Participation in Family Work – Pancha Mahayagnas-te

Pancha Mahayagnas

Objective –

To enable the Balvikas children to recall the pancha maha yagnas to be performed by every householder.

Related Values –

• Valuing our traditions
• Spirit of Enquiry
• Discrimination
• Right Conduct

Materials Required –

• 12 slips each bearing the name of a Yagna as given in the list at the end.
  (namely Deva Yagna, Rishi Yagna, Atithi Yagna, Pitru Yagna, Bhoota Yagna)
• A bowl for the slips

How to Play –

1. The children are seated in a circle.
2. The guru hands over the bowl with the slips to one child.
3. With bhajans playing in the background, the activity is carried on- passing the bowl.
4. When the bhajan stops, the child holding the bowl picks up a slip from it and reads it loudly and identifies the yagna to which that activity belongs.
   (Ex. Reading the Ramayana- Ans – Deva Yagna.)
5. The passing the parcel activity continues in this manner till all the 12slips are exhausted.
6. Likhita Japam 1 page daily. (Deva)
7. Taking proper care of pets (Bhoota)
8. Bhageerath’s tapasya to redeem his cursed ancestors. (Pitru)
9. Chanting Vedas. (Rishi)
10. Keeping water bowls for birds. (B)
11. Reciting Suprabhatam daily. (D)
12. Offering cool drinks at seva stalls (Atithi)
13. Offering obeisance to departed ancestors during annual shraad ceremony (P)
14. Partaking food only after offering to guests was a practice of ancient days. (A)
15. Feeding crows and cows. (B)
16. Listening to stories from the Upanishads. (R)
17. Learning one shloka from the Bhagavad Gita daily. (D)