Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 10
The Brāhmaṇas’ Wives Blessed (Brāhmaṇa-patnī-prasāda) — Ritualism Humbled by Bhakti
देश: काल: पृथग्द्रव्यं मन्त्रतन्त्रर्त्विजोऽग्नय: । देवता यजमानश्च क्रतुर्धर्मश्च यन्मय: ॥ १० ॥ तं ब्रह्म परमं साक्षाद् भगवन्तमधोक्षजम् । मनुष्यदृष्ट्या दुष्प्रज्ञा मर्त्यात्मानो न मेनिरे ॥ ११ ॥
deśaḥ kālaḥ pṛthag dravyaṁ mantra-tantrartvijo ’gnayaḥ devatā yajamānaś ca kratur dharmaś ca yan-mayaḥ
Although the ingredients of sacrificial performance — the place, time, particular paraphernalia, mantras, rituals, priests, fires, demigods, performer, offering and the as yet unseen beneficial results — are all simply aspects of His opulences, the brāhmaṇas saw Lord Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary human because of their perverted intelligence. They failed to recognize that He is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the directly manifest Personality of Godhead, whom the material senses cannot ordinarily perceive. Thus bewildered by their false identification with the mortal body, they did not show Him proper respect.
The ritualistic brāhmaṇas could not understand why the sacrificial food should be offered to Lord Kṛṣṇa, whom they considered an ordinary human being. Just as a person with rose-colored glasses sees the entire world as rose-colored, a conditioned soul with mundane vision sees even God Himself as mundane and thus loses the opportunity to go back home, back to Godhead.
FAQs
This verse teaches that all aspects of yajña—time, place, mantras, priests, fires, deities, and the sponsor—are ultimately pervaded by Bhagavān; sacrifice is meant to be connected to Him, not treated as independent ritualism.
Because Bhagavān is the underlying reality and controller of dharma and yajña; the ritual components have meaning and power only through His presence and sanction.
Offer one’s actions, time, and resources in remembrance of Kṛṣṇa—doing duty as an offering—so that daily life becomes spiritually connected rather than merely mechanical.