Significance of Burnt offering
Burnt offering is a significant ritual practice in various religious traditions, including Tibetan Buddhism, Vaishnavism, Purana, Dharmashastra, and Indian history. It involves offerings of burnt substances meant to appease deities and enhance spiritual connections. In Tibetan Buddhism, it serves as a preliminary practice for spiritual empowerment, while in Vaishnavism, it reflects devotion and atonement through sacrificial gifts. Across these traditions, burnt offerings symbolize sacrifice, purification, and honor towards divine entities, cementing their importance in ceremonial practices.
Synonyms: Sacrificial offering, Incense offering, Oblation, Sacrifice, Holocaust, Immolation, Ritual offering
In Dutch: Brandoffer; In Finnish: Poltettu uhri; In Spanish: Holocausto; In German: Brandopfer
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Hindu concept of 'Burnt offering'
In Hinduism, the term "Burnt offering" signifies a ritual sacrifice where food or substances are offered to the fire, honoring deities or the deceased, reflecting devotion, atonement, and religious obligations through ceremonial practices.
From: Apastamba Dharma-sutra
(1) An offering made in fire, typically conducted at the beginning of a dinner among Brahmanas.[1] (2) A religious sacrifice where food is offered to the fire as a way to honor deities or the deceased.[2] (3) A type of sacrifice involving offerings burned on an altar, which involves specific actions like placing fire and sprinkling water.[3] (4) An act of atonement that involves sacrificing part of one's own body to cleanse oneself of sins.[4]
From: Baudhayana Dharmasutra
(1) Offerings that are burnt as a method of making sacrifices, which are surpassed by gifts of food.[5]
From: Vasistha Dharmasutra
(1) Ritual sacrifices performed in the middle of the house during the adoption process.[6]
From: Mahabharata (English)
(1) A ritual practice involving sacrifices to gods, which Rishyasringa is expected to perform, reflecting his religious obligations.[7] (2) A sacrificial act in which the fat of Jantu was offered in the proper ceremonial manner.[8]
From: Garuda Purana
(1) Sacred articles that a Vrati should offer through fire as part of the Vrata observances.[9]
From: Prem Sagar (English translation)
(1) Ritual gifts of food or substances burned as sacrifices to the gods, reflecting practices of devotion and atonement.[10] (2) Ritualistic offerings made to the deities, central to the sacrificial ceremony.[11]
The concept of Burnt offering in local and regional sources
The keyphrase "Burnt offering" relates to the ritual of honoring deities and spirits by involving materials that are set ablaze, symbolizing devotion and reverence in various cultural practices.
From: Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals of Sri Lanka
(1) Offering materials that are set on fire as part of the ritual to honor deities and spirits.[12]