Text 34] Prayers by the Demigods 179

TRANSLATION

O Lord, during the time of maintenance You manifest several in-
carnations, all with transcendental bodies, beyond the material
modes of nature. When You appear in this way, You bestow all
good fortune upon the living entities by teaching them to perform
Vedic activities such as ritualistic ceremonies, mystic yoga,
austerities, penances, and ultimately samadhi, ecstatic absorp-
tion in thoughts of You. Thus You are worshiped by the Vedic
principles.

PURPORT

As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.3), yajria-dana-tapah-karma na tyd-
jyam: the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, charity, austerity and all such
prescribed duties are never to be given up. Yajfio dénam tapas caiva
pavanani manisindm (18.5): even one who is very much advanced in
spiritual realization must still execute the Vedic principles. Even in the
lowest stage, the karmis are advised to work for the sake of the Lord.

yajndrthat karmano ’nyatra
loko *yam karma-bandhanah

‘‘Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work
binds one to this material world.” (Bg. 3.9) The words yajfidrthat kar-
manah indicate that while performing all kinds of duties, one should
remember that these duties should be performed to satisfy the Supreme
Lord (sva-karmand tam abhyarcya). According to Vedic principles,
there must be divisions of human society (cdtur-varnyarh maya srstam).
There should be brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and Sidras, and everyone
should learn to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead (tam
abhyarcya). This is real human society, and without this system we are
left with animal society.

The modern activities of human society are described in Srimad-
Bhagavatam as the activities of go-khara, cows and asses (sa eva go-
kharah). Everyone is acting in a bodily concept of life involving society,
friendship and love for the improvement of economic and political condi-
tions, and thus all activities are enacted in ignorance. The Supreme
