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
Los sacrificios ritualistas como agni-hotra, darśa, pūrṇamāsa, cāturmāsya, paśu y soma-yajña se caracterizan por la muerte de animales y la quema de muchos bienes, especialmente granos, para satisfacer deseos materiales y producir ansiedad. Del mismo modo, el culto a Vaiśvadeva, la ceremonia de Baliharaṇa, y la construcción de templos para semidioses, casas de reposo y jardines, la excavación de pozos, la distribución de agua y alimento y las obras de bienestar público—llamadas iṣṭa y pūrta—son, en verdad, signos de apego a la ambición mundana.
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.