870 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 21
“I am not in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the yogis. | remain where My
devotees engage in glorifying My activities.” It is to be understood that
the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not leave the company of His
devotees.

Fire is certainly devoid of life, but devotees and brahmanas are the liv-
ing representatives of the Supreme Lord. Therefore to feed brahmanas and
Vaignavas is to feed the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. It may
be concluded that instead of offering fire sacrifices, one should offer food-
stuffs to brahmanas and Vaisnavas, for that process is more effective than
fire yajna. The vivid example of this principle in action was given by
Advaita Prabhu. When he performed the sraddha ceremony for his father,
he first of all called Haridasa Thakura and offered him food. It is the prac-
tice that after finishing the sraddha ceremony, one should offer food to an
elevated brahmana. But Advaita Prabhu offered food first to Haridasa
Thakura, who had taken his birth in a Mohammedan family. Therefore
Haridasa Thakura asked Advaita Prabhu why he was doing something
which might jeopardize his position in brahmana society. Advaita Prabhu
replied that he was feeding millions of first-class brahmanas by offering
the food to Haridasa Thakura. He was prepared to talk with any learned
brahmana on this point arid prove definitely that by offering food to a
pure devotee like Haridasa Thakura, he was equally as blessed as he would
have been by offering food to thousands of learned brahmanas. When per-
forming sacrifices, one offers oblations to the sacrificial fire, but when such
oblations are offered to Vaisnavas, they are certainly more effective.

TEXT 42
agMaIMgenadaa: |
anita frat arieed
TATA SATA ATEAA NVR
yad brahma nityam virajam sanatanam
Sraddha-tapo-mangala-mauna-samyamaih
samadhina bibhrati hartha-drstaye
yatredam adarsa ivavabhasate

yat—that which; brahma—the brahminical culture; nityam—eternally;
virajam— without contamination; sanatanam-— without beginning; sraddha—
faith; tapah—austerity; mangala—auspicious; mauna—silence; samyamaih—
controlling the mind and senses; samadhina—with full concentration;
