History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c35.10.2

v2.c35.10.2

28) to look upon them as saṁskāras, as ennobling the soul by freeing it from mere selfishness and elevating the body to become a fit vehicle for higher things.¹⁶⁶⁹ Later on it appears that other purposes came to be attributed to the institution of the five daily yajñas. According to Manu III. 68-71, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 59. 19-20, Śaṅkha V. 1-2, Hārīta, Matsyapurāṇa 52. 15-16 and others every householder causes injury or death to sentient beings every day in five places, viz. the hearth, the grinding mill, broomstick, winnowing basket and similar household gear, mortar and pestle, and water-jar. The five daily yajñas were devised by the great sages as atonements for the sins arising from these five sources of injury to life. These five are: brahmayajña which consists in the study and teaching of the Veda, pitṛyajña which consists of *tarpaṇa*, daivayajña which consists in offerings made into fire, bhūtayajña which is offering oblations to beings and manuṣyayajña which consists in honouring guests. He who performs these daily according to his means is never tainted by the sin of the injuries arising from the five places mentioned above. Manu (III. 73-74) further¹⁶⁷⁰ says that former sages had a different nomenclature for the five yajñas i. e. *ahuta*, *huta*, *prahuta*, *brāhmya-huta* and *prāśita*, which were the same respectively as japa (or brahmayajña), homa (devayajña), bhūtayajña, manuṣyayajña and pitṛtarpaṇa (pitṛyajña). In the Atharvaveda VI. 71.