BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:16

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:16

 

aham kratur aham yajnah

svadhaham aham ausadham

mantro 'ham aham evajyam

aham agnir aham hutam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

aham--I; kratuh--Vedic ritual; aham--I; yajnah--smrti sacrifice;

svadha--oblation; aham--I; aham--I; ausadham--healing herb;

mantrah--transcendental chant; aham--I; aham--I; eva--certainly;

ajyam--melted butter; aham--I; agnih--fire; aham--I; hutam--offering.

 

TRANSLATION

 

But it is I who am the ritual, I the sacrifice, the offering to the

ancestors, the healing herb, the transcendental chant. I am the butter

and the fire and the offering.

 

PURPORT

 

The Vedic sacrifice known as jyotistoma is also Krsna, and He is also

the maha-yajna mentioned in the smrti. The oblations offered to the

Pitrloka or the sacrifice performed to please the Pitrloka, considered

as a kind of drug in the form of clarified butter, is also Krsna. The

mantras chanted in this connection are also Krsna. And many other

commodities made with milk products for offering in the sacrifices are

also Krsna. The fire is also Krsna because fire is one of the five

material elements and is therefore claimed as the separated energy of

Krsna. In other words, the Vedic sacrifices recommended in the

karma-kanda division of the Vedas are in total also Krsna. Or, in

other words, those who are engaged in rendering devotional service

unto Krsna are to be understood to have performed all the sacrifices

recommended in the Vedas.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.