PURPORT

According to the Vedic system, a fire sacrifice is held in order to offer oblations of ghee, grains, fruits, flowers and so on, so that Lord Visnu may eat and be satisfied. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (9.26):

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah

"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." Therefore, all these items may be offered in the sacrificial fire, and Lord Visnu will be satisfied. Similarly, brahmana-bhojana, feeding of the brahmanas, is also recommended, for when the brahmanas eat sumptuous remnants of food after yajna, this is another way that Lord Visnu Himself eats. Therefore the Vedic principles recommend that in every festival or ceremony one offer oblations to the fire and give sumptuous food for the brahmanas to eat. By such activities, a householder may be elevated to the heavenly planets and similar places in the higher planetary systems.