Agnihotra, Karma, and Liberation: A Philosophical Inquiry into Vedic Ritual Practice

This study examines the relationship between Vedic ritual practice and liberation (mokṣa) within an Āstika philosophical framework using the Bhagavad-Gītā as its principal interpretive source; it investigates how Agnihotra can be understood in relation to non-attached action (niṣkāma karma), sustained spiritual discipline, and the later Vedāntic classification of accumulated karma (sañcita karma). Through a qualitative textual and philosophical analysis of selected passages from the Bhagavad-Gītā, Śrauta literature, and relevant Vedāntic commentaries; the study compares Agnihotra with selected saṁskāras and yajñas in terms of ritual continuity, prescribed context, and philosophical relevance. It argues that Agnihotra's prescribed regularity makes it a useful case for examining the relationship between repeated ritual action and the Bhagavad-Gītā's teachings on disciplined, non-attached action; however, ritual continuity alone does not establish the destruction of accumulated karma or guarantee liberation. Within the Vedānta framework examined here, liberating knowledge is central to the understanding of liberation from karmic bondage while disciplined action can contribute to spiritual preparation. The study therefore proposes Agnihotra as a significant subject for hermeneutical inquiry rather than as an independently established or universally superior means of liberation.