Yajamana

Yajamana literally means one who is performing the Yajna or Vedic sacrifice.

Yajamana is the chief person in the Vedic ritual known as Yajna. He is the key person who organizes the ceremony, meets all its expenses and is eligible for the fruits of the sacrifice.

The job of the Ritvik or priest is to assist the Yajamana and in return he will receive compensation known as dakshina.

Not all persons could do a yajna. Only a married person, a family man or grihashta, belonging to Brahmin, Khshatroya or Vaishya community were eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices. The wife of the Yajamana had significant role to play in the Vedic ritual.

Once a Vedic Yajna fire was lit, the fire had to be maintained for ones entire life. If for some reason the fire got extinguished, the Yajamana had to ceremonially rekindle the same.

On death his body had to be rekindled with these fires.

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That's it. Thank you for reading about Yajamana. You may also like the following.

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Reference
Vedic Sacrifices: An Outline, Swami Harshananda, Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore

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