The purpose of Vedic Sacrifices (Mundaka Upaniṣad #06)
Many passages in the scriptures condemn the performance of karma-kanda sacrifices. Why then are they prescribed in the Vedas at all, and what is the real purpose of Vedic sacrifices?
In the previous verses, the difference between parā-vidyā and aparā-vidyā was already revealed, and the cultivation of materialistic knowledge that leads just to an improvement of one's material position was already condemned. This idea will be further emphasized in the next verses, where the destination of karmis who attain svarga-loka by performing ritual sacrifices is described and equally frowned upon.
Materialists perform such fire sacrifices with the desire of obtaining fruitive results, such as material auspiciousness and promotion to the celestial planets. Often, due to a poor fund of knowledge, they can't even understand the purpose of the sacrifice, seeing the demigods as separated deities. When sacrifices are executed with material desires, they produce only secondary material results, that are temporary. Even such material results are uncertain because fruitive sacrifices produce auspicious results only when properly executed. When there are faults in the execution, they produce negative results or no results whatsoever. Even if such sacrifices are successful, the material facilities obtained will remain only for a short time, being lost at the time of death, if not earlier. Even if one attains the celestial planets, he will have to come back to Earth after exhausting his pious credits. Such persons as described by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita as alpa-medhasām (men of small intelligence), who take the endeavor of executing costly sacrifices without obtaining their true fruit.
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Text 1.2.1
tad etat satyam
mantreṣu karmāṇi kavayo yāny apaśyams
tāni tretāyām bahudhā santatāni
tāny ācaratha niyatam satya-kāmāḥ
eṣa vaḥ panthāḥ sukṛtasya loke
Brahman is the Supreme Truth! The original understanding of sacrifice expanded into many forms in Treta-yuga. O great sages anxious to please the Lord, practice sacrifices steadily and regularly, in their original understanding, for the satisfaction of the Lord. This is your path back to Godhead.
Commentary: In the previous verses, the difference between parā-vidyā and aparā-vidyā was already revealed, and the cultivation of materialistic knowledge that leads just to an improvement of one's material position was already condemned. This idea will be further emphasized in the next verses, where the destination of karmis who attain svarga-loka by performing ritual sacrifices is described and equally frowned upon.
Taking into consideration the context, it becomes clear that in this verse, Angirasa is not recommending the performance of ordinary fruitive sacrifices destined to elevate one to the heavenly planets. This conversation happened (before the Srimad Bhagavatam) in Naimiṣāraṇya, where the sages led by Śaunaka Rsi were performing a one-thousand-year-long sacrifice. Śaunaka inquired about the ultimate goal of the Vedas, the unifying knowledge about the Supreme that allows one to reconnect with Him in devotional service. It's clear thus that Angirasa is answering in this context, urging the great sages to perform sacrifices with the same pure mentality as the great sages of Satya-yuga practiced silent meditation in the syllable Om, as an offering to the Supreme, with the goal of pleasing Him and no one else.
Madhvācārya interprets this verse in line with the ideas given in his commentary to verse 1.1.5, with Angirasa urging the sages to practice sacrifices in the unified understanding that all is connected with the Lord, and everything should be used in His service. In other words, he urges the sages to practice sacrifices in pure devotional service, as a loving offering to the Lord, just like originally understood by the great sages in Satya-yuga (parā-vidyā), and not as mere ritualistic ceremonies, or as sacrifices for demigods, as introduced with the beginning of Treta-yuga (aparā-vidyā).
Key in this interpretation given by Madhvācārya are the words "satya-kāmāḥ", which indicate one trying to please the Lord. This reveals the true purpose of the verse in connection with devotional service to the Lord. As Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita, "A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries."
Angirasa urges the sages in Naimiṣāraṇya to execute sacrifices in full Krsna consciousness, as an offering to the Lord, and thus find their way back home, back to Godhead. As Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita:
bhoktāram yajña-tapasām, sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdam sarva-bhūtānām, jñātvā mām śāntim ṛcchati"A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries." (Bg 5.29).
Text 1.2.2
yadā lelāyate hy arciḥ samiddhe havya-vāhane
tadā’jya-bhāgāvantereṇa āhutīḥ pratipādayet
When the flames of the well-kindled fire are flickering, one should offer oblations of ghee in full faith, with intervals between them.
Commentary: Following the previous verse, Angirasa describes the performance of Vedic fire sacrifices. Lelāyate hi arciḥ refers to a flickering flame in the fire of sacrifice when the fire is fully active and moving freely, which is considered the auspicious sign that the Lord, represented by Agni is reciprocating the prayers of the priest and is receptive to his offerings. Samiddhe havya-vāhane describes that the fire should be lit and well cared for with sufficient firewood, etc.
