302
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 2, Ch. 6]
vastūnyoṣadhayaḥ snehā rasa-loha-mṛdo jalam ṛco yajūmṣi 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; yajūmṣi—the Yajur-veda; sāmāni—the Sāma-veda; cātur-hotram—four persons conducting the performance; ca—all these; sattama—O most pious one.
TRANSLATION
Other requirements are utensils, grains, clarified butter, honey, gold, earth, water, Ṛg-veda, Yajur-veda, Sāma-veda and four priests to perform the sacrifice.
PURPORT
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.
TEXT 26
नामधेयानि मन्त्राश्च दक्षिणाश्च व्रतानि च । देवतानुक्रमः कल्पः सङ्कल्पस्तन्त्रमेव च ॥२६॥