The universal cycle of sacrifices
Everything in the universe is interconnected as a great cycle of sacrifices, of which we are also part. The ultimate purpose of this cycle is devotional service to the Lord.
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The universal cycle of sacrifices
Everything in the universe is interconnected as a great cycle of sacrifices, of which we are also part. It starts with the demigods and is concluded with the birth of good children who later execute different types of sacrifices, culminating with devotional service to the Lord.
All human beings are meant to take part in this cycle of sacrifices, using the facilities offered by the demigods, such as the sun, rain, and food to advance in spiritual realization. By the performance of prescribed duties, we grow in detachment and spiritual realization, starting from fruitive activities and going all the way to the platform of pure devotional service. Devotional service is the supreme dharma that eclipses the temporary material duties.
Every word in the Vedas is directed to bringing us to this ultimate platform, and therefore all are recommended to follow this path. One who fails to participate in this cycle lives a sinful life and in the end is degraded to the lower species of life.
Text 2.1.5
tasmād agniḥ samidho yasya sūryaḥ
somāt parjanya oṣadhayaḥ pṛthivyām
pumān retaḥ siñcati yositāyām
bahvīḥ prajāḥ puruṣāt samprasūtāḥ
From the Lord arose the heavens, which are kindled by the energy of the Sun. From the heavens arose the moon. From the moon arose plants on earth, which sustain all beings. The man impregnates the woman producing offspring. In this way, from the Supreme Lord, many offspring are born.
Commentary: This verse describes the creation of all living beings from the universal form of the Lord. Ranga Ramanuja explains that this verse should be interpreted according to the teachings of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (6.2). When we interpret the verse according to these teachings, it describes the pañcāgni-vidyā, knowledge of five sacrificial fires. This teaches us how everything in the universe is interconnected as a great cycle of sacrifices, of which we are also part.
The planets in the higher planetary systems, inhabited by demigods and great sages are the first sacrificial fire, and they are maintained by the sun, manifested from the energy of the Lord. The sun is thus considered its firewood, and the day its flame. In that fire, the demigods offer their devotion (śraddhā), and from this offering, Soma appears. Soma is connected with both the soma-rasa elixir, enjoyed by the demigods, and the moon.
The second sacrificial fire in the teachings is Parjanyaḥ, or Indra, the demigod who controls the rain. The firewood is the year and the flame is lightning. The demigods offer soma-rasa into this fire as an oblation, and from this, rain is produced.
The third sacrificial fire is our physical world, of which the planet Earth is the firewood. All life on Earth is manifested from the planet, but being the combination of matter and spirit, living beings are different from the planet itself, just like fire is different from wood, even though it burns from wood. The night is indicated as the flame of this fire (indicating the darkness of our plane, compared with the light of higher realms), and the stars we can see at night are the sparks. The demigods offer rain as an oblation to this fire, and from these oblations, plants that produce grains and other types of food appear.
The fourth sacrificial fire is the man (puruṣa). This fire is maintained through the mouth and speech is its flame. The demigods offer food into this fire, and from these oblations, semen and the capacity of generation appear.
The fifth sacrificial fire is the woman. The flame of this sacrificial fire is the womb, and the sparks are the material happiness of family life, which is centered around the wife. Into this sacrificial fire, semen is offered as an oblation, and from this sacrificial act, children are born, who grow into Brahmans, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras, etc. maintaining human society. All these different members of society are meant to live and practice sacrifices, culminating with devotional service. In the end, their bodies are offered into the funeral fire. The soul then goes upwards in the direction of the higher planets, or the spiritual world, concluding the cycle of sacrifice.
One who fails to participate in this cycle of sacrifice, however, goes down in the direction of the lower planets, animal species, or hell. Human life offers thus a great opportunity for finally becoming free from the cycle of human life, but is, at the same time, a great risk. We should thus understand this cycle of sacrifice and our part in it to be able to live a progressive life.
