TEXT 16
yarhy atmano dhikaradyah
sarvah syur yajna-sampadah
vaitanikena vidhina
agni-hotradina yajet
SYNONYMS
yarhiwhen; atmanahof ones self; adhikara-adyahthings possessed by him under full control; sarvaheverything; syuhbecomes; yajna-sampadahparaphernalia for performing yajna, or the means for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vaitanikenawith authorized books that direct the performance of yajna; vidhinaaccording to regulative principles; agni-hotra-adinaby offering sacrifices to the fire, etc.; yajetone 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 yajna or please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one must perform sacrifices, offering oblations to the fire according to the directions of the sastras. In this way one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
If a grhastha, 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 yajnas as directed by the authorized scriptures. Bhagavad-gita (3.9) clearly says, yajnarthat karmano nyatra loko yam karma-bandhanah: 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 sastras. It is said in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.52):
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 ones heart and in Treta-yuga by the performance of costly yajnas. The same goal could be achieved in Dvapara-yuga by worship of the Lord in the temple, and in this age of Kali one can achieve the same goal by performing sankirtana-yajna. Therefore one who has education and wealth must use them to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by helping the sankirtana movement that has already begunthe Hare Krsna movement, or Krsna 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 maya. The education of so-called scientists, philosophers and poets is now engaged in the service of maya, and the wealth of the rich is also engaged in mayas service. The service of maya, 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 sankirtana movement (yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32]).
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