Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 49
Nārada’s Instructions: Śrāddha, True Dharma, Contentment, Yoga, and Devotion-Centered Renunciation
¨ हिंस्रं द्रव्यमयं काम्यमग्निहोत्राद्यशान्तिदम् । दर्शश्च पूर्णमासश्च चातुर्मास्यं पशु: सुत: ॥ ४८ ॥ एतदिष्टं प्रवृत्ताख्यं हुतं प्रहुतमेव च । पूर्तं सुरालयारामकूपाजीव्यादिलक्षणम् ॥ ४९ ॥
hiṁsraṁ dravyamayaṁ kāmyam agni-hotrādy-aśāntidam darśaś ca pūrṇamāsaś ca cāturmāsyaṁ paśuḥ sutaḥ
Ritualistische Opfer wie agni-hotra, darśa, pūrṇamāsa, cāturmāsya, paśu- und soma-yajña sind gekennzeichnet durch Tiertötung und das Verbrennen vieler Werte, besonders von Getreide, um materielle Wünsche zu erfüllen und Unruhe zu erzeugen, nicht Frieden. Ebenso sind die Verehrung von Vaiśvadeva, die Baliharaṇa-Zeremonie sowie der Bau von Tempeln für Halbgötter, Rasthäusern und Gärten, das Graben von Brunnen, die Verteilung von Wasser und Speise und Werke des Gemeinwohls—als iṣṭa und pūrta bezeichnet—letztlich Zeichen der Anhaftung an weltliche Begierden.
FAQs
In this verse, Prahlāda explains that rituals performed for material gain—though Vedic—remain desire-driven and cannot grant true peace of heart.
He is not rejecting Vedic authority; he is pointing out that when such rites are pursued for results and involve harm, they keep one bound to unrest rather than leading to devotion and liberation.
Prioritize inner transformation—truthfulness, compassion, and devotion—over external religiosity performed mainly for status, gain, or enjoyment.