FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.14.18

तस्माद् ब्राह्मणदेवेषु मर्त्यादिषु यथार्हत: । तैस्तै: कामैर्यजस्वैनं क्षेत्रज्ञं ब्राह्मणाननु ॥ १८ ॥
tasmād brāhmaṇa-deveṣu
[tasmaad braahmana-deveshu]
martyādiṣu yathārhataḥ
[martyaadishu yathaarhatah]
tais taiḥ kāmair yajasvainaṁ
[tais taih kaamair yajasvainam]
kṣetra-jñaṁ brāhmaṇān anu
[kshetra-jnam braahmanaan anu]
Word-for-word
tasmāt — therefore brāhmaṇa-deveṣu — through the brāhmaṇas and the demigods martya-ādiṣu — through ordinary human beings and other living entities yathā-arhataḥ — according to your ability taiḥ taiḥ — with all those kāmaiḥ — various objects of enjoyment such as sumptuous food, flower garlands, sandalwood paste, etc. yajasva — you should worship enam — this kṣetra-jñam — Supreme Lord situated in the hearts of all beings brāhmaṇān — the brāhmaṇas anu — after.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasmād brāhmaṇa-deveṣu
tasmāt
therefore
brāhmaṇa-deveṣu
through the brāhmaṇas and the demigods
martyādiṣu yathārhataḥ
martya-ādiṣu
through ordinary human beings and other living entities
yathā-arhataḥ
according to your ability
taiḥ taiḥ
with all those
tais taiḥ kāmair yajasvainaṁ
kāmaiḥ
various objects of enjoyment such as sumptuous food, flower garlands, sandalwood paste, etc.
yajasva
you should worship
enam
this
kṣetra-jñaṁ brāhmaṇān anu
kṣetra-jñam
Supreme Lord situated in the hearts of all beings
brāhmaṇān
the brāhmaṇas
anu
after.
Therefore, my dear King, first offer prasāda unto the brāhmaṇas and the demigods, and after sumptuously feeding them you may distribute prasāda to other living entities according to your ability. In this way you will be able to worship all living entities — or, in other words, the supreme living entity within every living entity.
Purport

To distribute prasāda to all living entities, the process is that we must first offer prasāda to the brāhmaṇas and the Vaiṣṇavas, for the demigods are represented by the brāhmaṇas. In this way the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in everyone’s heart, will be worshiped. This is the Vedic system of offering prasāda. Whenever there is a ceremony for distribution of prasāda, the prasāda is offered first to the brāhmaṇas, then to the children and old men, then to the women, and then to animals like dogs and other domestic animals. When it is said that Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Being, is situated in everyone’s heart, this does not mean that everyone has become Nārāyaṇa or that a particular poor man has become Nārāyaṇa. Such a conclusion is rejected herein.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Worship the Supreme Lord, knower of the field, according one’s ability, by offering various objects to brāhmaṇas, who are devatās, and then to ordinary humans. Worship the Supreme Lord, knower of the field, by offering foods to the brāhmaṇas who are devatās, and after the brāhmaṇas, to other humans. Another version has brāhmaṇānanam, the Lord whose mouth is the brāhmaṇas.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
First offer prasāda to brāhmaṇas and demigods, then distribute to other beings according to capacity. In this way one worships all living entities through the Lord in everyone's heart. The order of offering matters; respect cascades from the center.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose receipt of prasāda should you prioritize before broader distribution?
  • Where has indiscriminate generosity skipped the structure that gives it spiritual weight?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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