यज्ञ Yajna (translated as sacrifice) is an important concept in the Vedas and the sanAtana dharma. The English translation of this word as 'sacrifice' does not quite convey the true meaning of yajna. For one thing, the yajna that is referred to in the Veda should not be confused with animal sacrifice. Clearly such practices violate the basic principle of ahimsa (non-harming) in Yoga, and are of no interest to the aspirant. The other meaning when we say 'we sacrifice' is that 'we give up something'. However, that kind of 'giving up' is more accurately translated as 'tyAga' in Sanskrit.
The Vedic concept of yajna is that it is a sustaining ritual action that is the basis of all Manifestation and its sustenance. PrajApati (the Lord of all Creation) or BrahmA (the Manifest form of Brahman) performs the first sacrifice [see Raimundo Panikkar's book "Mantramanjari"]. This is the primary Sacrifice that sets all of Manifestation into motion, and enables all other activities of human life. An example of this connection between the primary Sacrifice and human activity can be found in a passage in the camaka prashna where one finds "prANa is conceived by the Sacrifice (prANo yajyena kalpatAm), vyAna is conceived by the Sacrifice", and so on. Here the meaning is that the in-breath is conceived by the Sacrifice, and so on.
When I first heard the camaka prashna and was taught to recite it, I was always puzzled by the part where it says yajyo yajyena kalpetAm: literally, the sacrifice is conceived of by the sacrifice. I asked a learned vAdyAr about this but he did not know the answer, nor did any of the family elders. Only much later did it intuitively dawn on me that even the sacrifice performed by humans is conceived of by PrajApati's Sacrifice. In the Vedas, humans are exhorted to perform sacrifices to the gods in return for boons so that pleasing each other this Manifestation may be sustained. So 'yajyo yajyena kalpetAm' means the lesser sacrifice performed by humans is conceived of by the primary Sacrifice of PrajApati.
In fact, it was not just the prescribed yajnas but practically every aspect of human life that was conceptualized as a ritual sacrifice in the Veda. Apart from the sixteen samskAras beginning with birth, leading through initiation into scriptural study, wedding and so on up until the funeral rites, rituals were associated with even the daily activities. So there is a ritual associated with bathing, the samdhyAvandanam ritual at sunrise and sunset (and midday), a ritual for preparing the cookstove, among many others. Every aspect of life was conceptualized as a ritual sacrifice in the Veda in order to develop a constant awareness of Brahman. In the Bhagavad Gita there is a beautiful verse that emphasizes this point:
brahmArpaNam brahma havih brahmAgnau brahmaNA hutam |
brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma karma samAdhinA ||
(gItA 4.24)
The ladle is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, it is offered by Brahman in the fire which is Brahman,
Brahman alone he attains who sees Brahman in (all) action.
In India the ritual aspect became extremely important in daily life and is called AcAram. In time the awareness of the reason for this ritual aspect diminished and it became a blind belief of following ritual for the sake of ritual. So the means became important rather than the end. On the other hand, to one whom Brahman is known, every action will become a ritual sacrifice, for there is no other way to maintain constant awareness.
For the sAdhaka it is useful to have an awareness of why sacrifice and the ritualization of daily activities is so important, but to not get caught up in the details of these practices. The practices and their details are not liberating in and of themselves. They are merely a means to the end. The true reason for each of these practices becomes clear only after advancing considerably on the path. Then one can see how every action becomes a constant awareness of Consciousness.