Yajna

Yajna means sacrifice, selfless service, unselfish work, Seva, meritorious deeds, giving away something to others, and a religious rite in which oblation is offered to gods through the mouth of fire.Human beings are bound by Karma other than those done as Yajna.The one who does not help to keep the wheel of creation in motion by sacrificial duty, and who rejoices in sense pleasures, that sinful person lives in vain. As the ignorant work with attachment (to the fruits of work), so the wise should work without attachment, for the welfare of the society.The wise should not unsettle the mind of the ignorant who is attached to the fruits of work, but the enlightened one should inspire others by performing all works efficiently without attachment.

When an offering is made to others, the motivation of the person making the offering determines whether the offering is yajna or just another selfish act. Some people avoid offering anything to others. They would rather have their financial and other resources lie rotting and be totally underutilized than share them with others. Others have no hesitation in offering financial or other assistance, but only to family, relatives, friends, or flatterers. If the motive is to gratify your own ego, put yourself on a higher moral ground, or expect a favor in return in the future, it is just a selfish act. The criteria on offering assistance to others should be based on who actually deserves the assistance the most. Who will it benefit the most? Can the assistance lead to a transformation in the lives of others, or will it just be a temporary cushion. The wise know that by genuinely offering service and assistance to those who deserve it, and those who will benefit from it, they are doing what is in their best interest automatically without expecting a specific favor or benefit as such. Performing actions in the path of dharma with the spirit of yajna is the right thing to do. How it will benefit the individual is impossible to predict, but that is left to god. Yajna is the essence of Karma Yoga. It is about doing the right thing with the right spirit and trusting god to handle the rest.