FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.2.11

विष्णुर्द्विजक्रियामूलो यज्ञो धर्ममय: पुमान् । देवर्षिपितृभूतानां धर्मस्य च परायणम् ॥ ११ ॥
viṣṇur dvija-kriyā-mūlo
[vishnur dvija-kriyaa-moolo]
yajño dharmamayaḥ pumān
[yajno dharmamayah pumaan]
devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtānāṁ
[devarshi-pitri-bhootaanaam]
dharmasya ca parāyaṇam
[dharmasya cha paraayanam]
viṣṇuḥ — Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead dvija — of the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas kriyā-mūlaḥ — whose root is the performance of yajña and the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas yajñaḥ — personified yajña (Lord Viṣṇu, who is known as the yajña-puruṣa) dharma-mayaḥ — full of religious principles pumān — the Supreme Person deva-ṛṣi — of the demigods and great ṛṣis like Vyāsadeva and Nārada pitṛ — of the forefathers bhūtānām — and of all other living entities dharmasya — of the religious principles ca — also parāyaṇam — the shelter.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
viṣṇur dvija-kriyā-mūlo
viṣṇuḥ
Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
dvija
of the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas
kriyā-mūlaḥ
whose root is the performance of yajña and the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas
yajño dharmamayaḥ pumān
yajñaḥ
personified yajña (Lord Viṣṇu, who is known as the yajña-puruṣa)
dharma-mayaḥ
full of religious principles
pumān
the Supreme Person
devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtānāṁ
deva-ṛṣi
of the demigods and great ṛṣis like Vyāsadeva and Nārada
pitṛ
of the forefathers
bhūtānām
and of all other living entities
dharmasya ca parāyaṇam
dharmasya
of the religious principles
ca
also
parāyaṇam
the shelter.
The basic principle of brahminical culture is to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu, the personification of sacrificial and ritualistic ceremonies. Lord Viṣṇu is the personified reservoir of all religious principles, and He is the shelter of all the demigods, the great pitās, and the people in general. When the brāhmaṇas are killed, no one will exist to encourage the kṣatriyas to perform yajñas, and thus the demigods, not being appeased by yajña, will automatically die.

Since Viṣṇu is the central point of brahminical culture, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s plan was to kill Viṣṇu, for if Viṣṇu were killed, naturally the brahminical culture would also be lost. With brahminical culture lost, yajña would no longer be performed, and for want of yajña the regular distribution of rainfall would cease ( yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ ). Thus there would be disturbances all over the world, and naturally the demigods would be defeated. From this verse we get a clear indication of how human society is disturbed when the Vedic Āryan civilization is killed and the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies performed by the brāhmaṇas are stopped. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: because the population of the modern world consists mostly of śūdras, the brahminical culture is now lost and is extremely difficult to reestablish in a proper way. Therefore Lord Caitanya has recommended the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, which will revive brahminical culture very easily.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

Because of the increment in demoniac population, people have lost brahminical culture. Nor is there a kṣatriya government. Instead, the government is a democracy in which any śūdra can be voted into taking up the governmental reigns and capture the power to rule. Because of the poisonous effects of Kali-yuga, the śāstra ( Bhāg. 12.2.13) says, dasyu-prāyeṣu rājasu: the government will adopt the policies of dasyus, or plunderers. Thus there will be no instructions from the brāhmaṇas, and even if there are brahminical instructions, there will be no kṣatriya rulers who can follow them. Aside from Satya-yuga, even formerly, in the days when demons were flourishing, Hiraṇyakaśipu planned to destroy the brahminical culture and the kṣatriya government and thus create chaos all over the world. Although in Satya-yuga this plan was very difficult to execute, in Kali-yuga, which is full of śūdras and demons, the brahminical culture is lost and can be revived only by the chanting of the mahā-mantra. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, has been inaugurated to revive brahminical culture very easily so that people may become happy and peaceful in this life and prepare for elevation in the next. In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes this verse from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:

vipra-yajñādi-mūlaṁ tu harir ity āsuraṁ matam harir eva hi sarvasya mūlaṁ samyaṅ mato nṛpa

“O King, the demons think that Hari, Lord Viṣṇu, exists because of the brāhmaṇas and yajña, but factually Hari is the cause of everything including the brāhmaṇas and yajña. ” Therefore, through the popularizing of hari-kīrtana, or the saṅkīrtana movement, the brahminical culture and kṣatriya government will automatically come back, and people will be extremely happy.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Viṣṇu has his roots in the activities of the brāhmaṇas. He is sacrifice, the embodiment of dharma, the shelter of dharma, and the shelter of the devatās, sages, Pitṛs and all beings. When the brāhmaṇas are destroyed, Viṣṇu himself will be destroyed. When the brāhmaṇas are destroyed, their actions will stop. Thus the root of Viṣṇu will be destroyed. With destruction of sacrifice and dharma, Viṣṇu’s form will be destroyed. He is the supreme shelter of the devatās and sages. With the destruction of the devatās, he will die, out of lamentation.
Related verses
Brahminical culture's goal is to satisfy Viṣṇu through yajña; when brāhmaṇas are killed, sacrifice ceases, and even the demigods die. A society without spiritual specialists eventually collapses at every level. Honor those whose lives are devoted to remembrance.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose life of devotion is quietly holding up the wider world you live in?
  • How do you support the priests, teachers, and renunciants of your tradition?
📝 My note

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