FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.24.10

यस्येदं देवयजनमनुयज्ञं वितन्वत: । प्राचीनाग्रै: कुशैरासीदास्तृतं वसुधातलम् ॥ १० ॥
yasyedaṁ deva-yajanam
[yasyedam deva-yajanam]
anuyajñaṁ vitanvataḥ
[anuyajnam vitanvatah]
prācīnāgraiḥ kuśair āsīd
[praacheenaagraih kushair aaseed]
āstṛtaṁ vasudhā-talam
[aastritam vasudhaa-talam]
yasya — whose idam — this deva-yajanam — satisfying the demigods by sacrifices anuyajñam — continually sacrificing vitanvataḥ — executing prācīna-agraiḥ — keeping the kuśa grass facing toward the eastern side kuśaiḥ — the kuśa grass āsīt — remained āstṛtam — scattered vasudhā-talam — all over the surface of the globe.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yasyedaṁ deva-yajanam
yasya
whose
anuyajñaṁ vitanvataḥ
prācīnāgraiḥ kuśair āsīd
idam
this
deva-yajanam
satisfying the demigods by sacrifices
anuyajñam
continually sacrificing
vitanvataḥ
executing
prācīna-agraiḥ
keeping the kuśa grass facing toward the eastern side
kuśaiḥ
the kuśa grass
āstṛtaṁ vasudhā-talam
āsīt
remained
āstṛtam
scattered
vasudhā-talam
all over the surface of the globe.
Mahārāja Barhiṣat executed many sacrifices all over the world. He scattered kuśa grasses and kept the tops of the grasses pointed eastward.

As stated in the previous verse ( kriyā-kāṇḍeṣu niṣṇātaḥ ), Mahārāja Barhiṣat dived very deeply into the fruitive activities of sacrifice. This means that as soon as he finished one yajña in one place, he began performing another yajña in the immediate vicinity. At the present moment there is a similar need to perform saṅkīrtana-yajña all over the world. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has started performing saṅkīrtana-yajña in different places, and it has been experienced that wherever saṅkīrtana-yajña is performed, many thousands of people gather and take part in it. Imperceptible auspiciousness achieved in this connection should be continued all over the world. The members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should perform saṅkīrtana-yajñas one after another, so much so that all the people of the world will either jokingly or seriously chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and thus they will derive the benefit of cleansing the heart. The holy name of the Lord ( harer nāma ) is so powerful that whether it is chanted jokingly or seriously the effect of vibrating this transcendental sound will be equally distributed. It is not possible at the present moment to perform repeated yajñas as Mahārāja Barhiṣat performed, but it is within our means to perform saṅkīrtana-yajña, which does not cost anything. One can sit down anywhere and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Under Barhiṣat, who proliferated excellent sacrifices, each of which was dedicated to all the devatās, the whole earth was covered with kuśa grass with tips pointing east (prācīna). Under him, the earth was covered with kuśa (barhis). There was no place on earth where sacrifice was not performed by him. Thus he was called Prācīnabarhi. He spread sacrifices in which each sacrifice was for all the devatās (anuyajñam) with proficiency.
Barhiṣat performed many sacrifices, kuśa-grass tips pointed east. Specific ritual detail (direction of grass) matters; sacred work has cardinal orientation.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I sloppy about directional details in my practice that scripture treats as load-bearing?
  • What single detail in my routine could I align more precisely with the tradition's prescription?
📝 My note

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