Swami Chinmayananda coined the term ‘Jnana Yajna’ for Chinmaya Mission’s free public discourses on the scriptures. Traditionally, a yajna is a fire ritual where offerings are burned to invoke divine blessings. In a Jnana Yajna, ignorance of our true nature is symbolically burned in the fire of Vedantic wisdom, revealing the Self.

Swami Chinmayananda introduced this concept in his first talks in Pune in 1951, addressing just five seekers. The thirst for accessible and inspiring teachings on the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita quickly grew. By the 1960s, his discourses were drawing tens of thousands, making Vedantic knowledge available to all, regardless of background.