Shloka 17
Gṛhastha-Dharma: How a Householder Attains Liberation by Offering All to Vāsudeva
न ह्यग्निमुखतोऽयं वै भगवान्सर्वयज्ञभुक् । इज्येत हविषा राजन्यथा विप्रमुखे हुतै: ॥ १७ ॥
na hy agni-mukhato ’yaṁ vai bhagavān sarva-yajña-bhuk ijyeta haviṣā rājan yathā vipra-mukhe hutaiḥ
ಭಗವಾನ್ ಸರ್ವಯಜ್ಞಭುಕ್ ಅಗ್ನಿಮುಖದಿಂದ ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿದ ಹವಿಸ್ಸನ್ನೂ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ; ಆದರೂ ರಾಜನೇ, ಅರ್ಹ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರ ಮುಖದ ಮೂಲಕ ಅನ್ನ-ಘೃತಾದಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ನೈವೇದ್ಯವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿದರೆ ಅವನು ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ತೃಪ್ತನಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ।
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.9) , yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ: all fruitive activities should be performed for sacrifice, which should be directed toward pleasing Kṛṣṇa. As stated elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29) , bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: He is the Supreme Lord and enjoyer of everything. However, although sacrifice may be offered to please Kṛṣṇa, He is more pleased when grains and ghee, instead of being offered in the fire, are prepared as prasāda and distributed, first to the brāhmaṇas and then to others. This system pleases Kṛṣṇa more than anything else. Furthermore, at the present time there is very little chance to offer sacrifices by pouring oblations of food grains and ghee into the fire. Especially in India, there is practically no ghee; for everything that should be done with ghee, people use a certain type of oil preparation. Oil, however, is never recommended for offering in a sacrificial fire. In Kali-yuga, the available quantity of food grains and ghee is gradually diminishing, and people are embarrassed that they cannot produce sufficient ghee and food grains. Under the circumstances, the śāstras enjoin, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ: in this age, those who are intellectual offer yajña, or perform sacrifices, through the saṅkīrtana movement. Everyone should join the saṅkīrtana movement, offering to the fire of this movement the oblations of his knowledge and riches. In our saṅkīrtana movement, or Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, we offer sumptuous prasāda to the Deity and later distribute the same prasāda to the brāhmaṇas, the Vaiṣṇavas and then to the people in general. Kṛṣṇa’s prasāda is offered to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, and the prasāda of the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas is offered to the general populace. This kind of sacrifice — chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and distribution of prasāda — is the most perfect and bona fide way of offering sacrifice for the pleasure of Yajña, or Viṣṇu.
FAQs
This verse teaches that the Lord is not fully worshiped simply by pouring oblations into fire; offerings given to qualified brāhmaṇas (and, by extension, the Lord’s servants) are accepted as direct worship of Him.
In Canto 7, Chapter 14, Śukadeva instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on ideal household life and dharma, emphasizing practical devotion—supporting brāhmaṇas and the righteous—over ritualism without living service.
Prioritize devotional charity: feed and support sincere spiritual practitioners, teachers, and service-oriented communities, and make offerings with humility—seeing them as service to the Lord, not mere social duty.