Homa (ritual)

Homa is a Sanskrit word that refers to a ritual, wherein an oblation or any religious offering is made into fire. A Homa is sometimes called a "sacrifice ritual" because the fire destroys the offering, but a Homa is more accurately a "votive ritual". The fire is the agent, and the offerings include those that are material and symbolic such as grains, clarified butter, milk, incense and seeds.

It is rooted in the Vedic religion, and was adopted in ancient times by Buddhism and Jainism. The practice spread from India to Central Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Homa rituals remain an important part of many Hindu ceremonies, and variations of Homa continue to be practiced in current-day Buddhism, particularly in parts of Tibet and Japan. It is also found in modern Jainism.

A Homa ritual is known by alternate names, such as yajna in Hinduism which sometimes means larger public fire rituals, or jajnavidhana or goma in Buddhism. In modern times, a Homa or Havana tends to refer to a private ritual around a symbolic fire, such as those observed at a wedding.

The Sanskrit word Homa (होम) is from the root hu, which refers to "pouring into fire, offer, sacrifice".

Some sources treat the words homa/homam and havan (Sanskrit: हवन) as synonymous.

Homa traditions are found all across Asia, from Samarqand to Japan, over a 3000-year history. A homa, in all its Asian variations, is a ceremonial ritual that offers food to fire and is ultimately linked to the traditions contained in the Vedic religion. The tradition reflects a reverence for fire and cooked food (Paka-yajna) that developed in Asia, and the Brahmana layers of the Vedas are the earliest records of this ritual reverence.

Inner Homa, body as temple

Therefore the first food which a man may take,
is in the place of Homa.
And he who offers that first oblation,
should offer it to Prana, saying svaha!
Then Prana is satisfied.
If Prana is satisfied, the eye is satisfied.
If eye is satisfied, the sun is satisfied.
If sun is satisfied, heaven is satisfied.

Yajna or vedic fire sacrifice ritual, in Indian context, became a distinct feature of the early Sruti (Vedic) rituals. A srauta ritual is a form of quid pro quo where through the fire ritual, a sacrificer offered something to the gods, and the sacrificer expected something in return. The Vedic ritual consisted of sacrificial offerings of something edible or drinkable, such as milk, clarified butter, yoghurt, rice, barley, an animal, or anything of value, offered to the gods with the assistance of fire priests. This Vedic tradition split into Srauta (Sruti-based) and Smarta (Smriti-based).

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