Observing the auspicious sign of the flickering flame, one should offer oblations of clarified butter into the fire, with full faith (āhutīḥ pratipādayet). The offerings of ghee should be offered in intervals, in an attentive and deliberate endeavor (tadā’jya-bhāgāvantereṇa), giving time for the fire to properly absorb one offering before offering the next. The performer should also be attentive to maintain the purity of both the area of sacrifice and the offerings.
Apart from describing the timing, tadā’jya-bhāgāvantereṇa also describes that the offerings should be offered into the middle of the fire, between (antareṇa) the two sides represented by Agni and Soma (ājya-bhāgau). It also describes that other offerings (such as grains, curd, etc.) should be offered between (antareṇa) offerings of ghee (ājya bhāgau).
Materialistic people perform such fire sacrifices with the desire of obtaining fruitive results, such as material auspiciousness and promotion to the celestial planets. Often, due to a poor fund of knowledge, they can't even understand the purpose of the sacrifice, seeing the demigods as separated deities. When sacrifices are executed with material desires, they produce only secondary material results, that are temporary. Even such material results are uncertain because fruitive sacrifices produce auspicious results only when properly executed. When there are faults in the execution, they produce negative results or no results whatsoever. Even if such sacrifices are successful, the material facilities obtained will remain only for a short time, being lost at the time of death, if not earlier. Even if one attains the celestial planets, he will have to come back to Earth after exhausting his pious credits. Such persons as described by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita as alpa-medhasām (men of small intelligence), who take the endeavor of executing costly sacrifices without obtaining their true fruit.
antavat tu phalam teṣām, tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām
devān deva-yajo yānti, mad-bhaktā yānti mām api"Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet." (Bg 7.23)
On the other hand, when the same sacrifices are executed by pure transcendentalists, who execute them for the satisfaction of the Lord, without material desires, they are considered part of brahma-vidyā, the practice of devotional service. In this case, one obtains the supreme result, freedom from the cycle of birth and death, and devotional service to the Lord. This is what Angirasa urges the sages to aim for.
Text 1.2.3
yasyāgni-hotram adarśam apaurṇamāsam
acāturmāsyam anāgrayaṇam atithi-varjitam ca
ahutam avaiśvadevam avidhinā hutam
āsaptamāms tasya lokān hinasti
Those who perform fire sacrifices without observing the darṣa, paurṇamāsa, and cāturmāsya ceremonies, without honoring guests, without observing the proper times, without performing the vaiśvadeva offerings, and not according to the rules, do not obtain any auspicious results.
Commentary: This verse emphasizes the importance of performing prescribed Vedic rituals and duties diligently and correctly. Although on the path of devotional service, all kinds of shortcomings and faults are overlooked by the Lord, we should be attentive to not be consciously neglectful. The same applies to all kinds of activities and even to the chanting of the holy names. If one chants the holy names negligently or addressing something else, without consciousness of what he is doing (as in the case of Ajamila calling his son Narayana), the chanting is considered Namabhasa, and it frees one from his past reactions. However, if one consciously chants the holy names in a neglectful way, his chanting is considered nama-aparadha.
We are supposed to be personalists. Accepting the Lord as a person, and not some impersonal object or force, implies treating Him with care and respect, just as we would treat a friend or any other dear person. When we invite a friend to come to our house, we understand that we should put aside time to be with him and give him or her attention. Similarly, when we chant the holy names, worship the deity, etc. the Lord is personally present, and He should not be neglected. Similarly, we should not neglect to perform the regulative principles, maintaining proper conduct, etc. In the Srimad Bhagavatam (3.29.22), for example, Lord Kapila equals the worship of the deities in the temple by a person who commits violence towards other living entities to the offering of oblations into ashes, implying that such worship is not accepted and does not award the desired result: "One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramātmā, is situated in every living entity’s heart, must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes."
Another meaning of the verse is that apart from one's private practice, the congregational aspects should not be neglected. In the context of Vedic sacrifices, there are many occasions where one should receive guests, such as the darṣa, paurṇamāsa, cāturmāsya, and agrayaṇa ceremonies described in the verse, performed respectively at the new moon, full moon, the passage of the seasons and harvest. These are not private ceremonies, but occasions where one should open the door of his house to neighbors and other guests, inviting them to participate in the worship of the Lord. One who does not do so, and remains satisfied with his private ceremonies, does not reap the full fruits of the sacrifices.
