Maha Lakshmi Vidya Bhavan Maha Lakshmi Vidya Bhavan

The Five Great
Daily Duties
~Panch Mahayajna~
Regardless of our individual stage in life (Ashram
Dharma) and also our profession, as Hindus we are
required to perform Five Great Daily Duties. These are
minimal practices which guide a person in everyday life,
ensure peace, material and spiritual prosperity.
The Sanskrit word ‘Yajna’ is derived from the root ‘yaj’
which has 3 meanings:
1. Prayer to God.
2. Collective action.
3. Selfless service.
Deeds performed with this triple attitude are called
‘Yajna’. The word ‘Panch’ means five and ‘Maha’ means
great. Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas, Shatpath
Brahmana, Laghu Vishnu Smriti (5-9), Manu Smriti (4-
21), Mahabharata and many more, identify 5 great duties
(Panch Mahayajna) to be performed in daily life.
These were designed to remind people of their obligations
towards religion, environment, nature, ancestors, elders,
society/nation and all animals. They are not merely
obligations to perform religious rituals, but are social and
moral obligations which have become deeply ingrained
into the Hindu way of life over many centuries.
The idea of ‘Panch Mahayajna’ has influenced many
Hindu traditions. Its principles are still followed,
knowingly or unknowingly, by Hindus in their daily life,
even more by those Hindus who do not strictly adhere to
religious practice
52 1982-2007 SILVER JUBILEE
By Shri Ramesh Charan
1 Dev Yajna
Towards Nature
Worship of God in the form of a family deity (Ishta
Devata) in the home shrine, through prayers and
meditations. This practice helps one to become Godconscious
in all daily activities.
Additionally, this practice arouses a sense of
togetherness in the family, since the family members
worship together and participate in rituals, chants,
singing and study of the scriptures. Tradition says that:
“A family that prays together stays together”.
Dev Yajna specifies the protection of the environment as
a religious duty. The word ‘Dev’ here means the one who
gives or the one on whom we depend. The givers (Devas)
are all considered to be elements of nature. In order to
maintain purity of atmosphere, Hindus perform
Angnihotra or Havan. Some people wrongly interpret
Angnihotra as worship of fire. In fact it is very similar to
a scientific process of fumigation, chemical disinfection
and sterilization in which camphor and aromatic
substances are burnt to produce aldehydes and ketones.
2 Brahma Yajna
Towards Knowledge
This is the study of the Vedas and other scriptures. This
daily practice refreshes one’s mind with the sacred