22
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 8, Ch. 1]
PURPORT
In  Bhagavad-gītā  (3.9) Lord Kṛṣṇa advises,  yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ : “Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world.” Generally, everyone is attracted to hard labor for becoming happy in this material world, but although various activities are going on all over the world simply for the sake of happiness, unfortunately only problems are being created from such fruitive activities. Therefore it is advised that active persons engage in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which are called  yajña , because then they will gradually come to the platform of devotional service.  Yajña  means Lord Viṣṇu, the  yajña-puruṣa , the enjoyer of all sacrifices ( bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram ). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually the enjoyer, and therefore if we begin our activities for His satisfaction, we will gradually lose our taste for material activities.
Sūta Gosvāmī declared to the great assembly of sages at Naimiṣāraṇya:
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
“O best among the twiceborn, it is concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve, by discharging his prescribed duties [ dharma ] according to caste divisions and order of life, is to please the Lord Hari.” ( Bhāg.  1.2.13) According to Vedic principles, everyone must act according to his classification as  brāhmaṇa ,  kṣatriya ,  vaiśya ,  śūdra ,  brahmacārī ,  gṛhastha ,  vānaprastha  or  sannyāsī . Everyone should progress toward perfection by acting in such a way that Kṛṣṇa will be pleased ( saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam ). One cannot please Kṛṣṇa by sitting idly; one must act according to the directions of the spiritual master for the sake of pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and then one will gradually come to the stage of pure devotional service. As confirmed in  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  (1.5.12):
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam