216 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 16

TEXT 9

TTT HAI StareTEleaa: |
ATA SHA g foot: IATA HAAN UI

yat-piijaya kidma-dughan
yati lokan grhanvitah

brahmano ’gnis ca vai visnoh
sarva-devatmano mukham

yat-pijaya—by worshiping the fire and brahmanas; kadma-dughan—
which fulfill one’s desires; yati—one goes; lokan—to the destination of
the higher planetary system; grha-anvitah—a person attached to house-
hold life; brahmanah—the brahmanas; agnih ca—and the fire; vai—
indeed; visnoh—of Lord Visnu; sarva-deva-dtmanah—the soul of all

the demigods; mukham—the mouth.

TRANSLATION

By worshiping the fire and the brahmanas, a householder can
achieve the desired goal of residing in the higher planets, for the
sacrificial fire and the brahmanas are to be considered the mouth
of Lord Visnu, who is the Supersoul of all the demigods.

PURPORT

According to the Vedic system, a fire sacrifice is held in order to offer
oblations of ghee, grains, fruits, flowers and so on, so that Lord Visnu

may eat and be satisfied. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (9.26):

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam

asnadmi prayatatmanah

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I
will accept it.” Therefore, all these items may be offered in the sacrificial
fire, and Lord Visnu will be satisfied. Similarly, brahmana-bhojana,
feeding of the brahmanas, is also recommended, for when the
