FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.69.24

జుహ్వన్తం చ వితానాగ్నీన్ యజన్తం పఞ్చభిర్మఖై: । భోజయన్తం ద్విజాన్ క్వ‍ాపి భుఞ్జానమవశేషితమ్ ॥ ౨౪ ॥
juhvantaṁ ca vitānāgnīn
[juhvantam cha vitaanaagneen]
yajantaṁ pañcabhir makhaiḥ
[yajantam panchabhir makhaih]
bhojayantaṁ dvijān kvāpi
[bhojayantam dvijaan kvaapi]
bhuñjānam avaśeṣitam
[bhunjaanam avasheshitam]
juhvantam — offering oblations ca — and vitāna - agnīn — to the sacrificial fires yajantam — worshiping pañcabhiḥ — five makhaiḥ — with the obligatory rituals bhojayantam — feeding dvijān — brāhmaṇas kva api — somewhere bhuñjānam — eating avaśeṣitam — remnants .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
juhvantaṁ ca vitānāgnīn
juhvantam
offering oblations
ca
and
vitāna - agnīn
to the sacrificial fires
yajantaṁ pañcabhir makhaiḥ
yajantam
worshiping
pañcabhiḥ
five
makhaiḥ
with the obligatory rituals
bhojayantaṁ dvijān kvāpi
bhojayantam
feeding
dvijān
brāhmaṇas
kva api
somewhere
bhuñjānam avaśeṣitam
bhuñjānam
eating
avaśeṣitam
remnants .
  • vitāna-agnīn — the sacrificial fires
    Compound: vitāna (spread, extended) + agni (fire). The arrayed sacrificial fires of the Vedic ritualist. Kṛṣṇa, who is Himself the agni (BG 9.16: ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ), offers oblations into agni — Bhagavān worshipping His own form to teach the practice.
  • pañcabhiḥ makhaiḥ — with the five obligatory rituals
    Compound: pañca (five) + makha (sacrifice). The pañca-mahā-yajñas — daily duties of a Vedic householder: deva-yajña, pitṛ-yajña, bhūta-yajña, manuṣya-yajña, brahma-yajña. Kṛṣṇa performs them not because He owes them but to model gṛhastha-dharma.
  • bhojayantam dvijān — feeding the brāhmaṇas
    Causative participle of √bhuj + dvija (twice-born, brāhmaṇa). Feeding brāhmaṇas is one of the householder's central duties. Kṛṣṇa, brahmaṇya-deva (cf. v.15), enacts the duty by which all householders gain merit.
  • bhuñjānam avaśeṣitam — eating remnants
    Present participle of √bhuj + avaśeṣita (left over). The śāstric ideal: the gṛhastha eats only what remains after guests and dependents are fed. Bhagavān, source of all food, eats brāhmaṇa-leftovers — the chapter's reversal repeated at the table.
In one place the Lord was offering oblations into the sacrificial fires; in another, worshiping through the five mahā-yajñas; in another, feeding brāhmaṇas; and in yet another, eating the remnants of food left by brāhmaṇas.

The five mahā-yajñas, or great sacrifices, are defined as follows: pāṭho homaś cātithīnāṁ saparyā tarpaṇaṁ baliḥ — “reciting the Vedas, offering oblations into the sacrificial fire, waiting on guests, making offerings to the forefathers, and offering [a share of one’s food] to living entities in general.” Śrīla Prabhupāda comments as follows on these sacrifices: “In another palace Kṛṣṇa was found performing the pañca-yajña sacrifice, which is compulsory for a householder. This yajña is also known as pañca-sūnā. Knowingly or unknowingly, everyone, specifically the householder, is committing five kinds of sinful activities. When we receive water from a water pitcher, we kill many germs that are in it. Similarly, when we use a grinding machine or take foodstuffs, we kill many germs. When sweeping the floor or igniting a fire we kill many germs, and when we walk on the street we kill many ants and other insects. Consciously or unconsciously, in all our different activities, we are killing. Therefore, it is incumbent upon every householder to perform the pañca-sūnā sacrifice to rid himself of the reactions to such sinful activities.” Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, in his commentary on this verse, again points out that all the different times of the day were occurring simultaneously in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s palaces. Thus Nārada saw a fire sacrifice — a morning ritual — and at about the same time he saw Lord Kṛṣṇa feeding the brāhmaṇas and accepting their remnants — a noontime activity.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In one place the Lord was offering oblations into the sacrificial fires; in another, worshiping through the five mahā-yajṣas; in another, feeding brāhmaṇas; and in yet another, eating the remnants of food left by brāhmaṇas.
Commentary

In one palace he was offering oblations in the avahaniya (vitana) fire. There, it was morning before noon. In another palace he was performing the five maha yajnas: reading the Vedas, sacrifice , serving guests, tarpana and offerings to the animals. In that house it was noon. In another house he was feeding others and eating. There it was afternoon.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The five mahā-yajṣas are pāṭho homaś cātithīnāṁ saparyā tarpaṇaṁ baliḥ: reciting the Vedas, offering oblations into the sacrificial fire, waiting on guests, making offerings to the forefathers, and offering food to living entities in general. He performed worship through these five sacrifices. He ate food remnants. The last are actions performed at noon.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The five mahā-yajṣas are pāṭho homaś cātithīnāṁ saparyā tarpaṇaṁ baliḥ: reciting the Vedas, offering oblations into the sacrificial fire, waiting on guests, making offerings to the forefathers, and offering food to living entities in general. He performed worship through these five sacrifices. These are actions of midday. Thus Nārada arrived at noon. Or in talking to Kṛṣṇa, noon passed.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)
Related verses

A householder who simultaneously kindles the sacred fire, performs the five daily yajñas, feeds visiting brāhmaṇas, and then eats only what they have left — is exhibiting the textbook of gṛhastha-dharma all at once. Kṛṣṇa is teaching the textbook by being it: in different palaces, every page of householder ritual is being lived in parallel.

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