Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 14 Verse 17

Canto 7: The Science of God | Chapter 14: Ideal Family Life

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.14.17

na hy agni-mukhato 'yaḿ vai

bhagavān sarva-yajña-bhuk

ijyeta haviṣā rājan

yathā vipra-mukhe hutaiḥ

SYNONYMS

na — not; hi — indeed; agni — fire; mukhataḥ — from the mouth or the flames; ayam — this; vai — certainly; bhagavān — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; sarva-yajña-bhuk — the enjoyer of the results of all kinds of sacrifices; ijyeta — is worshiped; haviṣā — by offering of clarified butter; rājan — O King; yathā — as much as; vipra-mukhe — through the mouth of a brāhmaṇa; hutaiḥ — by offering him first-class food.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the enjoyer of sacrificial offerings. Yet although His Lordship eats the oblations offered in the fire, my dear King, He is still more satisfied when nice food made of grains and ghee is offered to Him through the mouths of qualified brāhmaṇas.

PURPORT

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.9), yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaḿ karma-bandhanaḥ: all fruitive activities should be performed for sacrifice, which should be directed toward pleasing Kṛṣṇa. As stated elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29), bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasāḿ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: He is the Supreme Lord and enjoyer of everything. However, although sacrifice may be offered to please Kṛṣṇa, He is more pleased when grains and ghee, instead of being offered in the fire, are prepared as prasāda and distributed, first to the brāhmaṇas and then to others. This system pleases Kṛṣṇa more than anything else. Furthermore, at the present time there is very little chance to offer sacrifices by pouring oblations of food grains and ghee into the fire. Especially in India, there is practically no ghee; for everything that should be done with ghee, people use a certain type of oil preparation. Oil, however, is never recommended for offering in a sacrificial fire. In Kali-yuga, the available quantity of food grains and ghee is gradually diminishing, and people are embarrassed that they cannot produce sufficient ghee and food grains. Under the circumstances, the śāstras enjoin, yajñaiḥ sańkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ: [SB 11.5.32] in this age, those who are intellectual offer yajña, or perform sacrifices, through the sańkīrtana movement. Everyone should join the sańkīrtana movement, offering to the fire of this movement the oblations of his knowledge and riches. In our sańkīrtana movement, or Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, we offer sumptuous prasāda to the Deity and later distribute the same prasāda to the brāhmaṇas, the Vaiṣṇavas and then to the people in general. Kṛṣṇa's prasāda is offered to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, and the prasāda of the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas is offered to the general populace. This kind of sacrifice — chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and distribution of prasāda — is the most perfect and bona fide way of offering sacrifice for the pleasure of Yajña, or Viṣṇu.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness