महाविभूत्योपचिताङ्गदक्षिणैः ।
ततैर्वसिष्ठासितगौतमादिभि
र्धन्वन्यभिस्रोतमसौ सरस्वतीम् ॥२२॥
Ä«je 'Å›vamedhair adhiyajñam Ä«Å›varaá¹
mahÄ-vibhÅ«tyopacitÄá¹…ga-daká¹£iṇaiḥ
tatair vasiá¹£á¹hÄsita-gautamÄdibhir
dhanvany abhisrotam asau sarasvatīm
Ä«je - worshiped; aÅ›vamedhaiḥ - by performing the horse sacrifice yajñas; adhiyajñam - to satisfy the master of all yajñas; Ä«Å›varam - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahÄ-vibhÅ«tyÄ - with great opulence; upacita-aá¹…ga-daká¹£iṇaiḥ - with all prescribed paraphernalia and contributions of daká¹£iá¹‡Ä to the brÄhmaṇas; tataiḥ - executed; vasiá¹£á¹ha-asita-gautama-Ädibhiḥ - by such brÄhmaṇas as Vasiá¹£á¹ha, Asita and Gautama; dhanvani - in the desert; abhisrotam - inundated by the water of the river; asau - MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a; sarasvatÄ«m - on the bank of the SarasvatÄ«.
In desert countries where there flowed the river SarasvatÄ«, MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a performed great sacrifices like the aÅ›vamedha-yajña and thus satisfied the master of all yajñas, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such sacrifices were performed with great opulence and suitable paraphernalia and with contributions of daká¹£iá¹‡Ä to the brÄhmaṇas, who were supervised by great personalities like Vasiá¹£á¹ha, Asita and Gautama, representing the king, the performer of the sacrifices.
When one performs ritualistic sacrifices as prescribed in the Vedas, one needs expert brÄhmaṇas known as yÄjñika-brÄhmaṇas. In Kali-yuga, however, there is a scarcity of such brÄhmaṇas. Therefore in Kali-yuga the sacrifice recommended in Å›Ästra is saá¹…kÄ«rtana-yajña (yajñaiḥ saá¹…kÄ«rtana-prÄyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ). Instead of spending money unnecessarily on performing yajñas impossible to perform in this Age of Kali because of the scarcity of yÄjñika-brÄhmaṇas, one who is intelligent performs saá¹…kÄ«rtana-yajña. Without properly performed yajñas to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there will be scarcity of rain (yajñÄd bhavati parjanyaḥ). Therefore the performance of yajña is essential. Without yajña there will be a scarcity of rain, and because of this scarcity, no food grains will be produced, and there will be famines. It is the duty of the king, therefore, to perform different types of yajñas, such as the aÅ›vamedha-yajña, to maintain the production of food grains. AnnÄd bhavanti bhÅ«tÄni. Without food grains, both men and animals will starve. Therefore yajña is necessary for the state to perform because by yajña the people in general will be fed sumptuously. The brÄhmaṇas and yÄjñika priests should be sufficiently paid for their expert service. This payment is called daká¹£iṇÄ. AmbarÄ«á¹£a MahÄrÄja, as the head of the state, performed all these yajñas through great personalities like Vasiá¹£á¹ha, Gautama and Asita. Personally, however, he was engaged in devotional service, as mentioned before (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padÄravindayoḥ). The king or head of state must see that things go on well under proper guidance, and he must be an ideal devotee, as exemplified by MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a. It is the duty of the king to see that food grains are produced even in desert countries, what to speak of elsewhere.
