TEXT 35
aplutyavabhrtham yatra
ganga yamunayanvita
virajenatmana sarve
svam svam dhama yayus tatah
SYNONYMS
aplutyataking a bath; avabhrthamthe bath which is taken after performing sacrifices; yatrawhere; gangathe River Ganges; yamunayaby the River Yamuna; anvitamixed; virajenawithout infection; atmanaby the mind; sarveall; svam svamtheir respective; dhamaabodes; yayuhwent; tatahfrom there.
TRANSLATION
My dear Vidura, carrier of bows and arrows, all the demigods who were performing the sacrifice took their bath at the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna after completing the yajna performance. Such a bath is called avabhrtha-snana. After thus becoming purified in heart, they departed for their respective abodes.
PURPORT
After Lord Siva and, previously, Daksa, left the arena of sacrifice, the sacrifice was not stopped; the sages went on for many years in order to satisfy the Supreme Lord. The sacrifice was not destroyed for want of Siva and Daksa, and the sages went on with their activities. In other words, it may be assumed that if one does not worship the demigods, even up to Lord Siva and Brahma, one can nevertheless satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7.20). Kamais tais tair hrta jnanah prapadyante nya-devatah. Persons who are impelled by lust and desire go to the demigods to derive some material benefit. Bhagavad-gita uses the very specific words nasti buddhih, meaning persons who have lost their sense or intelligence. Only such persons care for demigods and want to derive material benefit from them. Of course, this does not mean that one should not show respect to the demigods; but there is no need to worship them. One who is honest may be faithful to the government, but he does not need to bribe the government servants. Bribery is illegal; one does not bribe a government servant, but that does not mean that one does not show him respect. Similarly, one who engages in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord does not need to worship any demigod, nor does he have any tendency to show disrespect to the demigods. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gita (9.23) it is stated, ye py anya-devata-bhakta yajante sraddhayanvitah. The Lord says that anyone who worships the demigods is also worshiping Him, but he is worshiping avidhi-purvakam, which means without following the regulative principles. The regulative principle is to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Worship of demigods may indirectly be worship of the Personality of Godhead, but it is not regulated. By worshiping the Supreme Lord, one automatically serves all the demigods because they are parts and parcels of the whole. If one supplies water to the root of a tree, all the parts of the tree, such as the leaves and branches, are automatically satisfied, and if one supplies food to the stomach, all the limbs of the bodythe hands, legs, fingers, etc.are nourished. Thus by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead one can satisfy all the demigods, but by worshiping all the demigods one does not completely worship the Supreme Lord. Therefore worship of the demigods is irregular, and it is disrespectful to the scriptural injunctions.
In this age of Kali it is practically impossible to perform the deva-yajna, or sacrifices to the demigods. As such, in this age Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends sankirtana-yajna. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah (Bhag. 11.5.32). In this age the intelligent person completes the performances of all kinds of yajnas simply by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Tasmin tuste jagat tustah: When Lord Visnu is satisfied, all the demigods, who are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are satisfied.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Second Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled Daksa Curses Lord Siva.

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