Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.69.24
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHousehold Duties Include Sacrifice and Care
“In one place the Lord was offering oblations into the sacrificial fires; in another, worshiping through the five mahā-yajñas; in another, feeding brāhmaṇas; and in yet another, eating the remnants of food left by brāhmaṇas.”
What the purport teaches
- The five mahā-yajñas include reciting the Vedas, offering fire oblations, serving guests, making offerings to forefathers, and sharing food with living beings.
- Householders knowingly or unknowingly kill living beings through ordinary activities. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the prescribed sacrifice frees them from reactions to such sinful activities.
- Different times of day occurred simultaneously in Kṛṣṇa’s palaces. Nārada saw a morning fire sacrifice and, at about the same time, the Lord feeding brāhmaṇas and accepting their remnants at noon.
Try this today
Share a small portion of suitable food with another living being today.
Ask yourself
How does this account help you notice responsibilities that accompany ordinary household life?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.