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Yajnartha means

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Yajñārtha means simply to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. That should be the purpose.
Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "Yajñārtha-karma, or the necessity for work for the satisfaction..."

Prabhupāda: Yajñārtha-karma. Yajña means "sacrifice," artha, "for the purpose of," and karma, "fruitive activity." Everyone is engaged in some activity, but what shall be the purpose of such activity? Yajñārtha. Yajñārtha means simply to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. That should be the purpose. Yajñārtha-karma, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "We have to work for the satisfaction of the yajña-puruṣa, Viṣṇu, then we must find the direction of work in Brahman, or the transcendental Vedas. The Vedas are therefore codes of working directions. Anything performed..."

Prabhupāda: Just like you get license to do some business. Why? The government gives you license to do some business. That means if you want to do business you must satisfy the government. You cannot do whimsically. You cannot do. This is Veda. One who is law-abiding subject. Similarly, anyone who is following the codes of Vedas or scriptures he is actually working. Otherwise, persons who are violating, he is becoming implicated, criminals. Similarly, if we defy the rules and regulation of Vedas or scripture, then we are being implicated, the criminals for being punished. Therefore work should be yajñārtha, for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu or the supreme government. That should be the mode of work. Go on.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Yajñārthāt means for Kṛṣṇa. Whatever you do, that's all right.
Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Indian man (4): Swamijī? It is prohibited to consume, consume flesh, meat. It's because there is soul in the body and if we kill it, therefore we are doing a sin. I think it's because that we can't consume meat according to the Vedic literature. But what about plants, Swamijī?

Prabhupāda: Plants also, you... They are also killed. They are also killed. But this is... Plants are killed by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you are not responsible.

Indian man (4): Therefore, if we say that we can kill some animal by the order of Kṛṣṇa...

Prabhupāda: Yes, then you are not responsible. Suppose I kill one snake by the stick. The stick is not responsible; I am responsible.

Indian man (4): When do you think that you'd know that Kṛṣṇa is responsible and not our...

Prabhupāda: You learn from the śāstra. You learn from Bhagavad-gītā what Kṛṣṇa says and do it. Then you are not responsible for anything. Just like there is lawbook. If you act... (aside:) Don't keep so near. ...act according to lawbook, then you are not criminal. If you violate the lawbook, then you are criminal. Similarly, what Kṛṣṇa says, that is recorded in the śāstra, especially in the Bhagavad-gītā. So you act what is said in the Bhagavad-gītā; then you remain free from all sinful reaction. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko ya karma-bandhanaḥ. Yajñārthāt means for Kṛṣṇa. Whatever you do, that's all right. Otherwise you are become bound up by the reaction. Anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Karma-bandhanaḥ means you are bound up by the reaction. So therefore you have to act according to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. If you act differently, then you are responsible.

Indian man (4): How would you know what to consume and what not, Swamijī?

Prabhupāda: That is stated in the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Patram means vegetable, leaves; puṣpam, flower. In this way, whatever He says, you collect and offer to Him and take prasādam. Then you are not responsible. And if you collect for yourself even patram without offering to Kṛṣṇa, if you take, you are responsible for killing. It doesn't matter whether you kill a big animal or a small plant. You are responsible. Just like a soldier. He kills hundreds and thousands of men and he is given gold medal. And as soon as he kills one man for his sense gratification he is hanged.

Yajñārtha means for the satisfaction...
Morning Walk -- December 18, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Karma means you are implicated with the result. That is karma. And vikarma...

Dr. Patel:

kiṁ karma kim akarmeti
kavayo'py atra mohitāḥ
tat te karma pravakṣyāmi
yaj-jñātvā mokṣyase 'subhāt

That karma which you do without any links on it, for the sake of God, tat tat karma tu kaunteya sa sannyāsī ca...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yajñārtha-karma, that is real. Yajñā...

Dr. Patel: That is what he has explained.

Prabhupāda: Yajñārtha means for the satisfaction...

Dr. Patel: Yajña means for Viṣṇu.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yajña means Viṣṇu. For the satisfaction of Viṣṇu, one has to offer. And Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore says that these rascals, they do not know. Na te vidhuḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. These rascals, they do not know what is real self-interest. Svārtha-gatim.

Page Title:Yajnartha means
Compiler:Rishab
Created:11 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=2, Let=0
No. of Quotes:3