Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 6
Bharata Mahārāja’s Ideal Kingship and His Transition from Yajña to Exclusive Bhakti at Pulahāśrama
सम्प्रचरत्सु नानायागेषु विरचिताङ्गक्रियेष्वपूर्वं यत्तत्क्रियाफलं धर्माख्यं परे ब्रह्मणि यज्ञपुरुषे सर्वदेवतालिङ्गानां मन्त्राणामर्थनियामकतया साक्षात्कर्तरि परदेवतायां भगवति वासुदेव एव भावयमान आत्मनैपुण्यमृदितकषायो हवि:ष्वध्वर्युभिर्गृह्यमाणेषु स यजमानो यज्ञभाजो देवांस्तान् पुरुषावयवेष्वभ्यध्यायत् ॥ ६ ॥
sampracaratsu nānā-yāgeṣu viracitāṅga-kriyeṣv apūrvaṁ yat tat kriyā-phalaṁ dharmākhyaṁ pare brahmaṇi yajña-puruṣe sarva-devatā-liṅgānāṁ mantrāṇām artha-niyāma-katayā sākṣāt-kartari para-devatāyāṁ bhagavati vāsudeva eva bhāvayamāna ātma-naipuṇya-mṛdita-kaṣāyo haviḥṣv adhvaryubhir gṛhyamāṇeṣu sa yajamāno yajña-bhājo devāṁs tān puruṣāvayaveṣv abhyadhyāyat.
Nachdem er die Gliederhandlungen der verschiedenen yajñas ausgeführt hatte, brachte Mahārāja Bharata die Frucht dieser Handlungen, die „dharma“ genannt wird, dem Parabrahman, dem Yajña-puruṣa, dem unmittelbar höchsten Gott, Bhagavān Vāsudeva, dar, der den Sinn der Mantras lenkt. In dieser bhāva wurde er von materiellen Verunreinigungen wie Anhaftung, Begierde und Gier gereinigt. Wenn die adhvaryu-Priester die Opfergaben ins Feuer geben wollten, erkannte Bharata als yajamāna kundig, dass die Gaben an die devas in Wahrheit den verschiedenen Gliedern Vāsudevas dargebracht werden; denn die devas sind Teile Seines Leibes—Indra ist Sein Arm und Sūrya Sein Auge.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says that as long as one does not develop the pure devotional service of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, hearing and chanting, one must carry out his prescribed duties. Since Bharata Mahārāja was a great devotee, one may ask why he performed so many sacrifices that are actually meant for karmīs. The fact is that he was simply following the orders of Vāsudeva. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” ( Bg. 18.66 ) Whatever we do, we should constantly remember Vāsudeva. People are generally addicted to offering obeisances to various demigods, but Bharata Mahārāja simply wanted to please Lord Vāsudeva. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā: bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram ( Bg. 5.29 ). A yajña may be carried out to satisfy a particular demigod, but when the yajña is offered to the yajña-puruṣa, Nārāyaṇa, the demigods are satisfied. The purpose of performing different yajñas is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. One may perform them in the name of different demigods or directly. If we directly offer oblations to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods are automatically satisfied. If we water the root of a tree, the branches, twigs, fruits and flowers are automatically satisfied. When one offers sacrifices to different demigods, one should remember that the demigods are simply parts of the body of the Supreme. If we worship the hand of a person, we intend to satisfy the person himself. If we massage a person’s legs, we do not really serve the legs but the person who possesses the legs. All the demigods are different parts of the Lord, and if we offer service to them, we actually serve the Lord Himself. Demigod worship is mentioned in Brahma-saṁhitā, but actually the ślokas advocate worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. For instance, worship of the goddess Durgā is mentioned this way in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.44) :
FAQs
This verse teaches that the real fruit of all sacrificial rituals (dharma) culminates in the Supreme Lord, the Yajña-Puruṣa—Bhagavān Vāsudeva—who directly receives and fulfills the offerings and the meanings of the mantras.
Because he understood that all devatā-forms and mantra-meanings are regulated by the Supreme Lord; therefore, honoring Vāsudeva includes and completes the worship of all subordinate deities.
Whatever spiritual practice one performs—ritual, prayer, service, or discipline—one can consciously offer its purpose and results to the Supreme Lord, cultivating single-pointed devotion rather than scattered motivations.