ayaṁ svasty-ayanaḥ panthā dvijāter gṛha-medhinaḥ |
yac chraddhayāpta-vittena śuklenejyeta pūruṣaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.84.37)
“This path whereby the Puruṣa [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān] shall be worshiped with śraddhā by means of purely obtained wealth is auspicious for a twice-born householder.”
ta eva niyamāḥ sākṣāt ta eva ca yamottamāḥ |
tapo dānaṁ vrataṁ yajño yena tuṣyaty adhokṣajaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.16.61)
“That by which Adhokṣaja [i.e., Bhagavān] is satisfied is indeed directly the regulation (niyama), and that is indeed the best rule (yama), austerity (tapas), charity (dāna), rite (vrata), and sacrifice (yajña).”
mantratas tantrataś chidraṁ deśa-kālārha-vastutaḥ |
sarvaṁ karoti niśchidram anusaṅkīrtanaṁ tava ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.23.16; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.376; Bhakti Sandarbha: 97)
“Continuous saṅkīrtana of you makes flawless all flaws [in yajñas] related to mantras, procedure, place, time, eligibility, and ingredients.”
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ
na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan |
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ
gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.5.41)
“O King, one who has forsaken one’s duties and taken shelter completely in the ultimate shelterer, Mukunda, is neither a servant of, nor a debtor to, the devas, the ṛṣis, [other] living beings, relatives, humanity, or ancestors.”
brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam |
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 4.24)
“The ladle is Brahman. The oblation is Brahman. The [act of] offering is Brahman [performed] by Brahman into the fire [which is] of [the nature of] Brahman. By one who is consciously absorbed in the action [which is] of [the nature of] Brahman, that which is to be attained [the goal of performing the offering] is Brahman alone.”
bho bhoḥ prajāpate rājan paśūn paśya tvayādhvare |
saṁjñāpitāñ jīva-saṅghān nirghṛṇena sahasraśaḥ ||
ete tvaṁ sampratīkṣante smaranto vaiśasaṁ tava |
samparetam ayaḥ-kūṭaiś chindanty utthita-manyavaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.25.7–8)
“Bho! Bho! O protector of the people! O King! See now the animals—the thousands of living beings—that have been mercilessly killed by you in sacrifice. Remembering how you cut apart their bodies, they are waiting for your death. Then, using their iron horns, they will tear you apart with ferocious anger.”
yajñārthaṁ paśavaḥ sṛṣṭāḥ svayam eva svayambhuvā |
yajño’sya bhūtyai sarvasya tasmād yajñe vadho’vadhaḥ ||
oṣadhyaḥ paśavo vṛkṣās tiryañ ca pakṣiṇas tathā |
yajñārthaṁ nidhanaṁ prāptāḥ prāpnuvanty utsṛtīḥ punaḥ ||
(Manu Smṛti: 5.39-40)
“Svayambhū [i.e., Brahmā] himself created animals for the sake of sacrifice (yajñā). Sacrifices are for [the good of] all living beings, and thus slaughter for the sake of sacrifice is not [actually] slaughter. Herbs, animals, trees, reptiles, birds and so forth that have been killed for the sake of sacrifice reach thereafter a higher existence.”
