Text 34] Instructions by Maharaja Prthu 857

course, known as karma-kanda or material activities, and all material
activities are certainly contaminated by the three modes of material
nature. Generally the karma-kanda ritualistic ceremonies are performed
in the mode of passion, yet the conditioned souls, both human beings and
demigods, are obliged to perform these yajnas because without them one
cannot be happy at all.

Srila Vigvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comments that these karma-kanda
ritualistic ceremonies, although contaminated, contain touches of devo-
tional service because whenever there is a performance of any yajiia Lord
Visnu is given a central position. This is very important because even a
little endeavor to please Lord Visnu 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. There-
fore although such yajfas are superficially material activities, the results
are transcendental. Such yajiias as Surya-yajiia, Indra-yajia, Candra-yajiia,
etc., are performed in the names of the demigods, but these demigods are
bodily parts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods can-
not 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 yajiia performed with this
complete knowledge and understanding is described in Bhagavad-gita as
brahmarpanam, or a sacrifice offered to the Supreme Personality of God-
head. 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 (bhoktaram
yajiia-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram). Sacrifices should be performed with
this view in mind. As stated in Bhagavad-gita:

brahmarpanam brahma havir
brahmagnau brahmana hutam

brahmaiva tena gantavyam
brahma-karma-samadhina

‘A person who is fully absorbed in Krsna 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 satis-
fy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Visnur aradhyate pantha (Visnu
Purana 3.8.9). Anything material or spiritual done for the satisfaction of
the Supreme Lord is understood to be an actual yajiia, and by performing
