Let us begin with the collective chanting of the Gayatri Mantra:
// Om bhur bhuvah svah, tatsaviturvarenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi, dhiyo yonah pracodayat //
Sisters and Brothers,
As you might be aware, in the ancient times, people used to solve all their problems by collective discussions and efforts. They were hardly dependent on the emperors, governments or any other administrator. Even now the role of society is more prominent than the government or executive bodies in many respects. The latter can administrate broad issues pertaining to the gross system of life – including defense, transport, taxation, economic growth, civil-legislation, etc. However, they cannot ‘govern’ the mentality and sentiments of the people. For example, the disciplines of chastity, integrity and moral conduct are also cultivated and maintained by the prevailing social norms and people’s personal trait and cannot be imposed or nurtured by any governmental machinery. The philosophers, religious leaders and thinkers can influence people’s faith and hence the social trends, to a great extent, if their objectives are devoted to people’s welfare and their missions associated with the grass-roots. The human nature is such that it is allured by worldly attractions and pleasures and often gives rise to varied degrees of fluctuations and deformations in the socio-cultural values and customs. The leaders, the savants who care for people’s good bear the responsibility to provide effective solutions for control and improvement. Looking at the ancient history and traces of the divine Indian Culture, we find that Grand Yajnas (Mahayajnas) like the "Rajsuya" and "Ashvamedha" used to provide the medium and ambience for brain storming sessions towards meeting the challenges of the present, rectifying the wrongs and planning and implementing the desired plans of action for better future. You must have heard of these in the context of Mahabharata and Ramayana.
King Yudhishthira had conducted a "Rajsuya Yajnas" after the devastating war of Mahabharata. The purpose of this grand yajna was to rebuild a united, sovereign, strong nation with collective participation of all the heads of the states within and around the country.
Lord Rama had organized a "Ashvamedha Yajnas" to eliminate the evils and expand the divine values in the social and national system and in people’s life at large. By sending the symbolic horse (Ashva) all over the Indian Territory, he had spread the message of this epochal refinement and had also invited the saints, sages, savants, reformers, rulers and all the awakened souls to gather at one place for mutual exchange of views and to chalk out what was necessary for accomplishing this gigantic transformation.
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