TEXT 15
atha panayas tam sva-vidhinabhisicyahatena vasasacchadya bhusanalepa-srak-tilakadibhir upaskrtam bhuktavantam dhupa-dipa-malya-laja-kisalayankura-phalopaharopetaya vaisasa-samsthaya mahata gita-stuti-mrdanga-panava-ghosena ca purusa-pasum bhadra-kalyah purata upavesayam asuh.
SYNONYMS
athathereafter; panayahall the followers of the dacoit; tamhim (Jada Bharata); sva-vidhinaaccording to their own ritualistic principles; abhisicyabathing; ahatenawith new; vasasagarments; acchadyacovering; bhusanaornaments; alepasmearing the body with sandalwood pulp; sraka flower garland; tilaka-adibhihwith markings on the body and so on; upaskrtamcompletely decorated; bhuktavantamhaving eaten; dhupawith incense; dipalamps; malyagarlands; lajaparched grain; kisalaya-ankuratwigs and sprouts; phalafruits; upaharaother paraphernalia; upetayafully equipped; vaisasa-samsthayawith complete arrangements for sacrifice; mahatagreat; gita-stutiof songs and prayers; mrdangaof the drums; panavaof the bugles; ghosenaby vibration; caalso; purusa-pasumthe man-animal; bhadra-kalyahof the goddess Kali; puratahjust in front; upavesayam asuhmade him sit down.
TRANSLATION
After this, all the thieves, according to their imaginative ritual for killing animalistic men, bathed Jada Bharata, dressed him in new clothes, decorated him with ornaments befitting an animal, smeared his body with scented oils and decorated him with tilaka, sandalwood pulp and garlands. They fed him sumptuously and then brought him before the goddess Kali, offering her incense, lamps, garlands, parched grain, newly grown twigs, sprouts, fruits and flowers. In this way they worshiped the deity before killing the man-animal, and they vibrated songs and prayers and played drums and bugles. Jada Bharata was then made to sit down before the deity.
PURPORT
In this verse the word sva-vidhina (according to their own ritualistic principles) is very significant. According to the Vedic sastras, everything must be done according to regulative principles, but here it is stated that the thieves and rogues devised their own process for killing an animalistic man. The tamasic sastras give instructions for the sacrifice of an animal like a goat or buffalo before the goddess Kali, but there is no mention of killing a man, however dull he may be. This process was manufactured by the dacoits themselves; therefore the word sva-vidhina is used. Even at this time there are many sacrifices being conducted without reference to the Vedic scriptures. For instance, in Calcutta recently a slaughterhouse was being advertised as a temple of the goddess Kali. Meat-eaters foolishly purchase meat from such shops, thinking it different from ordinary meat and taking it to be the prasada of goddess Kali. The sacrifice of a goat or a similar animal before the goddess Kali is mentioned in sastras just to keep people from eating slaughterhouse meat and becoming responsible for the killing of animals. The conditioned soul has a natural tendency toward sex and meat-eating; consequently the sastras grant them some concessions. Actually the sastras aim at putting an end to these abominable activities, but they impart some regulative principles so that gradually meat-eaters and sex hunters will be rectified.

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