Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.4.22
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPerform Sacrifice to Satisfy the Lord
“In desert countries where there flowed the river Sarasvatī, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa performed great sacrifices like the aśvamedha-yajña and thus satisfied the master of all yajñas, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such sacrifices were performed with great opulence and suitable paraphernalia and with contributions of dakṣiṇā to the brāhmaṇas, who were supervised by great personalities like Vasiṣṭha, Asita and Gautama, representing the king, the performer of the sacrifices.”
What the purport teaches
- Ambarīṣa performed great sacrifices to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with expert brāhmaṇas receiving suitable dakṣiṇā for their service.
- Because expert sacrificial brāhmaṇas are scarce in Kali-yuga, the recommended sacrifice is saṅkīrtana-yajña. The intelligent person performs this rather than spending money on sacrifices that cannot be properly performed.
- The purport connects sacrifice with rain, food grains and the nourishment of people and animals. A ruler must arrange proper guidance and public welfare while personally remaining an ideal devotee.
Try this today
Set aside a few minutes today for devotional chanting as your participation in saṅkīrtana-yajña.
Ask yourself
How can I give greater importance to the sacrifice recommended for this age?
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.