Suktavāka
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Suktavāka literally means ‘speech of adoration’.
This word means the deity Agni and also the formula repeated by the hotṛ in the Darśapurnamāsa sacrifice. It is chanted by the hotṛ priest at a particular stage in the sacrifice when the adhvaryu priest and then the āgnīdhra request him. The contents of this may be stated briefly as follows:
- Praise of heaven and earth
- An appeal to Agni[1] for one’s elevation
- Various attributes of heaven and earth
- Acceptance of the sacrificial offerings by various deities
- Blessings for the sacrificer
- Prayer for the attainment of the fruits of sacrifice
References[edit]
- ↑ Agni means the sacrificial fire.
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore