166
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 5]
PURPORT
In this connection it is to be noted that the device used for killing animals in the sacrifice was not designed to facilitate eating their flesh. The killing was specifically intended to give a new life to the sacrificed animal by the power of Vedic  mantra . The animals were sacrificed to test the strength of Vedic  mantras ;  yajñas  were performed as a test of the  mantra . Even in the modern age, tests are executed on animal bodies in the physiology laboratory. Similarly, whether or not the  brāhmaṇas  were uttering the Vedic hymns correctly was tested by sacrifice in the arena. On the whole, the animals thus sacrificed were not at all the losers. Some old animals would be sacrificed, but in exchange for their old bodies they received other, new bodies. That was the test of Vedic  mantras . Vīrabhadra, instead of sacrificing animals with the wooden device, immediately beheaded Dakṣa, to the astonishment of everyone.
TEXT 25
साधुवादस्तदा तेषां कर्म तत्तस्य पश्यताम् । भूतग्रेतपिशाचानामन्येषां तद्विपर्ययः ॥२५॥
sādhu-vādas tadā teṣām karma tat tasya paśyatām bhūta-preta-piśācānām anyeṣām tad-viparyayaḥ
sādhu-vādaḥ—joyful exclamation; tadā—at that time; teṣām—of those (followers of Lord Śiva); karma—action; tat—that; tasya—of him (Vīrabhadra); paśyatām—seeing; bhūta-preta-piśācānām—of the bhūtas (ghosts), pretas and piśācas; anyeṣām—of the others (in the party of Dakṣa); tat-viparyayaḥ—the opposite of that (an exclamation of grief).
TRANSLATION
Upon seeing the action of Vīrabhadra, the party of Lord Śiva was pleased and cried out joyfully, and all the bhūtas, the ghosts and demons that had come made a tumultuous sound. On the other hand, the  brāhmaṇas  who were in charge of the sacrifice cried out in grief at the death of Dakṣa.
TEXT 26
गुहावैतन्त्रिरसस्य दधिणाग्रावयधितः । तद्वेयजनं दग्ध्वा प्रातिष्ठद् गुह्यकालयम् ॥२६॥