Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 14 Verse 16

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

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.14.16

yarhy ātmano 'dhikārādyāḥ

sarvāḥ syur yajña-sampadaḥ

vaitānikena vidhinā

agni-hotrādinā yajet

SYNONYMS

yarhi — when; ātmanaḥ — of one's self; adhikāra-ādyāḥ — things possessed by him under full control; sarvāḥ — everything; syuḥ — becomes; yajña-sampadaḥ — paraphernalia for performing yajña, or the means for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vaitānikena — with authorized books that direct the performance of yajña; vidhinā — according to regulative principles; agni-hotra-ādinā — by offering sacrifices to the fire, etc.; yajet — one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

When one is enriched with wealth and knowledge which are under his full control and by means of which he can perform yajña or please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one must perform sacrifices, offering oblations to the fire according to the directions of the śāstras. In this way one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

If a gṛhastha, or householder, is sufficiently educated in Vedic knowledge and has become sufficiently rich to offer worship to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he must perform yajñas as directed by the authorized scriptures. Bhagavad-gītā (3.9) clearly says, yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaḿ karma-bandhanaḥ: everyone may be engaged in his occupational duties, but the result of these duties should be offered for sacrifice to satisfy the Supreme Lord. If one is fortunate enough to possess transcendental knowledge as well as the money with which to perform sacrifices, one must do it according to the directions given in the śāstras. It is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.3.52):

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuḿ

tretāyāḿ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāḿ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

The entire Vedic civilization aims at satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This was possible in Satya-yuga by meditation upon the Supreme Lord within the core of one's heart and in Tretā-yuga by the performance of costly yajñas. The same goal could be achieved in Dvāpara-yuga by worship of the Lord in the temple, and in this age of Kali one can achieve the same goal by performing sańkīrtana-yajña. Therefore one who has education and wealth must use them to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by helping the sańkīrtana movement that has already begun — the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All educated and wealthy persons must join this movement, since money and education are meant for service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If money and education are not engaged in the service of the Lord, these valuable assets must be engaged in the service of māyā. The education of so-called scientists, philosophers and poets is now engaged in the service of māyā, and the wealth of the rich is also engaged in māyā's service. The service of māyā, however, creates a chaotic condition in the world. Therefore the wealthy man and the educated man should sacrifice their knowledge and opulence by dedicating them for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord and joining this sańkīrtana movement (yajñaiḥ sańkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]).

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