104 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 9, Ch. 4

Kali-yuga the sacrifice recommended in Sdstra is sarkirtana-yajna
(yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah). Instead of spend-
ing money unnecessarily on performing yajnas impossible to perform in
this age of Kali because of the scarcity of yajnika-brahmanas, one who is
intelligent performs sarkirtana-yajia. Without properly performed
yajias to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there will be scar-
city of rain (yajnidd bhavati parjanyah). Therefore the performance of
yajna is essential. Without yajfa there will be a scarcity of rain, and be-
cause of this scarcity, no food grains will be produced, and there will be
famines. It is the duty of the king, therefore, to perform different types
of yajfias, such as the asvamedha-yajna, to maintain the production of
food grains. Annad bhavanti bhitani. Without food grains, both men
and animals will starve. Therefore yajra is necessary for the state to per-
form because by yajna the people in general will be fed sumptuously.
The bréhmanas and yajnika priests should be sufficiently paid for their
expert service. This payment is called daksind. Ambarisa Maharaja, as
the head of the state, performed all these yajras through great per-
sonalities like Vasistha, Gautama and Asita. Personally, however, he was
engaged in devotional service, as mentioned before (sa vai manah krsna-
padaravindayoh). The king or head of state must see that things go on
well under proper guidance, and he must be an ideal devotee, as ex-
emplified by Maharaja Ambarisa. It is the duty of the king to see that
food grains are produced even in desert countries, what to speak of
elsewhere.

TEXT 23
TA RTT Tat: ACA afer AAT: |
TARMAC SISA AAAA: 123i

yasya kratusu girvanaih
sadasya rtvijo janah

tulya-riipas cdnimisa
vyadrsyanta suvdsasah

yasya—of whom (Maharaja Ambarisa); kratusu—in sacrifices (per-
formed by him); girvanaih—with the demigods; sadasya4h—members
for executing the sacrifice; rtvijah—the priests; jandh—and other ex-
pert men; tulya-riipah—appearing exactly like; ca—and; animisah—
