The Lord raised the question of cow-killing, and the Kazi properly answered Him by referring to the Koran. In turn the Kazi also questioned the Lord about cow sacrifice in the Vedas, and the Lord replied that such sacrifice as mentioned in the Vedas is not actually cow-killing. In that sacrifice an old bull or cow was sacrificed for the sake of receiving a fresh younger life by the power of Vedic mantras. But in the Kali-yuga such cow sacrifices are forbidden because there are no qualified brāhmaṇas capable of conducting such a sacrifice. In fact, in Kali-yuga all yajñas (sacrifices) are forbidden because they are useless attempts by foolish men. In Kali-yuga only the saṅkīrtana yajña is recommended for all practical purposes. Speaking in this way, the Lord finally convinced the Kazi, who became the Lord's follower. The Kazi thenceforth declared that no one should hinder the saṅkīrtana movement which was started by the Lord, and the Kazi left this order in his will for the sake of progeny.
Formerly, the brahmanas well conversant in Vedic mantras could show the potency of the mantras, but in this age, because there are no such brahmanas, all such sacrifices are forbidden
Expressions researched:
"Formerly, the brahmanas well conversant in Vedic mantras could show the potency of the mantras, but in this age, because there are no such brahmanas, all such sacrifices are forbidden"
|"In the present age of Kali it is not possible to find expert mantra chanters; therefore all the sacrifices recommended in the Vedas are forbidden in this age"
|"In the present age, animal sacrifices are forbidden"
|"In this Age of Kali there is no such learned brahmana or priest available; therefore, all such sacrifices are forbidden"
|"In this age, all kinds of sacrifice are forbidden because there is no learned priest amongst the so-called brahmanas"
|"Neither there is expert brahmana also who can conduct such sacrifices"
|"When such an expert priest is not available, the animal sacrifice in the fire of the sacrificial altar is forbidden"
|"asvamedha-yajna is forbidden in this age"
|"at the present moment the brahmanas are not so qualified that they can give new life, therefore that sacrifice is now forbidden"
|"because in this Age of Kali such qualified brahmanas are not available, all Vedic ritualistic sacrifices are forbidden"
|"because there is lack of such expert brahmanas to chant that mantra, therefore cow sacrifice in this age is forbidden"
|"impossible to perform because there are neither sufficient riches nor qualified brahmanas"
|"in the Kali-yuga such cow sacrifices are forbidden"
|"in this age of Kali, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has forbidden any kind of yajna because there is no, I mean to say, expert brahmana who can chant the mantras"
|"in this age, Kali-yuga, that is forbidden. Similarly, asvamedha yajna, gomedha yajna is also forbidden, because there is no yajnic brahmanas"
|"in this age, Kali-yuga, they are forbidden because there is no such yajnika-brahmana"
|"in this age, Kali-yuga, those sacrifices are forbidden"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Preface and Introduction
SB Canto 1
The success of a particular type of sacrifice completely depends on the priest in charge. In this age, all kinds of sacrifice are forbidden because there is no learned priest amongst the so-called brāhmaṇas, who go by the false notion of becoming sons of brāhmaṇas without brahminical qualifications. In this age of Kali, therefore, only one kind of sacrifice is recommended, saṅkīrtana-yajña, as inaugurated by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
SB Canto 2
The animal sacrifice is never meant for killing the animal, but for achieving the successful result of the sacrifice. The animal offered in the sacrificial fire is, so to speak, destroyed, but the next moment it is given a new life by dint of the Vedic hymns chanted by the expert priest. When such an expert priest is not available, the animal sacrifice in the fire of the sacrificial altar is forbidden.
SB Canto 4
They came forward forcibly, but Bhṛgu Muni saw the danger and, offering oblations into the southern side of the sacrificial fire, immediately uttered mantric hymns from the Yajur Veda by which the destroyers of yajñic performances could be killed immediately.
Here is one example of powerful hymns in the Vedas which, when chanted, could perform wonderful acts. In the present age of Kali it is not possible to find expert mantra chanters; therefore all the sacrifices recommended in the Vedas are forbidden in this age. The only sacrifice recommended in this age is the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra because in this age it is not possible to accumulate the needed funds for performing sacrifices, not to speak of finding expert brāhmaṇas who can chant the mantras perfectly.
