Text 5] The Activities of King Bharata 251
ye ca bhagavantam yajrna-kratu-riipam kratubhir uccadvacaih
sraddhayahrtagnihotra-darsa-piirnamésa-caturmasya-pasu-somanam
prakrti-vikrtibhir anusavanam caturhotra-vidhina.

ije—worshiped: ca—also: bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead: yajia-kratu-ripam—having the form of sacrifices without
animals and sacrifices with animals: kratubhih—by such sacrifices: uc-
cdvacaih—very great and very small; sraddhayaé—with faith: a@hrta—
being performed: agni-hotra—of the agnihotra-yajna; darsa—of the
darsa-yajna; ptirnamdsa—of the piirnamdsa-yajna; cdturmasya—of
the caturmdsya-yajria; pasu-somandm—of the yajria with animals and
the yajra with soma-rasa; prakrti—by full performances: vikrtibhih—
and by partial performances: anusavanam—almost always: cdtuh-hotra-
vidhind—by the regulative principles of sacrifice directed by four kinds
of priests.

TRANSLATION

With great faith King Bharata performed various kinds of
sacrifice. He performed the sacrifices known as agni-hotra, darsa,
purnamasa, caturmasya, pasu-yajna [wherein a horse is sacrificed]
and soma-yajna [wherein a kind of beverage is offered]. Sometimes
these sacrifices were performed completely and sometimes par-
tially. In any case, in all the sacrifices the regulations of caturhotra
were strictly followed. In this way Bharata Maharaja worshiped the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

Animals like hogs and cows were offered in sacrifice to test the proper
execution of the sacrifice. Otherwise. there was no purpose in killing the
animal. Actually the animal was offered in the sacrificial fire to get a re-
juvenated life. Generally an old animal was sacrificed in the fire. and it
would come out again in a youthful body. Some of the rituals. however.
did not require animal sacrifice. In the present age. animal sacrifices are
forbidden. As stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

asvamedham gavalambham
sannyasam pala-paitrkam
