Yajna and Tapas: Reclaiming Sacrifice Through Women’s Eyes

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In this episode of A Women’s Gita Podcast, Kamala Rose and Nischala Joy Devi continue their exploration of Chapter 3 (Karma Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita, turning toward the deep—and often misunderstood—concepts of yajna (sacrifice) and tapas (austerity, inner fire).

Drawing from traditional Gita verses, Vedic creation myths, and lived experiences as women, they unpack how sacrifice has been framed, who has been centered in those stories, and what it means to reclaim these teachings in a way that honors women, the Earth, and the interconnected web of life.

This conversation weaves together scripture, myth, feminist critique, and practical spirituality, inviting listeners to see their daily practice as an inner ritual fire that supports both personal transformation and the welfare of the world.

Key topics covered:

• What yajna really means beyond “giving something up”
• The Vedic worldview of interdependence: gods, humans, nature, and the “wish-fulfilling cow”
• The Purusha Sukta and creation as an original cosmic sacrifice
• Contrast between Vedic creation myths and the Genesis story (dominion vs. interconnection)
• How religious worldviews shape attitudes toward women and nature
• Women’s lived experience of sacrifice: childbirth, caregiving, and erasure from sacred narratives
• The role of rain, food, and ritual in sustaining life and cosmic balance
• Understanding tapas as daily, embodied practice—not extreme self-denial
• The Gayatri mantra and Bargo as the purifying inner flame
• Re-reading the Gita to include women’s voices without changing its core teachings