In the Hindu tradition, a ''yajamana'' is the ritual patron, on whose behalf a religious ritual or a ''

yajna Yajna ( sa, यज्ञ, yajña, translit-std=IAST, sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering) refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.SG Nigal (1986), Axiological Approach to the Vedas, Northern Book ...

'' is performed by a priest, generally a

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

.Society and Religion: From Rugveda to Puranas, Jayant Gadkari, Popular Prakashan, 1996 p. 27 The term ''Yajamana'', also corrupted to ''

Eshmanan Eshmanan (corruption of Yajamaana Sanskrit ''leader'') is a term used in Kerala (south India) to refer to a feudal landlord.{{citation needed, date=April 2019 The term means "lord" in Old Malayalam and referred to Chemb azhi nambi or (Chengazhi n ...

'' was a term to address Nayar and

Kshatriya Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

feudal landlords in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

References

{{reflist Hindu practices