### SB 2.6.25

> वस्तून्योषधयः स्नेहा रसलोहमृदो जलम् ।\
> ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि चातुर्होत्रं च सत्तम ॥२५॥

> vastūny oṣadhayaḥ snehā\
> rasa-loha-mṛdo jalam\
> ṛco yajūṁṣi sāmāni\
> cātur-hotraṁ ca sattama

*vastūni*—utensils; *oṣadhayaḥ*—grains; *snehāḥ*—clarified butter; *rasa-loha-mṛdaḥ*—honey, gold and earth; *jalam*—water; *ṛcaḥ*—the *Ṛg Veda*; *yajūṁṣi*—the *Yajur Veda*; *sāmāni*—the *Sāma Veda*; *cātur-hotram*—four persons conducting the performance; *ca*—all these; *sattama*—O most pious one.

**Other requirements are utensils, grains, clarified butter, honey, gold, earth, water, Ṛg-Veda, Yajur-Veda, 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 (brahmā) without the aid of separate fire, and one who can chant the hymns. 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.