Śrī Maitreya replied: My dear Vidura, once the great King Aṅga arranged to perform the great sacrifice known as aśvamedha. All the expert brāhmaṇas present knew how to invite the demigods, but in spite of their efforts, no demigods participated or appeared in that sacrifice.
A Vedic sacrifice is not an ordinary performance. The demigods used to participate in such sacrifices, and the animals sacrificed in such performances were reincarnated with new life. In this age of Kali there are no powerful brāhmaṇas who can invite the demigods or give renewed life to animals. Formerly, the brāhmaṇas well conversant in Vedic mantras could show the potency of the mantras, but in this age, because there are no such brāhmaṇas, all such sacrifices are forbidden. The sacrifice in which horses were offered was called aśvamedha. Sometimes cows were sacrificed (gavālambha), not for eating purposes, but to give them new life in order to show the potency of the mantra. In this age, therefore, the only practical yajña is saṅkīrtana-yajña, or chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours a day.
SB Canto 5
With great faith King Bharata performed various kinds of sacrifice. He performed the sacrifices known as agni-hotra, darśa, pūrṇamāsa, cāturmāsya, paśu-yajña (wherein a horse is sacrificed) and soma-yajña (wherein a kind of beverage is offered). Sometimes these sacrifices were performed completely and sometimes partially. In any case, in all the sacrifices the regulations of cāturhotra were strictly followed. In this way Bharata Mahārāja worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Animals like hogs and cows were offered in sacrifice to test the proper execution of the sacrifice. Otherwise, there was no purpose in killing the animal. Actually the animal was offered in the sacrificial fire to get a rejuvenated life. Generally an old animal was sacrificed in the fire. and it would come out again in a youthful body. Some of the rituals however, did not require animal sacrifice. In the present age, animal sacrifices are forbidden. As stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
- aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ
- sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam
- devareṇa sutotpattiṁ
- kalau pañca vivarjayet
"In this age of Kali, five acts are forbidden: the offering of a horse in sacrifice, the offering of a cow in sacrifice, the acceptance of the order of sannyāsa, the offering of oblations of flesh to the forefathers, and a man's begetting children in his brother's wife." (CC Adi 17.164) Such sacrifices are impossible in this age due to the scarcity of expert brāhmaṇas or ṛtvijaḥ who are able to take the responsibility. In the absence of these, the saṅkīrtana-yajña is recommended. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). After all, sacrifices are executed to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajñārtha-karma: such activities should be carried out for the Supreme Lord's pleasure. In this age of Kali, the Supreme Lord in His incarnation of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu should be worshiped with His associates by performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña, the congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This process is accepted by intelligent men. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ. The word sumedhasaḥ refers to intelligent men who possess very good brain substance.
SB Canto 9
Everyone should engage in the performance of yajña, and the sacrificial fire should be ignited everywhere, the entire purpose being to make people happy, prosperous and progressive in spiritual life. Of course, these things were possible before the beginning of Kali-yuga because there were qualified brāhmaṇas who could perform such yajñas. For the present, however, the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa enjoins:
- aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ
- sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam
- devareṇa sutotpattiṁ
- kalau pañca vivarjayet
- (CC Adi 17.164)
"In this age of Kali, five acts are forbidden: offering a horse in sacrifice, offering a cow in sacrifice, accepting the order of sannyāsa, offering oblations of flesh to the forefathers, and begetting children in the wife of one's brother." In this age, such yajñas as the aśvamedha-yajña and gomedha-yajña are impossible to perform because there are neither sufficient riches nor qualified brāhmaṇas. This verse says, māmateyaṁ purodhāya: Mahārāja Bharata engaged the son of Mamatā, Bhṛgu Muni, to take charge of performing this yajña. Now, however, such brāhmaṇas are impossible to find. Therefore the śāstras recommend, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ: those who are intelligent should perform the saṅkīrtana-yajña inaugurated by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The kṣatriyas, when they are fighting in the battlefield, the killing is not a sin for them. Similarly, a brāhmaṇa, when he's offering sacrifice, sometimes animals are sacrificed; so that does not mean that he is committing sin. This animal sacrifice was made not for eating the animals. It was for testing the Vedic mantra. Whether the brāhmaṇas who were engaged in offering sacrifice, whether they were chanting the Vedic mantra in right way, that was tested by offering one animal and again giving the animal a new youth life. That was animal sacrifice. Sometimes horses, sometimes cows were offered. But in this age, Kali-yuga, they are forbidden because there is no such yājñika-brāhmaṇa. All kinds of sacrifices are forbidden in this age.
- aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ
- sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam
- devareṇa sutotpattiṁ
- kalau pañca vivarjayet
- (CC Adi 17.164)
Aśvamedha sacrifice, gomedha sacrifice, sannyāsa, and to get child by devara, husband's younger brother, these things are forbidden in this age.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Prabhupāda: So the aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam (CC Adi 17.164). This was explained by..., why aśvamedha-yajña is forbidden in this age. In this age no sacrifice is possible. There is no money. There is no guru. Guru means who can conduct the sacrifices. First of all there is no means. Even one can conduct, there is no means. It requires huge amount of money. Here it is said that bhūri-dakṣiṇān. Bhūri means an unlimited amount. Bhūri means very great. So there is no money. Neither there is expert brāhmaṇa also who can conduct such sacrifices, because they must chant the Vedic mantra so perfectly that even a horse or a cow is put into the fire, he will come out with a new life. That is the test.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
So Lord Buddha, he cheated the demons. Why he cheated? Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. He was very compassionate. God is always sympathetic to all living entities because everyone is His son. So these rascals were killing unrestrictedly, simply animal-killing... And if you say, "Oh, why you are animal-killing?" they will immediately say, "Oh, it is in the Vedas: paśavo vadhāya sṛṣṭa." The animal killing is there in the Vedas, but what the purpose? That is to test the Vedic mantra. An animal will be put into the fire, and by Vedic mantra he'll be rejuvenated. That is sacrifice, animal sacrifice. Not that for eating purpose. Therefore in this age of Kali, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden any kind of yajña because there is no, I mean to say, expert brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras and make experiment of the Vedic mantras that "Here is coming out." That is... Before performing yajña, how the mantra is potent, that was tested by sacrificing animal and again giving new life. Then it is to be understood that the priests who were chanting that mantra, that is right. That was a test. Not for animal-killing. But these rascals, for eating animals they cited, "Here, there is animal-killing." Just like in Calcutta... You have been in Calcutta? And there is a street, College Street. Now it is differently named. I think it is named Vidhan Raya (?). Just like... Anyway, so there are some slaughterhouses. So slaughterhouses means the Hindus, they do not purchase meat from Muslims' shop. That is impure. (laughter) The same thing: stool this side and that side. They are eating meat, and Hindu shop is pure, Muslim shop is impure. These are mental concoction. Religion is going on like that.
Festival Lectures
Now, there was some compromising talk with the magistrate, and in that talk the Caitanya Mahāprabhu first questioned. Because he was Mohammedan, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "In your religion there is killing of father and mother. What sort of religion this is?" The Kazi replied, "How do you say that we are killing our father and...?" "Yes. You are killing your mother. Cow gives you milk, delivers milk. You drink the milk, and you kill the cow. Therefore you are killing your mother." So the Kazi replied that "In your Vedic literature also, I have seen. There is cow sacrifice." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "That is not cow sacrifice. That is rejuvenation of cow. Old cows were sacrificed in the fire, and again a new life was given by the Vedic mantra. But because there is lack of such expert brāhmaṇas to chant that mantra, therefore cow sacrifice in this age is forbidden."
Wedding Ceremonies
So marriage is essential. So far our society is concerned, we don't allow anybody to remain in our society as friends, girlfriend or boyfriend. No. They must be married. And these boys and girls, after being married, they are preaching nicely Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All my students who are married, they are doing preaching work more than sannyāsī. Yes. In the Kali-yuga, practically it is forbidden. Sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam kalau pañca vivarjayet, aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ.
- aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ
- sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam
- devareṇa sutotpattiṁ
- kalau pañca vivarjayet
- (CC Adi 17.164)
Formerly there was a system: if the husband is unable, then a son can be begotten by the husband's younger brother, devareṇa. But in this age, Kali-yuga, that is forbidden. Similarly, aśvamedha yajña, gomedha yajña is also forbidden, because there is no yajñic brāhmaṇas. Formerly when an animal was put into the fire, sacrificed, and by Vedic mantra it was given a new, fresh life. That was the test of Vedic mantra pronouncing. But that is not possible nowadays. In the Kali-yuga, the only yajña is the sañkīrtana yajña.
- kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
- sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
- yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
- yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
- (SB 11.5.32)
Those who are highly intellectual, su-medhasaḥ, they perform the saṅkīrtana yajña, and by that saṅkīrtana yajña, the Lord, whose complexion is not black and who is always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and is accompanied by His associates, sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ.
General Lectures
In the Vedic literature there are numerous prescription of sacrifice. And in some of the sacrifices animal sacrifice is also recommended. So that animal sacrifice does not mean to kill the animal. Animal sacrifice means to prove the strength of Vedic hymns so that one old animal is put into the fire and he's given again a new life, renewed life, just to show the potency of the hymns, Vedic hymns. But in this age, Kali-yuga, those sacrifices are forbidden. So Lord Buddha, when he saw that people are sacrificing animals in the name of religious rituals without any pity for them, at that time Lord Buddha appeared. Therefore it is stated, sadaya-hṛdaya-darśita-paśu-ghātam: "My dear Lord, You have appeared as Lord Buddha, just being compassionate to the poor animals."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
It is said that without being a qualified brāhmaṇa one should not read the mantras of the Vedas. Here is the proof that the brāhmaṇas were qualified with all the brahminical symptoms. Mahārāja Nanda also had full faith in them. Therefore they were allowed to perform the ritualistic ceremonies by chanting the Vedic mantras. There are many different varieties of sacrifices recommended for different purposes, but the mantras are all to be chanted by qualified brāhmaṇas. And because in this Age of Kali such qualified brāhmaṇas are not available, all Vedic ritualistic sacrifices are forbidden. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore recommended only one kind of sacrifice in this age—namely the saṅkīrtana-yajña, or chanting the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
According to the Vedic system, whenever there is an arrangement for sacrifice, the members participating are offered the juice of the soma plant, which is a kind of life-giving beverage. On the day for extracting the soma juice, King Yudhiṣṭhira very respectfully received the special priest who had been engaged to detect any mistake in the formalities of the sacrificial procedure. The idea is that the Vedic mantras must be enunciated perfectly and chanted with the proper accent; if the priests who are engaged in this business commit any mistake, the checker, or referee priest, immediately corrects the procedure, and thus the ritualistic performances are perfectly executed. Unless perfectly executed, a sacrifice cannot yield the desired result. In this Age of Kali there is no such learned brāhmaṇa or priest available; therefore, all such sacrifices are forbidden. The only sacrifice recommended in the śāstras is the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, "My dear uncle, what is your religion that you are killing father and mother?" "Why killing father and mother?" "Oh, you are killing cow, your mother. You are drinking milk. And oxen, he produces grains for you in the field; so he is your father. The father earns for the children, so he is producing grains. And mother gives milk; so cow is giving milk. So how is your religion that the father mother killing?" Then he could understand that Caitanya is marking on the cow killing by the Mohammedans. Then he said, "Oh, this cow killing is also in your Hindu religion." Then He said, "How is that, Hindu religion cow killing?" "Oh, there is cow sacrifice." Then He said that cow sacrifice is not like this. Cow sacrifice is giving new life to the old cow. That is cow sacrifi... It is not killing. And because at the present moment the brāhmaṇas are not so qualified that they can give new life, therefore that sacrifice is now forbidden. He cited some verses from Vedic literature that cow sacrifice and horse sacrifice and to beget children by the younger brother of husband and sannyāsa, and offering oblations with meat, these things are forbidden. So that is past. This is... Now it has no significance.
| Page Title: | Formerly, the brahmanas well conversant in Vedic mantras could show the potency of the mantras, but in this age, because there are no such brahmanas, all such sacrifices are forbidden |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 25 of Mar, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=7, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=6, Con=1, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 16 |