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Hinduism - What Is A Brahmayajna?





("brahman sacrifice") One of the five major sacrifices (panchamahayajna) enumerated in holy scriptures (Dharma Shastras). 



These five major sacrifices are required daily religious observances for a “twice-born” householder, that is, a householder born into one of three Indian social groups: brahmin, kshatriya, or vaishya. 





These young males are eligible for the "second birth," a teenage religious initiation. 

Each of the five yajnas (sacrifices) is aimed at a distinct class of creatures, ranging from the Ultimate Reality to animals, and is fulfilled via various acts. 



Teaching and studying the Vedas, the earliest Hindu holy writings, satisfies the brahmayajna, which is oriented toward the Ultimate Reality (Brahman). 

Although Hindu life has changed significantly since the Dharma Shastras were written, many brahmins continue to study the Veda—if not regularly, at least at some point in their childhood.