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“YACNA” i.e. ATTUNEMENT-GENERIC TERM FOR RITUALS.
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of rituals in the Nasks no one can deny the fact that Zoroaster himself
has given the institution of rituals if one admits, of the existence of 21
Nasks as the origin of the Zoroastrian Lore. If one understands the
fundamental principles on which the Zoroastrian rituals have been
based, one will be easily convinced that Zoroaster has never taught a
religion void of rituals. When we study impartially the subject of the
efficacy of Zoroastrian Rituals we see that rituals are an indispensable
element for helping the soul in its inexplicable progress, and that it is
the Zoroastrian rituals, which alone can keep a Zoroastrian in touch
with or attuned to higher spiritual forces--angels and archangels
working in nature. The word “Yacna” is a very well-known word for
“ritual” in the Avesta scriptures. The word literally signifies
‘attunement or unison or univibrant state,’ being derived from "Yaz" to
join or to be in tune with. It is this “Yacna” or procedure of attunement
which keeps the ritual-performer in tune with the "Yazads" or the
angel-like forces worthy of attunement. This word “Yacna” is a
collective term for “ceremonial” or "ritual", which obtains various
names when applied severally to various branches of ritual; and now
the word “Yacna” generally signifies only one particular grand
ceremony which is to be performed only in the fire-temples-viz., the
Yzashne ceremony. Hence originally the word “Yacna” signified the
generic meaning of ritual or ceremonial-a medium by means of which
the devotee can be in unison or univibrant with the unseen spiritual
forces for the development of his soul. The word "Yacna" occurs in the
"Yenghe Hatam" prayer which is one of the ancient triad of "Yatha
Ahu Vairyo", "Ashem Vohu" and "Yenghe Hatam", which are taught
in the Varsht Mansar Nask. This Yenghe Hatam prayer which is -
regarded by all the Avesta students unanimously as the most ancient
and taught by Zoroaster, teaches the institution of rituals by the word
“Yacna” which has the categorical sense of ceremonial. We find even
in the Gathas extant a paragraph which is nearly the same as the
Yenghe Hatam prayer, and which also contains the word "Yacna", and
this proves for us the fact that Zoroaster himself has given the