Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 49

Nārada’s Instructions: Śrāddha, True Dharma, Contentment, Yoga, and Devotion-Centered Renunciation

Devanagari script

¨ हिंस्रं द्रव्यमयं काम्यमग्निहोत्राद्यशान्तिदम् । दर्शश्च पूर्णमासश्च चातुर्मास्यं पशु: सुत: ॥ ४८ ॥ एतदिष्टं प्रवृत्ताख्यं हुतं प्रहुतमेव च । पूर्तं सुरालयारामकूपाजीव्यादिलक्षणम् ॥ ४९ ॥

Transliteration

hiṁsraṁ dravyamayaṁ kāmyam agni-hotrādy-aśāntidam darśaś ca pūrṇamāsaś ca cāturmāsyaṁ paśuḥ sutaḥ

Translation

พิธีบูชายัญเชิงพิธีกรรม เช่น อัคนิโหตรยะชญะ ดรศะยะชญะ ปูรณมาสยะชญะ จาตุรมาสยะชญะ ปศุยะชญะ และโสมยะชญะ ล้วนมีลักษณะคือการฆ่าสัตว์และเผาทรัพย์มากมาย โดยเฉพาะธัญพืช เพื่อสนองความปรารถนาทางโลกและก่อความกังวล. แม้การบูชาไวศวเทวะ พิธีบลิหรณะ ตลอดจนการสร้างเทวาลัย ศาลาพัก สวน ขุดบ่อ แจกน้ำ แจกอาหาร และงานสาธารณประโยชน์ที่เรียกว่า อิษฏะ-ปูรตะ ก็ยังเป็นเครื่องหมายแห่งความยึดติดในกามคุณทางวัตถุ.

Synonyms

• hiṁsram: violent, involving harm
• hiṁsram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiṁsra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन); adjective used predicatively

• dravyamayam: material-based
• dravyamayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dravya (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: dravyena mayaḥ = made of substances/materials

• kāmyam: performed for desired ends
• kāmyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; desiderative/for desired results

• agnihotra-ādi-aśāntidam: giving unrest (through rites like agnihotra etc.)
• agnihotra-ādi-aśāntidam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agnihotra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + aśānti (प्रातिपदिक) + da (दा/धातु) → -dam (कृदन्त)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: agnihotrādiṣu aśāntiṁ dadāti iti; -dam = present participial/agentive derivative used adjectivally

• darśaḥ: new-moon sacrifice (darśa)
• darśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (समुच्चय-निपात) conjunction

• pūrṇamāsaḥ: full-moon sacrifice (pūrṇamāsa)
• pūrṇamāsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrṇamāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta conjunction

• cāturmāsyam: four-monthly sacrifice (cāturmāsya)
• cāturmāsyam: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• paśuḥ: animal sacrifice/oblation (paśu)
• paśuḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• sutaḥ: soma-pressing/rite called suta (pressed)
• sutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• iṣṭam: (ritual) sacrifice/oblation (iṣṭa)
• iṣṭam: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣṭa (यज्/धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kta-participle used substantively = iṣṭi/desired sacrifice

• pravṛtta-ākhyam: known as ‘pravṛtta’
• pravṛtta-ākhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pravṛtta (वृत्/धातु, क्त-कृदन्त) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: pravṛttam nāma yasya = called ‘pravṛtta’

• hutam: offering poured into fire (huta)
• hutam: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: huta (हु/धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kta used substantively

• prahutam: offering made with ‘pra-’ rite (prahuta)
• prahutam: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahuta (हु/धातु, प्र+क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kta used substantively

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (अवधारण-निपात) emphatic particle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta conjunction

• pūrtam: pious public works (pūrta)
• pūrtam: Karta (कर्ता) / Uddeśya (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; charitable works category

• surālaya-ārāma-kūpa-ājīvya-ādi-lakṣaṇam: characterized by temples, gardens, wells, etc.
• surālaya-ārāma-kūpa-ājīvya-ādi-lakṣaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: surālaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ārāma (प्रातिपदिक) + kūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ājīvya (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: surālayādi-lakṣaṇam = characterized by (building) temples, gardens, wells, livelihood-support etc.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda Mahārāja

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about desire-motivated Vedic rituals?

In this verse, Prahlāda explains that rituals performed for material gain—though Vedic—remain desire-driven and cannot grant true peace of heart.

Why does Prahlada Maharaja criticize sacrifices like agnihotra?

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.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Prioritize inner transformation—truthfulness, compassion, and devotion—over external religiosity performed mainly for status, gain, or enjoyment.