324 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 5, Ch. 9
decorated; bhuktavantam—having eaten; dhiipa—with incense; dipa—
lamps; malya—garlands; laja—parched grain; kisalaya-ankura—twigs
and sprouts; phala—fruits; upahdra—other paraphernalia; upetayd —
fully equipped; vaisasa-samsthaya—with complete arrangements for
sacrifice; mahatd —great; gita-stuti—of songs and prayers; mrdanga—
of the drums; panava—of the bugles; ghosena—by vibration; ca—also;
purusa-pasum—the man-animal; bhadra-kdlyah—of the goddess Kali;
puratah—just in front; upavesayam adsuh—made him sit down.
TRANSLATION

After this, all the thieves, according to their imaginative ritual
for killing animalistic men, bathed Jada Bharata, dressed him in
new clothes, decorated him with ornaments befitting an animal,
smeared his body with scented oils and decorated him with tilaka,
sandalwood pulp and garlands. They fed him sumptuously and
then brought him before the goddess Kali, offering her incense,
lamps, garlands, parched grain, newly grown twigs, sprouts, fruits
and flowers. In this way they worshiped the deity before killing the
man-animal, and they vibrated songs and prayers and played
drums and bugles. Jada Bharata was then made to sit down before
the deity.

PURPORT

In this verse the word sva-vidhina (according to their own ritualistic
principles) is very significant. According to the Vedic Sdstras, everything
must be done according to regulative principles, but here it is stated that
the thieves and rogues devised their own process for killing an
animalistic man. The tamasic s@stras give instructions for the sacrifice of
an animal like a goat or buffalo before the goddess Kali, but there is no
mention of killing a man, however dull he may be. This process was
manufactured by the dacoits themselves; therefore the word sva-vidhind
is used. Even at this time there are many sacrifices being conducted with-
out reference to the Vedic scriptures. For instance, in Calcutta recently a
slaughterhouse was being advertised as a temple of the goddess Kali.
Meat-eaters foolishly purchase meat from such shops, thinking it
different from ordinary meat and taking it to be the prasada of goddess
