Text 26] The Hellish Planets 463
niraya-patayah—assistants of Yamaraja; ydtayitva—causing sufficient
pain; visasanti—kill.
TRANSLATION

A person who in this life is proud of his eminent position, and
who heedlessly sacrifices animals simply for material prestige, is
put into the hell called Visasana after death. There the assistants of
Yamaraja kill him after giving him unlimited pain.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita (6.41) Krsna says, Sucindm srimatam gehe yoga-
bhrasto *bhijdayate: “Because of his previous connection with bhakti-
yoga, a man is born into a prestigious family of brahmanas or
aristocrats.”” Having taken such a birth, one should utilize it to perfect
bhakti-yoga. However, due to bad association one often forgets that his
prestigious position has been given to him by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and he misuses it by performing various kinds of so-called
yajnias like kali-pijaé or durga-piija, in which poor animals are sacrificed.
How such a person is punished is described herein. The word dambha-
yajnesu in this verse is significant. If one violates the Vedic instructions
while performing yajria and simply makes a show of sacrifice for the
purpose of killing animals, he is punishable after death. In Calcutta there
are many slaughterhouses where animal flesh is sold that has supposedly
been offered in sacrifice before the goddess Kali. The sastras enjoin that
one can sacrifice a small goat before the goddess Kali once a month.
Nowhere is it said that one can maintain a slaughterhouse in the name of
temple worship and daily kill animals unnecessarily. Those who do so
receive the punishments described herein.

TEXT 26

n d Q ~ AAR °
afeae Jaan amt fest ta: cafe arated o-
HAAGA Ca FeTTAT Takcat Ta: Arataafeg Ul 2G II
yas tv tha vai savarnam bharyam dvijo retah payayati kama-mohitas
tam papa-krtam amutra retah-kulyayam patayitva retah sampayayanti.
