104
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 9, Ch. 4]
Kali-yuga the sacrifice recommended in  śāstra  is  saṅkīrtana-yajña  ( yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ ). Instead of spending money unnecessarily on performing  yajñas  impossible to perform in this age of Kali because of the scarcity of  yājñika-brāhmaṇas , one who is intelligent performs  saṅkīrtana-yajña . Without properly performed  yajñas  to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there will be scarcity of rain ( yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ ). Therefore the performance of  yajña  is essential. Without  yajña  there will be a scarcity of rain, and because of this scarcity, no food grains will be produced, and there will be famines. It is the duty of the king, therefore, to perform different types of  yajñas , such as the  aśvamedha-yajña , to maintain the production of food grains.  Annād bhavanti bhūtāni . Without food grains, both men and animals will starve. Therefore  yajña  is necessary for the state to perform because by  yajña  the people in general will be fed sumptuously. The  brāhmaṇas  and  yājñika  priests should be sufficiently paid for their expert service. This payment is called  dakṣiṇā . Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, as the head of the state, performed all these  yajñas  through great personalities like Vasiṣṭha, Gautama and Asita. Personally, however, he was engaged in devotional service, as mentioned before ( sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ ). The king or head of state must see that things go on well under proper guidance, and he must be an ideal devotee, as exemplified by Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. It is the duty of the king to see that food grains are produced even in desert countries, what to speak of elsewhere.
TEXT 23
यस्य क्रतुषु गीर्वाणैः सदस्या ऋत्विजो जनाः ।
तुल्यरूपाश्वानिमिषा व्यदृश्यन्त सुवाससः ॥२३॥
yasya kratuṣu gīrvāṇaiḥ sadasyā ṛtvijo janāḥ tulya-rūpāś cānimiṣā vyadṛśyanta suvāsasaḥ
yasya —of whom (Mahārāja Ambarīṣa);  kratuṣu —in sacrifices (performed by him);  gīrvāṇaiḥ —with the demigods;  sadasyāḥ —members for executing the sacrifice;  ṛtvijaḥ —the priests;  janāḥ —and other expert men;  tulya-rūpāḥ —appearing exactly like;  ca —and;  animiṣāḥ —