age Foundation are guided by the divine energies of the divine avatars, Sri Kalki & Amma and therefore Shodashopachara Pooja is performed to them seeking their blessings.
   
   
7. Agni Pratishtapanam, Dhyanam & Agni alankaranam
   Here, the sacrificial pit or Homa kunda is sanctified by chanting mantras, before the fire god Agni is invoked. Sticks from select trees are only used for homas. Mostly, the stisks of the Pipal tree are used. They are called Samidh in Sanskrit. Samidh is burned in a vessel till it is red hot and then the main performer goes to the south eastern corner of the homa kunda and slowly pours the red hot samidh into the kunda over the pile of samidh and darbha grass which is already placed inside. Then, amidst chantings, the performer gently blows the red-hot samidh and the fire rises up. Thereafter, ghee is offered and the participants meditate upon Agni. The success of a homa very much depends upon how the participants relate to the fire god Agni , because he serves as the medium between this mortal world and the other mystical worlds. After agni dhyanam or meditating on Agni is done, the fire god is decorated by placing flowers on the eight corners of the homa kunda amidst chantings. Water is sprinkled on all the four sides of the kunda and thus Agni becomes ready to accept the offerings offered to him.
   
   
8. Sankalpam:
   This is like the heart of the homa. The entire homa depends upon the Sankalpa or the strong will of the participants. Each homa is performed for a definite purpose and it is this purpose that the performer and participants clearly hold within their hearts as they take Sankalpa. The Sankalpa mantra itself is a very clear declaration stating ‘ According to the Indian Solar Calendar, in this particular year named thus (Indian astrology considers a cycle of sixty years with sixty distinct names), in this month, in this season, on this day of the brighter/darker phase of the moon, at a time when this particular constellation is ruling (each day is supposed to be ruled by one of the twenty seven important stellar constellations called Nakshatras); I am performing this particular homa to invoke and please this deity under the guidance of Sri Kalki & Amma for this individual/family, who is/are born under this sign of the zodiac and ruled by this Nakshatra.’
   
   
9. Pradhana homa
   Pradhana homa means ‘the main homa’. This is when the main mantra pertaining to the Pradhana Devata or the main deity is chanted 108 times continuously. Along with the chanting of the Moola mantra or the main mantra, various Ahutis or offerings like nine grains, medicinal herbs, dry fruits, rice cooked in ghee, cooked rice mixed with jaggery, silver flowers, gold flowers, black sesame seeds and various others are offered into the fire. The offerings are never the same and differ from homa to homa because each deity responds to a particular offering. All these details about the various ahutis for various homas are already stated in the Indian scriptures and have been followed meticulously over the ages by people. The common offerings for every homa are Samidh and ghee. In the scientific sense, each of these ahutis generate energies or vibrations of a particular frequency and in that frequency, that particular deity becomes accessible. So one must not mistake that how can this food be transported via fire to the deity. It is the vibrations generated that help us communicate to the deities.
   
   
10. Jayadi homa:
    The name itself suggests that this homa is for victory; for the success of all that we have done so far. During this procedure, mantras are chanted to appease the various forces of nature like wind, sun, moon, earth, rains, oceans, etc. the performer also expresses gratitude to all these forces of nature for it is with their cooperation that the homa has been possible.
    
    
11. Purnahuti homa
    The name itself speaks ‘complete offering’, meaning complete offering away of oneself. The participants are here made to feel deep within their hearts as to how finally what they seek for must come as the Divine blessing. They can only put efforts to a certain extent in the physical realm but beyond that things have to just happen and they must only surrender to the divine will and wait in gratitude. Externally, this feeling is symbolized by the final ahuti which includes dry coconut, nine grains, nine gems, five metals (silver, gold, copper, zinc & brass), betel leaves, betel nuts, dry fruits, medicinal herbs, sandal wood sticks, saffron and any other particular ahutis wrapped up in a silk cloth. The colour of the silk cloth again varies from homa to homa. Like for Gayatri, sudarshana, durga homas, the colour used is red. For, vidya homa, rudra homa etc., it is white and for Kubera Homa, it is green and so on. This bundle of offerings is drenched in ghee amidst vedic chantings and then offered into the Homa kunda. The offering of the Purnahuti marks the completion of the homa.
    
    
12. Pradakshinam, Namaskaram & Prasthanam:
    Thereafter, the performers and participants get up and go round the homa kunda three times in the clockwise direction and prostrate before the homa kunda. Thereafter Prasthanam is done which is the ceremonious send-off for all the higher beings and deities who have graced the homa. Mantras expressing gratitude are chanted here and the deities are requested to return to their respective abodes.