Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 5
Bharata Mahārāja’s Ideal Kingship and His Transition from Yajña to Exclusive Bhakti at Pulahāśrama
ईजे च भगवन्तं यज्ञक्रतुरूपं क्रतुभिरुच्चावचै: श्रद्धयाऽऽहृताग्निहोत्रदर्शपूर्णमासचातुर्मास्यपशुसोमानां प्रकृतिविकृतिभिरनुसवनं चातुर्होत्रविधिना ॥ ५ ॥
īje ca bhagavantaṁ yajña-kratu-rūpaṁ kratubhir uccāvacaiḥ śraddhayāhṛtāgnihotra-darśa-pūrṇamāsa-cāturmāsya-paśu-somānāṁ prakṛti-vikṛtibhir anusavanaṁ cāturhotra-vidhinā.
Mit großer Hingabe verehrte König Bharata den Bhagavān als die Gestalt von yajña und kratu und vollzog verschiedene Opfer: agni-hotra, darśa, pūrṇamāsa, cāturmāsya, paśu-yajña und soma-yajña. Mitunter vollständig, mitunter teilweise, doch stets unter strenger Befolgung der cāturhotra-Vorschriften. So betete er den Höchsten Herrn an.
Animals like horses and cows were offered in sacrifice to test the proper execution of the sacrifice. Otherwise, there was no purpose in killing the animal. Actually the animal was offered in the sacrificial fire to get a rejuvenated life. Generally an old animal was sacrificed in the fire, and it would come out again in a youthful body. Some of the rituals however, did not require animal sacrifice. In the present age, animal sacrifices are forbidden. As stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
FAQs
This verse states that Bhagavān is yajña-kratu-rūpa—He is the very embodiment of sacrifice—so when Bharata Mahārāja performed Vedic rites with faith and proper method, the worship ultimately reached the Supreme Lord.
Śukadeva highlights Bharata’s righteous rule and devotion: his ritual worship was not mere ceremony but faithful service to Bhagavān, executed according to scriptural timing and priestly procedure.
The takeaway is to offer one’s prescribed duties with faith and correctness as worship of God; even simple daily practices become spiritual when done as an offering to Bhagavān, the ultimate recipient of all sacrifice.