In its most
particular sense, homa refers to the "devayajna," or "sacrifice
to the gods," which is one of the Five Great Sacrifices (panchamahayajna)
specified in the dharma literature, or religious obligation writings.
Homa is a ceremony that involves putting offerings of
clarified butter into a sacrificial fire in order to appease the gods.
Today, the term homa has a far broader connotation, referring to any religious ceremony in which gifts are deposited in the holy fire.
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