Sacrifice everything as offering to Krishna, recognizing all existence emanates from His nondual energy.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: [taps on microphone] yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāma-saìkalpa-varjitāḥ jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṃ tam āhuḥ paṇòitaṃ budhāḥ [Bg 4.19] [One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.] We have been discussing this śloka since the last two days in our meetings. The next verse is, tyaktvā karma-phalāsaìgaṃ nitya-tṛpto nirāśrayaḥ karmaṇy abhipravṛtto 'pi naiva kiñcit karoti saḥ [Bg 4.20] [Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings.] In order to be free from the reaction of our work, this formula is described by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ samaḥ siddhāv asiddhau ca kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate [Bg 4.22] [He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady both in success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.] gata-saìgasya muktasya jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ yajñāyācarataḥ karma samagraṃ pravilīyate [Bg 4.23] [The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.] The formula is that we have to become detached from the result of the work and must be situated in full knowledge. In full knowledge.
Unless we are situated in full knowledge, it is not possible to be detached from the work which you are doing. And that detachment and that knowledge, to be situated in full knowledge, is possible when we perform yajña, or sacrifice. Now, today's subject matter is varieties of sacrifices, how we can perform different kinds of sacrifices. And what is the sacrifice? Sacrifice means yajñārthe karma.
Just at the present moment our conception is that I am the proprietor of everything. Actually, I am not the proprietor. The Īśopaniṣad says that īśāvāsyam idaṃ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]: [Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.] "The Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa, He is the proprietor." But deluded by the illusory energy of the material existence, we are thinking that "I am the proprietor." Therefore in the scriptures, in Vedic scriptures, sacrifice is recommended. Sacrifice means you give voluntarily.
You give voluntarily. Because we have been so much attached to this material proprietorship, that... And without that attachment, there is no possibility of our becoming free from this material entanglement. But that attachment is very difficult to give up.
Therefore sacrifice has been recommended, that "You sacrifice." You... It is... Supposing that it is your proprietorship, you are the proprietor of everything, but you sacrifice, yajñārthe. Yajñārthe means "for the Supreme Lord." So, so many sacrifices are recommended in various scriptures.
So we shall try to discuss some of the sacrifices. Yajñāyācarataḥ karma samagraṃ pravilīyate. If we perform our duties, yajña, for the matter of satisfaction of Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord, then we shall not be bound up by the reaction of any work. Now, that first thing is in the sacrifice according to the Vedic rites, there are five principal factors. What are those?
There is sacrificial fire, altar, and the person who is offering the... Generally, in the sacrifice grains and butter, clarified butter, is offered. So the sacrificial altar, fire, and the offering ingredients, grains and clarified butter, and the person who is offering sacrifice, three, and the result and the performance. These five things are there in the matter of sacrifice. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that if these five things are transformed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness or Brahman realization, then the result will be that the man who is performing that sacrifice is sure to attain his spiritual salvation and go back to Godhead.