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Instructions by Mahārāja Pṛthu
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course, known as  karma-kāṇḍa  or material activities, and all material activities are certainly contaminated by the three modes of material nature. Generally the  karma-kāṇḍa  ritualistic ceremonies are performed in the mode of passion, yet the conditioned souls, both human beings and demigods, are obliged to perform these  yajñas  because without them one cannot be happy at all.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura comments that these  karma-kāṇḍa  ritualistic ceremonies, although contaminated, contain touches of devotional service because whenever there is a performance of any  yajña  Lord Viṣṇu is given a central position. This is very important because even a little endeavor to please Lord Viṣṇu is  bhakti  and is of great value. A tinge of  bhakti  purifies the material nature of the performances, which by devotional service gradually come to the transcendental position. Therefore although such  yajñas  are superficially material activities, the results are transcendental. Such  yajñas  as Sūrya-yajña, Indra-yajña, Candra-yajña, etc., are performed in the names of the demigods, but these demigods are bodily parts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods cannot accept sacrificial offerings for themselves, but they can accept them for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as a departmental tax collector of a government cannot collect taxes for his personal account but can realize them for the government. Any  yajña  performed with this complete knowledge and understanding is described in  Bhagavad-gītā  as  brahmārpaṇam , or a sacrifice offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since no one but the Supreme Lord can enjoy the results of sacrifice, the Lord says that He is the actual enjoyer of all sacrifices ( bhoktāram yajña-tapasām sarva-loka-maheśvaram ). Sacrifices should be performed with this view in mind. As stated in  Bhagavad-gītā :
brahmārpaṇam brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma-karma-samādhinā
“A person who is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.” (Bg. 4.24) The performer of sacrifices must always keep in view that the sacrifices mentioned in the  Vedas  are meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  Viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā  ( Viṣṇu Purāṇa  3.8.9). Anything material or spiritual done for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord is understood to be an actual  yajña , and by performing