2011-05-19Srimad Bhagavatam 09.20.24-26 - Yajna-The Solution To All Problems (download mp3)
by Dwarakadhish Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.net
SB 9.20.24-26
cakram daksina-haste 'sya
padma-koso 'sya padayoh
ije mahabhisekena
so 'bhisikto 'dhirad vibhuh
pañca-pañcasata medhyair
gangayam anu vajibhih
mamateyam purodhaya
yamunam anu ca prabhuh
asta-saptati-medhyasvan
babandha pradadad vasu
bharatasya hi dausmanter
agnih saci-gune citah
sahasram badvaso yasmin
brahmana ga vibhejire
Translation:
Maharaja Bharata, the son of Dusmanta, had the mark of Lord Krsna's disc on the palm of his right hand, and he had the mark of a lotus whorl on the soles of his feet. By worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead with a grand ritualistic ceremony, he became the emperor and master of the entire world. Then, under the priesthood of Mamateya, Bhrgu Muni, he performed fifty-five horse sacrifices on the bank of the Ganges, beginning from its mouth and ending at its source, and seventy-eight horse sacrifices on the bank of the Yamuna, beginning from the confluence at Prayaga and ending at the source. He established the sacrificial fire on an excellent site, and he distributed great wealth to the brahmanas. Indeed, he distributed so many cows that each of thousands of brahmanas had one badva [13,084] as his share.
Purport:
As indicated here by the words dausmanter agnih saci-gune citah, Bharata, the son of Maharaja Dusmanta, arranged for many ritualistic ceremonies all over the world, especially all over India on the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna, from the mouth to the source, and all such sacrifices were performed in very distinguished places. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.9), yajñarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah: "Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world." Everyone should engage in the performance of yajña, and the sacrificial fire should be ignited everywhere, the entire purpose being to make people happy, prosperous and progressive in spiritual life. Of course, these things were possible before the beginning of Kali-yuga because there were qualified brahmanas who could perform such yajñas. For the present, however, the Brahma-vaivarta Purana enjoins:
asvamedham gavalambham
sannyasam pala-paitrkam
devarena sutotpattim
kalau pañca vivarjayet
[Cc. Adi 17.164]
"In this age of Kali, five acts are forbidden: offering a horse in sacrifice, offering a cow in sacrifice, accepting the order of sannyasa, offering oblations of flesh to the forefathers, and begetting children in the wife of one's brother." In this age, such yajñas as the asvamedha-yajña and gomedha-yajña are impossible to perform because there are neither sufficient riches nor qualified brahmanas. This verse says, mamateyam purodhaya: Maharaja Bharata engaged the son of Mamata, Bhrgu Muni, to take charge of performing this yajña. Now, however, such brahmanas are impossible to find. Therefore the sastras recommend, yajñaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah: those who are intelligent should perform the sankirtana-yajña inaugurated by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajñaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi sumedhasah
"In this age of Kali, people endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of sankirtana-yajña." (SB 11.5.32) Yajña must be performed, for otherwise people will be entangled in sinful activities and will suffer immensely. Therefore the Krsna consciousness movement has taken charge of introducing the chanting of Hare Krsna all over the world. This Hare Krsna movement is also yajña, but without the difficulties involved in securing paraphernalia and qualified brahmanas. This congregational chanting can be performed anywhere and everywhere. If people somehow or other assemble together and are induced to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, all the purposes of yajña will be fulfilled. The first purpose is that there must be sufficient rain, for without rain there cannot be any produce (annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah [Bg. 3.14]). All our necessities can be produced simply by rainfall (kamam vavarsa parjanyah [SB 1.10.4]), and the earth is the original source of all necessities (sarva-kama-dugha mahi). In conclusion, therefore, in this age of Kali people all over the world should refrain from the four principles of sinful life-illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling-and in a pure state of existence should perform the simple yajña of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Then the earth will certainly produce all the necessities for life, and people will be happy economically, politically, socially, religiously and culturally. Everything will be in proper order.
