Grahayajna, Grahayajña, Graha-yajna: 8 definitions

Introduction:

Grahayajna means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

[«previous next»] — Grahayajna in Jyotisha glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira

Grahayajña (ग्रहयज्ञ) refers to “sacred fire ceremonies (in honour of the planets)”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 2), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “We shall now proceed to give a brief description of (the qualifications of) a jyotiṣaka. [...] In Yātrā, he must know the fitness or unfitness of a tithi (lunar day), vāra (week day), karaṇa, nakṣatra, muhūrta, and lagna (a sign of zodiac) and yoga for particular purposes. He must be able to interpret natural gestures and dreams; he must be able to state when a prince ought to start for battle to secure success in war; he must be learned in rules relating to ablutions and sacred fire ceremonies in honour of the planets [i.e., grahayajña] and offerings to evil spirits; he must be able to interpret phenomena connected with such sacred fires and with elephants and horses while mounting the same”.

Source: Google Books: Studies in the History of the Exact Sciences (Astronomy)

Grahayajña (ग्रहयज्ञ) (Cf. GrahaGrahaśānti) (also Grahapūjā) refers to the “rite of planet worship”. The rules, which were codified in Sanskrit, found a due place in a group of the supplementary texts (pariśiṣṭa or śeṣasūtra) of the gṛhyasūtras (rules for domestic rites). The following gṛhya texts describe in some way or other the ceremony of planetary worship:

Jaiminigṛhyasūtra 2.9,
Bodhāyanagṛhyaśeṣasūtra 1.17,
Āgniveśyagṛhyasūtra 2.5,
Vaikhānasagṛhyasūtra 4.13-14,
Āśvalāyanagṛhyapariśiṣṭa Chapter 2; pp. 313-324,
Hiraṇyakeśigṛhyaśeṣasūtra 1.3.10,
Kāthakasaṃkaraṇa 4.5.6 (Grahabrāhmaṇa).

The same rite is found in the Śāntikalpa belonging to the Atharvaveda and in the Atharvavedapariśṣṭa. Later it became one of the topics of the manuals of professional astrologers, for example, the Bṛhadyātrā of Varāhamihira, Chapter 18. Some Purāṇa texts also contain chapters describing similar rites: Matsyapurāṇa, Chapter 93 (grahaśānti-varṇana), and Chapter 239 (grahayajñagrahayajñādīnāṃ vidhānavarṇanam) , Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa 2.105, Agnipurāṇa 266, Garuḍapurāṇa 100, Bhaviṣyapurāṇa-Uttara 141, Padmapurāṇpa 5.82.

Jyotisha book cover
context information

Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Grahayajna in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Grahayajña (ग्रहयज्ञ).—worship or sacrifice offered to the planets.

Derivable forms: grahayajñaḥ (ग्रहयज्ञः).

Grahayajña is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms graha and yajña (यज्ञ). See also (synonyms): grahayāga.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Grahayajña (ग्रहयज्ञ).—m. a sacrifice offered to the planets, [Yājñavalkya, (ed. Stenzler.)] 1, 294.

Grahayajña is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms graha and yajña (यज्ञ).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

1) Grahayajña (ग्रहयज्ञ) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—śr. B. 1, 220. Bhr. 590. Oppert. 2820.
—by Kamalākara. Bp. 297.

2) Grahayajña (ग्रहयज्ञ):—śr. Gov. Or. Libr. Madras 25.

3) Grahayajña (ग्रहयज्ञ):—assigned to Vasiṣṭha. Ak 350.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Grahayajña (ग्रहयज्ञ):—[=graha-yajña] [from graha > grah] m. a sacrifice offered to the planets, [Yājñavalkya i, 294; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā; Matsya-purāṇa ccxxxviii]

[Sanskrit to German]

Grahayajna in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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