ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि चातुर्होत्रं च सत्तम ॥२५॥
vastÅ«ny oá¹£adhayaḥ snehÄ
rasa-loha-má¹›do jalam
á¹›co yajÅ«á¹á¹£i sÄmÄni
cÄtur-hotraá¹ ca sattama
vastÅ«ni - utensils; oá¹£adhayaḥ - grains; snehÄḥ - clarified butter; rasa-loha-má¹›daḥ - honey, gold and earth; jalam - water; á¹›caḥ - the Ṛg Veda; yajÅ«á¹á¹£i - the Yajur Veda; sÄmÄni - the SÄma Veda; cÄtuḥ-hotram - four persons conducting the performance; ca - all these; sattama - O most pious one.
Other requirements are utensils, grains, clarified butter, honey, gold, earth, water, the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda and SÄma Veda and four priests to perform the sacrifice.
To perform a sacrifice successfully, at least four expert priests are needed: one who can offer (hotÄ), one who can chant (udgÄtÄ), one who can kindle the sacrificial fire without the aid of separate fire (adhvaryu), and one who can supervise (brahmÄ). Such sacrifices were conducted from the birth of BrahmÄ, the first living creature, and were carried on till the reign of MahÄrÄja Yudhiá¹£á¹hira. But such expert brÄhmaṇa priests are very rare in this age of corruption and quarrel, and therefore in the present age only the yajña of chanting the holy name of the Lord is recommended. The scriptures enjoin:
harer nÄma harer nÄma
harer nÄmaiva kevalam
kalau nÄsty eva nÄsty eva
nÄsty eva gatir anyathÄ
