Shloka 8
The Lord’s Apology to the Kumāras and the Fall of Jaya and Vijaya
नाहं तथाद्मि यजमानहविर्विताने श्च्योतद्घृतप्लुतमदन् हुतभुङ्मुखेन । यद्ब्राह्मणस्य मुखतश्चरतोऽनुघासं तुष्टस्य मय्यवहितैर्निजकर्मपाकै: ॥ ८ ॥
nāhaṁ tathādmi yajamāna-havir vitāne ścyotad-ghṛta-plutam adan huta-bhuṅ-mukhena yad brāhmaṇasya mukhataś carato ’nughāsaṁ tuṣṭasya mayy avahitair nija-karma-pākaiḥ
I do not relish the oblations that sacrificers pour, drenched in ghee, into the sacrificial fire—one of My own mouths—as much as I relish the delicious, ghee-rich morsels offered to the mouths of brāhmaṇas who have dedicated to Me the fruits of their work and who are ever content with My prasāda.
The devotee of the Lord, or the Vaiṣṇava, does not take anything without offering it to the Lord. Since a Vaiṣṇava dedicates all the results of his activities to the Lord, he does not taste anything eatable which is not first offered to Him. The Lord also relishes giving to the Vaiṣṇava’s mouth all eatables offered to Him. It is clear from this verse that the Lord eats through the sacrificial fire and the brāhmaṇa’s mouth. So many articles — grains, ghee, etc. — are offered in sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord. The Lord accepts sacrificial offerings from the brāhmaṇas and devotees, and elsewhere it is stated that whatever is given for the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas to eat is also accepted by the Lord. But here it is said that He accepts offerings to the mouths of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas with even greater relish. The best example of this is found in the life of Advaita Prabhu in his dealings with Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Even though Haridāsa was born of a Muhammadan family, Advaita Prabhu offered him the first dish of prasāda after the performance of a sacred fire ceremony. Haridāsa Ṭhākura informed him that he was born of a Muhammadan family and asked why Advaita Prabhu was offering the first dish to a Muhammadan instead of an elevated brāhmaṇa. Out of his humbleness, Haridāsa condemned himself a Muhammadan, but Advaita Prabhu, being an experienced devotee, accepted him as a real brāhmaṇa. Advaita Prabhu asserted that by offering the first dish to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was getting the result of feeding one hundred thousand brāhmaṇas. The conclusion is that if one can feed a brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava, it is better than performing hundreds of thousands of sacrifices. In this age, therefore, it is recommended that harer nāma — chanting the holy name of God — and pleasing the Vaiṣṇava are the only means to elevate oneself to spiritual life.
FAQs
This verse states that Viṣṇu relishes the remnants from a devoted, content brāhmaṇa more than ghee offerings eaten by fire, emphasizing devotion and absorption in Him over mere ritual.
In the Vaikuṇṭha incident, Viṣṇu teaches the Kumāras that sincere bhakti—seen in a devotee’s satisfied, God-absorbed life—pleases Him more than external yajña performances.
Prioritize sincere devotion, purity, and service to devotees—honor prasāda, respect saintly persons, and perform duties as an offering to God rather than relying only on external rituals.