वैतानिकेन विधिना अग्निहोत्रादिना यजेत् ॥१६॥
yarhy Ätmano 'dhikÄrÄdyÄḥ
sarvÄḥ syur yajña-sampadaḥ
vaitÄnikena vidhinÄ
agni-hotrÄdinÄ yajet
yarhi - when; Ätmanaḥ - of one's self; adhikÄra-ÄdyÄḥ - things possessed by him under full control; sarvÄḥ - everything; syuḥ - becomes; yajña-sampadaḥ - paraphernalia for performing yajña, or the means for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vaitÄnikena - with authorized books that direct the performance of yajña; vidhinÄ - according to regulative principles; agni-hotra-ÄdinÄ - by offering sacrifices to the fire, etc.; yajet - one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When one is enriched with wealth and knowledge which are under his full control and by means of which he can perform yajña or please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one must perform sacrifices, offering oblations to the fire according to the directions of the Å›Ästras. In this way one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
If a gá¹›hastha, or householder, is sufficiently educated in Vedic knowledge and has become sufficiently rich to offer worship to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he must perform yajñas as directed by the authorized scriptures. Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (3.9) clearly says, yajñÄrthÄt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaá¹ karma-bandhanaḥ: everyone may be engaged in his occupational duties, but the result of these duties should be offered for sacrifice to satisfy the Supreme Lord. If one is fortunate enough to possess transcendental knowledge as well as the money with which to perform sacrifices, one must do it according to the directions given in the Å›Ästras. It is said in ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (12.3.52):
ká¹›te yad dhyÄyato viṣṇuá¹
tretÄyÄá¹ yajato makhaiḥ
dvÄpare paricaryÄyÄá¹
kalau tad dhari-kÄ«rtanÄt
The entire Vedic civilization aims at satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This was possible in Satya-yuga by meditation upon the Supreme Lord within the core of one’s heart and in TretÄ-yuga by the performance of costly yajñas. The same goal could be achieved in DvÄpara-yuga by worship of the Lord in the temple, and in this Age of Kali one can achieve the same goal by performing saá¹…kÄ«rtana-yajña. Therefore one who has education and wealth must use them to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by helping the saá¹…kÄ«rtana movement that has already begun — the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All educated and wealthy persons must join this movement, since money and education are meant for service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If money and education are not engaged in the service of the Lord, these valuable assets must be engaged in the service of mÄyÄ. The education of so-called scientists, philosophers and poets is now engaged in the service of mÄyÄ, and the wealth of the rich is also engaged in mÄyÄ’s service. The service of mÄyÄ, however, creates a chaotic condition in the world. Therefore the wealthy man and the educated man should sacrifice their knowledge and opulence by dedicating them for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord and joining this saá¹…kÄ«rtana movement (yajñaiḥ saá¹…kÄ«rtana-prÄyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ).
