Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.84.35
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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viṣṇum
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Viṣṇu
The Lord of all sacrifices, yajña-puruṣa (SB 1.5.32; BG 3.15 yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ). Gauḍīyas read Viṣṇu as Kṛṣṇa Himself in His sacrifice-receiving aspect — yajña is bhakti's antechamber.
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sarva-yajña-īśvaram
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the Lord of all sacrifices
sarva (all) + yajña + īśvara. Viṣṇu is the īśvara of every yajña, named or unnamed. Gauḍīyas use this to teach that even nominally polytheistic ritual culminates, properly understood, in service of Viṣṇu.
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śraddhayā
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with faith
From √śrad-dhā. The ground without which the karma cannot become yajña. Gauḍīyas read śraddhā as the seed of bhakti (CC Madhya 22.62 — śraddhā śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya).
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makhaiḥ
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by fire rituals
Instrumental plural of makha (sacrifice). The technical Vedic word. Gauḍīyas note that the chapter is constructing a bridge from karma-kāṇḍa to bhakti via yajña-as-viṣṇu-pūjā, and these are the bricks.
In this verse the sages reply to Vasudeva’s question about the means of destroying karma by karma. If one does not worship Visnu during the sacrifice, then the karmas are not destroyed.
It is concluded rightly by persons knowing scriptures that actions performed are counteracted by actions being performed. .One should with faith worship Svayam Bhagavān who spreads throughout the universe with his glory by means of all sacrifices. The reason to worship Kṛṣṇa alone in sacrifice is that he gives all results of sacrifices (sarva-yajñeśvaram) since he is the Lord of all devatās. Without worshipping him even niskāma sacrifices are useless. naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam Even the stage of jñāna without the bondage of karma is not glorious if it is devoid of bhakti to the Supreme Lord. What is the use of having destroyed ignorance? What then to speak of sakāma-karma which causes suffering, both during practice and at the stage perfection, and niṣkāma-karma, when not offered to the Lord? SB 1.5.12 If he is worshipped, then one achieves desired results. However, your son is to be worshipped by another method (not sacrifice).
- What action of mine could shift today from self-serving to God-offering?
- Where is karma piling up because I have not yet offered it back to its source?
Thorn pulls thorn — Karma cancels karma when it is performed as yajña to Viṣṇu, the sarva-yajña-īśvara. Every fire ritual, properly oriented, is a small handle by which the larger boulder of past karma is levered out. The handle works because Viṣṇu is the field of force the handle pries against.
In SB 10.74, Yudhiṣṭhira performs the Rājasūya sacrifice — Kṛṣṇa Himself becomes the sarva-yajña-īśvara worshiped first. Gauḍīyas read that scene as the operative example here: yajña is yajña because Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa is its object.
My note
Source: vedabase.io