Nāyaṁ lokaḥ, ayaṁ lokaḥ. Ayam, in this world, in which we are at present, that is also becoming more miserable. At the present moment people are feeling so much painful in the modern existence, because this process of yajña has been . . . completely, people are engaged, "Work hard, earn money and be engaged in sense gratification." That's all. This is the whole program at the present moment is going on. That cannot bring any peace and prosperity to the society. We have to perform yajña. That is the natural law.
So Lord says, nāyaṁ loko 'sty ayajñasya: "Those who are not performing, for them, there is no happiness even in this world, even in this life." And kuto anyaḥ kuru-sattama: "My dear Arjuna, then what to speak of the next life. Oh, next life is still more miserable."
- evaṁ bahu-vidhā yajñā
- vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe
- karma-jān viddhi tān sarvān
- evaṁ jñātvā vimokṣyase
- (BG 4.32)
- śreyān dravyamayād yajñāj
- jñāna-yajñaḥ parantapa
- sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ pārtha
- jñāne parisamāpyate
- (BG 4.33)
Now, Kṛṣṇa is concluding these different types of yajña. He says that śreyān dravyamayād yajñāj jñāna-yajñaḥ parantapa. Jñāna-yajña, jñāna-yajña means . . . this is jñāna-yajña, which we are doing here. We are discussing Bhagavad-gītā very scrutinizingly, and trying to understand every verse with reference to the Vedic, I mean, reference and as far as our logic and argument goes. So this is called jñāna-yajña.
And dravyamaya-yajña means, just like yesterday, day before yesterday, discussed that in the altar of fire we have to sacrifice clarified butter, grains, or sometimes animal sacrifice. They are called dravyamaya-yajña. So Kṛṣṇa says, śreyān dravyamayād yajñāt. That dravyamaya, that sacrificing goods or other things in the yajña, from that type of yajña, śreyān dravyamayād yajñāj jñāna-yajñaḥ parantapa. Jñāna-yajña, this philosophical discussion, logical discussion of the aim of life from authorized books like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, if we have discussion, this is called jñānamaya-yajña, "with knowledge," jñānamaya-yajña.
So why jñānamaya-yajña is preferred? Sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate. Because after all, we have to acquire that knowledge which will make me a surrendered soul to the Supreme. That's it. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So jñāna also means that to understand our position, to understand what is God, to understand what is our relationship with God, to understand why we are in this material world and what is our next life, wherefrom we have come, where we have the right knowledge, you can understand all these things.