Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.13.36
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesService Fulfills the Purpose of Sacrifice
“O Lord, Your tongue is a plate of sacrifice, Your nostril is another plate of sacrifice, in Your belly is the eating plate of sacrifice, and another plate of sacrifice is the holes of Your ears. In Your mouth is the Brahmā plate of sacrifice, Your throat is the plate of sacrifice known as soma, and whatever You chew is known as agni-hotra.”
What the purport teaches
- Different sacrificial plates correspond to parts of the Lord’s body. Sacrifice cannot yield its intended results unless its strict regulations are followed.
- In the Age of Kali, there is practically no facility for performing these sacrifices in strict discipline. The prescribed sacrifice is saṅkīrtana-yajña, to please Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
- The Lord’s incarnation is Yajñeśvara, and respect for Him is necessary for perfect sacrifice. Taking shelter of the Lord and rendering service to Him is the factual performance of all sacrifices.
Try this today
Set aside a few minutes today to take part in saṅkīrtana-yajña.
Ask yourself
How can I make pleasing the Lord, rather than merely completing a ritual, my purpose?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.