Shloka 45
Dakṣa’s Sacrifice Restored: Śiva’s Mercy and Nārāyaṇa’s Appearance
ब्राह्मणा ऊचु: त्वं क्रतुस्त्वं हविस्त्वं हुताश: स्वयंत्वं हि मन्त्र: समिद्दर्भपात्राणि च । त्वं सदस्यर्त्विजो दम्पती देवताअग्निहोत्रं स्वधा सोम आज्यं पशु: ॥ ४५ ॥
brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ tvaṁ kratus tvaṁ havis tvaṁ hutāśaḥ svayaṁ tvaṁ hi mantraḥ samid-darbha-pātrāṇi ca tvaṁ sadasyartvijo dampatī devatā agnihotraṁ svadhā soma ājyaṁ paśuḥ
The brāhmaṇas said: O Lord, You are yajña itself; You are the oblation (havis), and You are the sacred fire. You are the Vedic mantra, the fuel, the flame, the kuśa grass, and the sacrificial vessels. You are the priests of the rite, the yajamāna couple, the devas headed by Indra, the agnihotra, svadhā, soma, ghee, and the sacrificial animal—whatever is offered is You, or Your own divine energy.
In this statement Lord Viṣṇu’s all-pervasiveness is partially explained. It is said in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that as a fire situated in one place emanates its heat and illumination everywhere, so whatever we see within the material or spiritual worlds is nothing but a manifestation of different energies emanating from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The brāhmaṇas’ statement is that Lord Viṣṇu is everything — the fire, the offering, the clarified butter, the utensils, the place of sacrifice and the kuśa. He is everything. It is confirmed herein that the performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña in this age is as good as all other yajñas in all other ages. If one performs saṅkīrtana-yajña by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, there is no need to arrange elaborate paraphernalia for the prescribed sacrificial ceremonies recommended in the Vedas. In the chant of the holy names, Hare and Kṛṣṇa, Hare means the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is the viṣṇu-tattva. Combined together they are everything. In this age, persons are harassed by the influence of Kali-yuga and cannot arrange for all the requisite paraphernalia for performing sacrifice as recommended in the Vedas. But if one simply chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is to be understood that he is performing all kinds of yajña because there is nothing within our vision except Hare (the energy of Kṛṣṇa) and Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and His energies. Thus, since everything is a manifestation of His energy, it is to be understood that everything is Kṛṣṇa. One simply has to accept everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and he is a liberated person. One should not misunderstand that because everything is Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has no personal identity. Kṛṣṇa is so full that in spite of keeping Himself separate from everything by His energy, He is everything. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, Ninth Chapter. He is spread throughout the creation as everything, but still He is not everything. The philosophy recommended by Lord Caitanya is that He is simultaneously one and different.
FAQs
This verse states that the Supreme Lord is present as every component of yajña—mantra, fire, offering, priests, vessels, and results—showing that sacrifice ultimately culminates in worship of Him.
In the aftermath of the conflict surrounding Dakṣa’s yajña and Lord Śiva, the priests recognize the Supreme Lord as the true foundation of all ritual and reconciliation, and they glorify Him as the all-pervading Yajña-puruṣa.
Offer daily work and worship as service to God—seeing the means, the effort, and the outcome as belonging to the Lord—so ritual becomes devotion and duty becomes spiritual practice.