▁suggests ▁from ▁pass ages ▁in ▁the ▁R ā m ā ya ṇ a ▁that ▁the ▁word ▁p ū j ā ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁hosp itable ▁reception ▁of ▁guests ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁things ▁offered ▁to ▁guests ▁could ▁be ▁offered ▁to ▁the ▁gods ▁and ▁their ▁dwell ings . ▁The ▁rit uals ▁in ▁question ▁were ▁the ▁" five ▁great ▁sacrific es " ▁or ▁pa ñ cam ah ā y aj ña ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁G ṛ hy as ū tra ▁texts ▁( for ▁this ▁literature , ▁see ▁Kal pa ). ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁p ū j ā ▁thus ▁emer ged ▁from ▁V edic ▁domestic ▁trad itions ▁and ▁was ▁carried ▁into ▁the ▁temple ▁environment ▁by ▁anal ogy : ▁just ▁as ▁important ▁guests ▁had ▁long ▁been ▁wel com ed ▁in ▁well - to - do ▁homes ▁and ▁offered ▁things ▁that ▁pleased ▁them , ▁so ▁too ▁were ▁the ▁gods ▁wel com ed ▁in ▁temple - hom es ▁and ▁offered ▁things ▁that ▁pleased ▁them . ▁Co pper - plate ▁char ters ▁recording ▁gr ants ▁of ▁lands ▁to ▁tem ples ▁show ▁that ▁this ▁religious ▁practice ▁was ▁act ively ▁encourag ed ▁from ▁the ▁mid - 4 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Sign ific ance ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁earliest ▁texts ▁describing ▁V edic ▁pu ja , ▁the ▁significance ▁of ▁pu ja ▁was ▁to ▁host ▁the ▁priest ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁make ▁direct ▁requests ▁to ▁the ▁gods . ▁An ▁example ▁pet ition ▁prayer ▁made ▁during ▁a ▁V edic ▁pu ja , ▁according ▁to ▁W ade ▁W heel ock , ▁is : ▁ ▁Ind ra -