Yajna (यज्ञ, IAST: Yajña) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “the sacred sacrifice, embodiment of cosmic worship”. From the root 'yaj' (to worship, to offer), Yajna names Vishnu as the very act and substance of all sacrifice — he is at once the offerer, the offering, and the fire that receives it.

Meaning, etymology & significance

In Vedic cosmology, yajna is the engine of cosmic order, the ritual transaction between humanity and the divine through which the universe is sustained. Vishnu is identified with yajna itself in the Bhagavata Purana, affirming that every act of selfless offering is a direct form of his presence. The name therefore points not merely to a ritual act but to the Lord's nature as the universal principle of sacred exchange.

Vishnu is called Yajna because he is both the object and the ground of all worship; the Vishnu Sahasranama places this name among his most essential epithets. Pronounced 'Yag-nya', the name is short and resonant, fitting naturally as a given name.

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Scriptural source

Yajna appears in the Vishnu Sahasranama, among the sacred names of Vishnu.

Astrology — nakshatra, rashi & numerology

By the standard Vedic correspondence between a name’s first syllable and the lunar mansion, Yajna aligns with the Jyeshtha nakshatra, under the Vrischika rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 9.