Read a Lecture by Srila Prabhupada on BG 3:8-11 in Seattle
devaN>aavYaTaaNaeNa Tae deva >aavYaNTau v" )
ParSPar& >aavYaNTa" é[eYa" ParMavaPSYaQa )) 11 ))
devän bhävayatänena
te devä bhävayantu vaù
parasparaà bhävayantaù
çreyaù param aväpsyatha
SYNONYMS
devän-demigods; bhävayatä-having pleased; anena-by this sacrifice; te-those; deväù-demigods; bhävayantu-will please; vaù-you; parasparam-mutually; bhävayantaù-pleasing one another; çreyaù-benediction; param-the supreme; aväpsyatha-you will achieve.
TRANSLATION
The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.
PURPORT
The demigods are empowered administrators of material affairs. The supply of air, light, water and all other benedictions for maintaining the body and soul of every living entity is entrusted to the demigods, who are innumerable assistants in different parts of the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Their pleasures and displeasures are dependent on the performance of yajïas by the human being. Some of the yajïas are meant to satisfy particular demigods; but even in so doing, Lord Viñëu is worshiped in all yajïas as the chief beneficiary. It is stated also in the Bhagavad-gétä that Kåñëa Himself is the beneficiary of all kinds of yajïas: bhoktäraà yajïa-tapasäm. Therefore, ultimate satisfaction of the yajïa-pati is the chief purpose of all yajïas. When these yajïas are perfectly performed, naturally the demigods in charge of the different departments of supply are pleased, and there is no scarcity in the supply of natural products.
Performance of yajïas has many side benefits, ultimately leading to liberation from material bondage. By performance of yajïas, all activities become purified, as it is stated in the Vedas: ähära-çuddhau sattva-çuddhiù sattva-çuddhau dhruvä småtiù småti-lambhe sarvagranthénäà vipramokñaù. By performance of yajïa one's eatables become sanctified, and by eating sanctified foodstuffs one's very existence becomes purified; by the purification of existence finer tissues in the memory become sanctified, and when memory is sanctified one can think of the path of liberation, and all these combined together lead to Kåñëa consciousness, the great necessity of present-day society.