The final sentence of the verse, āsaptamāms tasya lokān hinasti, means "he ruins his seven words", indicating that he doesn't obtain good results anywhere. If one is performing fruitive sacrifices for demigods, with the goal of obtaining elevation to the celestial planets, the same sentence acquires a different meaning, indicating that his promotion to higher planets is blocked and the material auspiciousness of seven generations of his family is destroyed.
Text 1.2.4
kalī karālī ca manojavā ca
sulohitā yā ca sudhumra-varṇā
sphulinginī viśvarucī ca devī
lelāyamānā iti sapta-jihvāḥ
Fire consumes oblations through his seven tongues: Kalī (the dark one), Karālī (the fierce), Manojavā (the swift), Sulohitā (the very red one), Sudhumra-varṇā (of smoky color), Sphulinginī (the spark-emitting one) and Viśvarucī (the bright).
Commentary: Agni, or fire, is described as having seven tongues, or flames. One should offer oblations when these seven tongues are manifested, or in other words, when the fire is well-lit, without smoking, etc. Kalī is the flame that manifests in the absence of colors, Karālī is the powerful flame of red color, Manojavā is the flame that moves swiftly, like the toughs of the mind, Sulohitā is the flame that assumes a very red countenance, Sudhumra-varṇā is the flame that assumes a purple color, like the color of smoke, Sphulinginī is the flame that emits sparks and Viśvarucī is the pure white flame, the combination of all other colors. Each flame is considered the personification of a particular deity with certain attributes and characteristics. This gives us insights into the personalism of Vedic rituals, where even fire is seen as a personal entity, the Lord Himself, with personal characteristics and accompanied by His potencies.
Similarly, all other aspects of the Lord are personal. The deity is a person, the holy name is a person, and so on. They all have characteristics, attributes, personalities, feelings, and so on. Nothing connected with the Lord is impersonal. In fact, even material manifestations have predominating deities, and thus, in fact, there is nothing impersonal in any part of the creation. Impersonalism appears just due to one's imperfect understanding.
Text 1.2.5
eteṣu yaś carate bhrājamāneṣu
yathā-kālam cāhutayo hy ādadāyan
tam nayanty etāḥ sūryasya raśmayo
yatra devānām patir eko ’dhivāsaḥ
He who performs sacrifices when these seven fires are shining, offering oblations without neglect for the proper times, is carried by the rays of the sun to the place where the Supreme Lord of the demigods lives, the supreme abode.
Commentary: When a devotee performs sacrifices with the proper mentality and without neglecting the regulations of these performances, he is carried at the time of death by the rays of the sun to the abode of the Lord. The symbolism is that the oblations he offered to the fire during his lifetime become these rays that carry him. The word "sūryasya" in this context does not apply to Surya, the demigod, but to the Lord Himself, manifested in the form of the sun. The rays, or the power of Lord Vishnu carry the perfect devotee back home, back to Godhead, reciprocating his loving offerings.
This verse speaks thus about a goal and the means to reach this goal. The last line, yatra devānām patir eko ’dhivāsaḥ, is the key for the understanding of the verse. The words "devānām patir eko" (the lord of the devas) and "dhivāsaḥ" (his abode) can be interpreted in different ways, and according to the meaning attributed, the whole meaning of the verse changes. As in other verses, the higher meaning can be found only by context. Sankaracarya, for example, interprets the words as meaning Indra and his abode, since going to Vaikuntaloka, where the Supreme Lord is present in a personal form is not very much in line with the philosophy he was propounding.
Ranga Ramanuja interprets devānām patiḥ as Lord Brahma and dhivāsaḥ as his abode, Satyaloka. Madhvācārya harmonizes it by explaining that the final destination depends on the qualifications of the performer. The highest class can indeed attain Vaikuntaloka, while performers with lower qualifications can attain the higher planets: Maharloka, Janaloka, or Tapoloka, where he can live for a very long time, and from there eventually reach Satyaloka, from where he has a chance of attaining liberation at the end of the universe. Yogis who meditate on Paramatma may go directly to Satyaloka, while karmis, who perform sacrifices with a fruitive mentality may go only up to the celestial planets, and from there fall back into Earth.
Reaching the celestial planets through the performance of fire sacrifices is possible for anyone, because in this case the sacrifices are just mechanical performances that award material results according to one's capacity to perform them correctly. However, attaining higher destinations demands one to have spiritual knowledge. According to the degree of one's realization, he may go to any of these destinations by the performance of sacrifice. The words of Angirasa urge the sages in Naimiṣāraṇya to perform sacrifices in the highest understanding.