In this way, this pañcāgni-vidyā, or teaching of the five sacrificial fires describes how everything in the universe comes from the Lord and is interconnected in a cosmic cycle of sacrifices that culminates in devotional service to the Lord. The process of sacrifice in itself is incomplete, elevating one only up to Brahmaloka, at the maximum (as Prabhupada explains in his purport to Bg. 8.16) but if by practicing it one is elevated to the platform of devotional service, one can go back to Godhead.
Prabhupada explains this Vedic process of ascension on his purport to Bg 8.28:
"After the student studies the Vedas under the master for some time – at least from age five to twenty – he becomes a man of perfect character. Study of the Vedas is not meant for the recreation of armchair speculators, but for the formation of character. After this training, the brahmacārī is allowed to enter into household life and marry. When he is a householder, he has to perform many sacrifices so that he may achieve further enlightenment. He must also give charity according to the country, time and candidate, discriminating among charity in goodness, in passion and in ignorance, as described in Bhagavad-gītā. Then after retiring from household life, upon accepting the order of vānaprastha, he undergoes severe penances – living in forests, dressing with tree bark, not shaving, etc. By carrying out the orders of brahmacarya, householder life, vānaprastha and finally sannyāsa, one becomes elevated to the perfectional stage of life. Some are then elevated to the heavenly kingdoms, and when they become even more advanced they are liberated in the spiritual sky, either in the impersonal brahma-jyotir or in the Vaikuṇṭha planets or Kṛṣṇaloka. This is the path outlined by Vedic literatures. The beauty of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, is that by one stroke, by engaging in devotional service, one can surpass all the rituals of the different orders of life."
The demigods perform their different functions in maintaining the cosmic mechanism to give human beings the chance to come to the platform of Krsna Consciousness, and as human beings, we should be mindful and not waste this rare opportunity.
This cycle of sacrifice is also described in the third chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. The Prajāpati (Lord Brahma, or in a deeper meaning, Lord Vishnu) created all living beings and ordered them to perform sacrifices because, by the performance of such sacrifices, they could obtain everything desirable and achieve liberation. The sacrifices performed by human beings please the demigods, who reciprocate by sending rain, which in turn produces food grains, which are meant to be offered in sacrifice, restarting the cycle. By the performance of dharma (prescribed duties), a human being grows in detachment and spiritual realization, going from the platform of executing fruitive sacrifices to obtain material results (karma-kanda) to the platform of devotional service, starting with sakama karma-yoga, and progressing to niskama karma-yoga. In this way, one gradually learns how to work for the Lord in a detached spirit, which is the path to perfection in human life. Devotional service is the real, supreme dharma, that eclipses the temporary material duties.
The teaching of the 5th fire also describes human sexuality in the context of this cycle of sacrifices. In the Gita (7.11), Krsna says He is sex life which is not contrary to religious principles. Both men and women desire material happiness and such mutual material happiness can be obtained through the institution of marriage. When one gets married, there is the ceremony of vivaha-yajña, which indicates the beginning of a sacrifice that is concluded only when one enters into renounced life or dies. In this way, the whole family life is a continuous process of sacrifice, where one executes religious duties and thus grows in spiritual understanding. Inside of family life, the main duty is to beget and educate a few children giving them a chance of participating in this cycle of sacrifice and going back to Godhead. In this context, human sexuality can be used positively.
In modern societies, responsible married life and parenthood are often frowned upon, but Prabhupada classifies this as propaganda from demons, as part of their efforts to destroy society. Not everyone has the nature or qualification to be a renunciant, and therefore, without being trained and engaged in religious family life, they express their sexuality in all kinds of perverted ways that are not favorable for their spiritual development. Outside of family life, sex life is always sinful in one way or another, and sin is something that pushes us away from God. It is a given that even the most sinful person can be saved by sincerely chanting the holy names, but a pious life makes things much easier.