Having fun!
November 18, 2007
At the end of the pujas there was always singing of different mantras; gayatri, etc. The pundits had a lot of fun singing them very loud in a “call and response” style. On one side of the yagya stala the pundits would sing the first two lines, and then the pundits on the other side would sing the second two lines. Both sides sang as loudly as they could and it was clearly just for fun…and it was fun to end the day laughing and happy by being a little silly.
There is such a fascinating blend of seriousness and intensity in yagyas, but it is always mixed with a lightness and spirit of fun, so that there is never an overly solemn mood. This is in contrast to a lot of what we grow up with in the west.