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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.6.25
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 25
- vastūny oṣadhayaḥ snehā
- rasa-loha-mṛdo jalam
- ṛco yajūṁṣi sāmāni
- cātur-hotraṁ ca sattama
vastūniutensils — utensils; oṣadhayaḥgrains — grains; snehāḥclarified butter — clarified butter; rasahoney, gold and earth-lohahoney, gold and earth-mṛdaḥhoney, gold and earth — honey, gold and earth; jalamwater — water; ṛcaḥthe Ṛg Veda — the Ṛg Veda; yajūṁṣithe Yajur Veda — the Yajur Veda; sāmānithe Sāma Veda — the Sāma Veda; cātuḥfour persons conducting the performance-hotramfour persons conducting the performance — four persons conducting the performance; caall these — all these; sattamaO most pious one — O most pious one.
Other requirements are utensils, grains, clarified butter, honey, gold, earth, water, the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda and Sāma Veda and four priests to perform the sacrifice.
To perform a sacrifice successfully, at least four expert priests are needed: one who can offer (hotā), one who can chant (udgātā), one who can kindle the sacrificial fire without the aid of separate fire (adhvaryu), and one who can supervise (brahmā). Such sacrifices were conducted from the birth of Brahmā, the first living creature, and were carried on till the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. But such expert brāhmaṇa priests are very rare in this age of corruption and quarrel, and therefore in the present age only the yajña of chanting the holy name of the Lord is recommended. The scriptures enjoin:
- harer nāma harer nāma
- harer nāmaiva kevalam
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
- nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21, Not yet available in the library. Try the live source.)