254
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 7]
oblations offered to different demigods were actually offered unto the different limbs of Lord Vāsudeva.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says that as long as one does not develop the pure devotional service of  śravaṇam kīrtanam , hearing and chanting, one must carry out his prescribed duties. Since Bharata Mahārāja was a great devotee, one may ask why he performed so many sacrifices that are actually meant for  karmīs . The fact is that he was simply following the orders of Vāsudeva. As Kṛṣṇa says in  Bhagavad-gītā ,  sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇam vraja : “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 18.66) Whatever we do, we should constantly remember Vāsudeva. People are generally addicted to offering obeisances to various demigods, but Bharata Mahārāja simply wanted to please Lord Vāsudeva. As stated in  Bhagavad-gītā :  bhoktāram yajña-tapasām sarva-loka-maheśvaram  (Bg. 5.29). A  yajña  may be carried out to satisfy a particular demigod, but when the  yajña  is offered to the  yajña-puruṣa , Nārāyaṇa, the demigods are satisfied. The purpose of performing different  yajñas  is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. One may perform them in the name of different demigods or directly. If we directly offer oblations to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods are automatically satisfied. If we water the root of a tree, the branches, twigs, fruits and flowers are automatically satisfied. When one offers sacrifices to different demigods, one should remember that the demigods are simply parts of the body of the Supreme. If we worship the hand of a person, we intend to satisfy the person himself. If we massage a person’s legs, we do not really serve the legs but the person who possesses the legs. All the demigods are different parts of the Lord, and if we offer service to them, we actually serve the Lord Himself. Demigod worship is mentioned in  Brahma-samhitā , but actually the  ślokas  advocate worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. For instance, worship of the goddess Durgā is mentioned this way in  Brahma-samhitā  (5.44):
sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā