Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 6
Bharata Mahārāja’s Ideal Kingship and His Transition from Yajña to Exclusive Bhakti at Pulahāśrama
सम्प्रचरत्सु नानायागेषु विरचिताङ्गक्रियेष्वपूर्वं यत्तत्क्रियाफलं धर्माख्यं परे ब्रह्मणि यज्ञपुरुषे सर्वदेवतालिङ्गानां मन्त्राणामर्थनियामकतया साक्षात्कर्तरि परदेवतायां भगवति वासुदेव एव भावयमान आत्मनैपुण्यमृदितकषायो हवि:ष्वध्वर्युभिर्गृह्यमाणेषु स यजमानो यज्ञभाजो देवांस्तान् पुरुषावयवेष्वभ्यध्यायत् ॥ ६ ॥
sampracaratsu nānā-yāgeṣu viracitāṅga-kriyeṣv apūrvaṁ yat tat kriyā-phalaṁ dharmākhyaṁ pare brahmaṇi yajña-puruṣe sarva-devatā-liṅgānāṁ mantrāṇām artha-niyāma-katayā sākṣāt-kartari para-devatāyāṁ bhagavati vāsudeva eva bhāvayamāna ātma-naipuṇya-mṛdita-kaṣāyo haviḥṣv adhvaryubhir gṛhyamāṇeṣu sa yajamāno yajña-bhājo devāṁs tān puruṣāvayaveṣv abhyadhyāyat.
在诸多祭祀的各项仪轨完成之后，婆罗多王将其行为之果、名为“法”的功德，悉皆奉献于至上梵、祭祀之主（Yajña-puruṣa）、亲自统摄诸咒义的最高神——薄伽梵·婆苏提婆。以此观念，他的执著、欲望与贪求等尘垢尽被磨灭。当阿德瓦尔尤祭司将把供品投入火中时，作为祭主的婆罗多观想：献给诸天的供奉，实乃献给主婆苏提婆身体的不同肢体；因诸天皆为其身分——因陀罗为其臂，苏利耶为其眼。
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says that as long as one does not develop the pure devotional service of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, hearing and chanting, one must carry out his prescribed duties. Since Bharata Mahārāja was a great devotee, one may ask why he performed so many sacrifices that are actually meant for karmīs. The fact is that he was simply following the orders of Vāsudeva. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” ( Bg. 18.66 ) Whatever we do, we should constantly remember Vāsudeva. People are generally addicted to offering obeisances to various demigods, but Bharata Mahārāja simply wanted to please Lord Vāsudeva. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā: bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram ( Bg. 5.29 ). A yajña may be carried out to satisfy a particular demigod, but when the yajña is offered to the yajña-puruṣa, Nārāyaṇa, the demigods are satisfied. The purpose of performing different yajñas is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. One may perform them in the name of different demigods or directly. If we directly offer oblations to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods are automatically satisfied. If we water the root of a tree, the branches, twigs, fruits and flowers are automatically satisfied. When one offers sacrifices to different demigods, one should remember that the demigods are simply parts of the body of the Supreme. If we worship the hand of a person, we intend to satisfy the person himself. If we massage a person’s legs, we do not really serve the legs but the person who possesses the legs. All the demigods are different parts of the Lord, and if we offer service to them, we actually serve the Lord Himself. Demigod worship is mentioned in Brahma-saṁhitā, but actually the ślokas advocate worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. For instance, worship of the goddess Durgā is mentioned this way in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.44) :
FAQs
This verse teaches that the real fruit of all sacrificial rituals (dharma) culminates in the Supreme Lord, the Yajña-Puruṣa—Bhagavān Vāsudeva—who directly receives and fulfills the offerings and the meanings of the mantras.
Because he understood that all devatā-forms and mantra-meanings are regulated by the Supreme Lord; therefore, honoring Vāsudeva includes and completes the worship of all subordinate deities.
Whatever spiritual practice one performs—ritual, prayer, service, or discipline—one can consciously offer its purpose and results to the Supreme Lord, cultivating single-pointed devotion rather than scattered motivations.