Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 946: Shri Pancayajna priya (ōṃ pañcayajJṇapriyāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is fond of five forms of sacrifices.

The Divine Mother, who created the souls has set up the sacrifices to help them mature. For those who live for others’ sake are called a person with two births. For those who live for themselves are called athaman or atman (meaning in English is “Self" or "innermost essence,").

According to Smrtis there are five types of Yajna or sacrifices. They are Braham Yajna, Deva Yajana. Pitr Yajna, Manusya Yajna and Bhuta Yajana. Meditation, Japan and praising forms of worship is called Deva Yajana. One’s mind can easily be rusted if proper daily worship is not done as the mind gets dirty very fast.

The learned people with wisdom called Rishis. The books written by them have divine aspects and tattvas to help souls to  mature. If one reads such books with devotion and sincerity, they mature well. This is called Brahma Yajna. Brahman is giving out guides to worldly people through Rishis.

To serve and pray for the parents is called Pitr Yajna. When the small bird learns to fly, it leaves its mother bird. Humans should not leave their parents on learning the ropes. Using their body, they ought to serve their parents. After their death, humans should wish wherever or whichever Loga their parents  like live well further. This is part of Pitr Yajna.

Manusya yajna is serving humans. Humans are to treat other humans fairly. Those who glorify other humans are glorifying themselves. Even the evil people are to be treated as Narayana (other name for Vishnu) and uplift them to maturity. Paramahamsa treated the untouchables as the children of Goddess and served them. Mahatma Gandhi sacrificed his life for others. Humans ought to sacrifice to help others.

Humans, animals, and birds are interlinked in their lives. Humans should not harm them. The humans ought to treat the animals as equal to themselves is Bhuta Yajna.

To follow properly and fulfil these five Yajnas is the best form of worship to the Divine Mother,

We can see the five Yajnas are happening daily. Vedas specified these five types of Yajnas. There are other types of five scarifies done per Pancaratragama (which are done for others’ benefits in temple etc.)

The other five Yajnas are for the benefit of the souls leaving the body and before arriving in a new body. The Divine Mother is fond of such yajnas.

According to the Vedas there are five types of Yajnas or sacrifices; and according to Smrtis there are five types of Yajnas. The lists according to the Vedas and Smrtis are commonly accepted ones, but there are several other lists of five forms of sacrifices such per Pancaratragama, Kaulagama and Brhattantrakaumudi.

The Divine Mother is fond of five forms of sacrifices.    

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 27 August 2022; updated 25 October 2025.

References:

1.The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published by Mata Amritanandam in California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2, Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Tiruchirappalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3. The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sith-Bavandar.