यज्ञभृद् यज्ञकृद् यज्ञी यज्ञभुग् यज्ञसाधन: । यज्ञान्तकृद् यज्ञगुह्मन्नमन्नाद एव च
yajñabhṛd yajñakṛd yajñī yajñabhug yajñasādhanaḥ | yajñāntakṛd yajñaguhyam annam annāda eva ca ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Ia penopang yajña, pengatur yajña, dan Dia pula tempat semua yajña mencapai penyempurnaan. Ia penikmat setiap yajña dan sarana yang membuat yajña terlaksana. Ia menganugerahkan buah terakhir yajña dan menjadi inti yajña yang tersembunyi di dalam. Ia adalah makanan itu sendiri—yang menyehatkan dan memuaskan semua makhluk—dan Ia juga pemakan makanan, penerima segala persembahan.
भीष्म उवाच
All sacrificial action—outer ritual and inner discipline—ultimately rests in and returns to the Supreme: He upholds sacrifice, enables it, receives it, and grants its fruits. The verse also shifts emphasis from mere external rite to the ‘secret’ of yajña: selfless intention and inward offering.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and extols the Supreme through a litany of divine names. This verse is part of that praise, describing the Lord as the essence, agent, recipient, and reward of yajña, and as the universal nourisher (food) and enjoyer (eater).