Chapter 4 Shloka 25
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिन: पर्युपासते।
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति।।२५।।
Some yogis perform sacrificial actions to propitiate deities; some others offer their yagya in the fire of Brahm in the spirit of sacrifice.
Little seeker! The Lord is now elucidating the various other forms of yagya that people engage in. The important thing to note is, that whatever they offer as an oblation, they offer it in the spirit of yagya.
Deva Yagya (देव यज्ञ)
1. Those who practice Deva yagya invoke the Devtas or Deities.
2. They themselves seek divinity and perform this yagya for self purification.
3. In the course of this yagya, they accumulate divine qualities.
These seekers of excellence perform yagya, but they can only be established in the Supreme if they forget their body self. Actually they conduct their lives in the spirit of yagya – the Deva yagya is an integral part of the Brahm yagya. But the practicants of Deva yagya invoke the presiding deities of the sense faculties, acknowledging them as the Masters of the senses.
A practicant of Deva yagya, in pursuit of spiritual upliftment, offers all his actions to those divine deities.
1. He is not devoid of attachment nor has he transcended desire.
2. He engages himself in service but attachment and desire are inherent in his service.
3. Doership still prevails in him, for he does not even desire the annihilation of the idea ‘I am the doer’.
4. He has not yet renounced attachment.
5. He does not wish to transcend his body – in fact, harbouring myriad desires, he conducts yagyas for their fulfilment.
6. Though he is noble by nature and performs virtuous deeds which behove a sadhu, he still pursues worldly recognition and happiness.
7. He seeks the state of a Devta in order to procure happiness.
It is important to remember little one, that one cannot reach the Supreme Truth without first attaining the elevated state of a Devta.
