Apocalypse as a Sacrifice: An Interpretation of Raimon Panikkar’s Arguments on <i>Yajña</i>

Abstract

Sacrifice (yajña) is considered to be one of the most mentioned words in the Hindu texts, and Panikkar understands it in relation to the preservation, continuation, and regeneration of the universe in existence. While Panikkar’s interpretation of sacrifice focuses mainly on creation, this article extends his arguments to interpret the Hindu apocalypse as a yajña from four major angles, including the end of a kalpa and the concept of declining dharma in the successive yugas, the journey from the cosmological to the transcendental brahman, entire creation being the food of sacrifice, and the apocalypse as a reflection of the yajña. This study incorporates both śruti and smriti texts.

Keywords

• Panikkar
• sacrifice
• apocalypse
• Hinduism
• <i>yugas</i>