Yajnarthe means

Expressions researched:
"Yajnarthe means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Yajñārthe means "for the Supreme Lord."

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

Supposing that it is your proprietorship, you are the proprietor of everything, but you sacrifice, yajñārthe. Yajñārthe means "for the Supreme Lord." So so many sacrifices are recommended in various scriptures. So we shall try to discuss some of the sacrifices. Yajñāyācarataḥ karma samagraṁ pravilīyate. If we perform our duties, yajña, for the matter of satisfaction of Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord, then we shall not be bound up by the reaction of any work.

Now, the first thing is in the sacrifice according to the Vedic rites, there are five principle factors. What are those? There is sacrificial fire, altar, and the person who is offering the... Generally, in the sacrifice grains and butter, clarified butter, is offered. So the sacrificial altar, fire, and the offering ingredients, grains and clarified butter, and the person who is offering sacrifice, three, and the result and the performer. These five things are there in the matter of sacrifice.

Karma-bandhanaḥ means you become bound up by the resultant reaction. But if you act for yajñārthe-yajñārthe means for Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa—then there will be no reaction, śubhāśubha.

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

In the Fourth Chapter we have discussed that what sort of work we shall do? That is prescribed. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Karma-bandhanaḥ means you become bound up by the resultant reaction. But if you act for yajñārthe-yajñārthe means for Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa—then there will be no reaction, śubhāśubha. Śubha means good, and aśubha means bad. So reaction, either good reaction or bad reaction, you have to take this body. Suppose your... As a result of your good action, you are going to take your birth in the Rockefeller family of America. That's all right. But so far your body is concerned, the body itself is miserable. Don't think that because you are getting your body in some rich family, or in other higher planets, in the demigods planet where you can have a long duration of life... But still, you have got the material body. And as soon as you get this material body, the reaction of the material body—threefold miseries and the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, the miseries of old age, and the miseries of disease—will continue. Because you are rich man, so you are not immune from the material miseries. That will affect. Therefore all these material affection will continue either you do good work, either you do bad work.

Yajñārthe means to act on the order of the Supreme.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

Just like if you kill a, some animal with your stick, the stick is not responsible. You are responsible. Similarly if I become a stick and instrument in the hands of Kṛṣṇa, then I am not responsible for any karma. Otherwise, I am responsible.

Just like a soldier, his business is killing by the order of the state. he's killing so many persons. And he's getting recognition, medal, gold medal. And as soon as he comes home, if he kills one person, he'll be hanged. He can say: "My dear sir, I killed so many persons in the battlefield. I was awarded gold medal. Now I have killed only one person. Why you are hanging me?" Because you have done for your own sense gratification. And so many soldiers, it mean, men, you kill in the battlefield, that was the order of the state.

This is same position. Yajñārthe means to act on the order of the Supreme. That is called yajña. Anything which you act for satisfaction of the Supreme, that is called yajña. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra. Just like in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said:

varṇāśramācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

(CC Madhya 8.58)

This division of varṇāśrama, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they're all meant for satisfying the Supreme. Varṇāśrama. Varṇāśramācāravatā. Those who are strictly following the rules and regulations of the varṇa and āśrama, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. These are varṇa and āśrama.