BG 04.25 daivam evapare yajnam... cited

Expressions researched:
"brahmagnav apare yajnam" |"daivam evapare yajnam" |"yajnenaivopajuhvati" |"yoginah paryupasate"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 4.25, Translation and Purport:

Some yogīs perfectly worship the demigods by offering different sacrifices to them, and some offer sacrifices in the fire of the Supreme Brahman.

As described above, a person engaged in discharging duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also called a perfect yogī or a first-class mystic. But there are others also, who perform similar sacrifices in the worship of demigods, and still others who sacrifice to the Supreme Brahman, or the impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord. So there are different kinds of sacrifices in terms of different categories. Such different categories of sacrifice by different types of performers only superficially demark varieties of sacrifice. Factually sacrifice means to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, who is also known as Yajña. All the different varieties of sacrifice can be placed within two primary divisions: namely, sacrifice of worldly possessions and sacrifice in pursuit of transcendental knowledge. Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness sacrifice all material possessions for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, while others, who want some temporary material happiness, sacrifice their material possessions to satisfy demigods such as Indra, the sun-god, etc. And others, who are impersonalists, sacrifice their identity by merging into the existence of impersonal Brahman. The demigods are powerful living entities appointed by the Supreme Lord for the maintenance and supervision of all material functions like the heating, watering and lighting of the universe. Those who are interested in material benefits worship the demigods by various sacrifices according to the Vedic rituals. They are called bahv-īśvara-vādī, or believers in many gods. But others, who worship the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth and regard the forms of the demigods as temporary, sacrifice their individual selves in the supreme fire and thus end their individual existences by merging into the existence of the Supreme. Such impersonalists sacrifice their time in philosophical speculation to understand the transcendental nature of the Supreme. In other words, the fruitive workers sacrifice their material possessions for material enjoyment, whereas the impersonalist sacrifices his material designations with a view to merging into the existence of the Supreme. For the impersonalist, the fire altar of sacrifice is the Supreme Brahman, and the offering is the self being consumed by the fire of Brahman. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person, like Arjuna, however, sacrifices everything for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and thus all his material possessions as well as his own self—everything—is sacrificed for Kṛṣṇa. Thus, he is the first-class yogī; but he does not lose his individual existence.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

That is accepted in Darwin's theory also, anthropomorphism. What is that? Anthropology, yes. Not anthropomorphism. Anthropology. Anthropology, there is evolutionary process. So that is accepted in the Vedic literature also.

So the animal which is sacrificed, he gets immediately his evolutionary process developed and promoted from animal life to human life. But the man who is offering that sacrifice, he becomes responsible. These are therefore so many hymns in the Vedic literature. So whole idea is that by offering such sacrifices man is restricted from flesh-eating.

Similarly, there are many kinds of sacrifices they are described here. I think those descriptions may not be very elaborately described, but I will give you the idea.

daivam evāpare yajñaṁ

yoginaḥ paryupāsate

brahmāgnāv apare yajñaṁ

yajñenaivopajuhvati

śrotrādīnīndriyāṇy anye

saṁyamāgniṣu juhvati

śabdādīn viṣayān anya

indriyāgniṣu juhvati

Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that yajña, sacrifice, charity, dāna. Yajña, dāna and tapaḥ, tapaḥ. Tapaḥ means penance.

Now, there are four divisions of human society according to Vedic literature: the brahmacārī, the gṛhastha, the vānaprastha and the sannyāsa. The brahmacārī means the student life, more or less, student life. And gṛhastha means those who are leading family life, after the student life. And vānaprastha means retired life. And the sannyāsa means renounced order. They have no connection with worldly activities. So these are four different stages of human social order. Now, the brahmacārī, they are meant for sacrifice, the students. The students are recommended to sacrifice, especially to sacrifice sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 4.25 -- Bombay, April 14, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "Some yogis perfectly worship the demigods by offering different sacrifices to them, and some of them offer sacrifices in the fire of the Supreme Brahman."

Prabhupāda: There are different types of yajña, sacrifices, and the person who offers sacrifices, he is called yogi. Daivam evāpare yajñaṁ paryupāsate. Yajñam and yoginaḥ. Generally, the Vedas are divided into three types of yajña: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. Generally, the yajñas are performed for satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But one who hasn't got the chance of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they offer different types of yajña for satisfying the demigods. Here it is said, daivam: "in the matter of satisfying the different demigods."

In the śāstra it is recommended... After all, performance of yajña means to get the necessities of life. In the śāstra it is recommended that "If you want this type of benefit, then you offer yajña or try to satisfy this kind of demigod." There is a list in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. "If you want education, you worship this demigod; if you want very beautiful wife, then you worship this goddess; if you want good health, then you worship this demigod; if you want victory..." So many ways.

And we have got different types of demands. So... But that is recommended in the śāstra, in the Vedas, because gradually, one has to be taken to the transcendental position. To worship a type of demigod for certain type of benefit, at least it indicates that you can get the benefit from higher authorities. Indirectly the higher authority is accepted. Or otherwise we become atheist. To save the general people from atheism, there is recommendation for worship of different types of demigods.