Today’s lecture was given by His Grace Gaura Gopal dasa on Varnashram.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.6.26

bhāryā-śatena nirviṇṇa

ṛṣayo ’sya kṛpālavaḥ

iṣṭiḿ sma vartayāḿ cakrur

aindrīḿ te susamāhitāḥ

SYNONYMS

bhāryā-śatena — with one hundred wives; nirviṇṇaḥ — very morose; ṛṣayaḥ — the sages (in the forest); asya — upon him; kṛpālavaḥ — very merciful; iṣṭim — a ritualistic ceremony; sma — in the past; vartayām cakruḥ — began to execute; aindrīm — known as an Indra-yajña; te — all of them; su-samāhitāḥ — being very careful and attentive.

TRANSLATION

Although Yuvanāśva went into the forest with his one hundred wives, all of them were very morose. The sages in the forest, however, being very kind to the King, began very carefully and attentively performing an Indra-yajña so that the King might have a son.

PURPORT

One may enter the vānaprastha order of life with his wife, but the vānaprastha order means complete retirement from household life. Although King Yuvanāśva retired from family life, he and his wives were always morose because he had no son.

Today’s lecture was given by His Grace Gaura Gopal dasa on prasadam.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.6.8

śeṣaḿ nivedayām āsa

pitre tena ca tad-guruḥ

coditaḥ prokṣaṇāyāha

duṣṭam etad akarmakam

SYNONYMS

śeṣam — the remnants; nivedayām āsa — he offered; pitre — to his father; tena — by him; ca — also; tat-guruḥ — their priest or spiritual master; coditaḥ — being requested; prokṣaṇāya — for purifying; āha — said; duṣṭam — polluted; etat — all this flesh; akarmakam — not fit to be used for offering in śrāddha.

TRANSLATION

Vikukṣi offered the remnants of the flesh to King Ikṣvāku, who gave it to Vasiṣṭha for purification. But Vasiṣṭha could immediately understand that part of the flesh had already been taken by Vikukṣi, and therefore he said that it was unfit to be used in the śrāddha ceremony.

PURPORT

That which is meant to be offered in yajña cannot be tasted by anyone before being offered to the Deity. In our temples, this regulation is in effect. One cannot eat food from the kitchen unless it is offered to the Deity. If something is taken before being offered to the Deity, the entire preparation is polluted and can no longer be offered. Those engaged in Deity worship must know this very well so that they may be saved from committing offenses in Deity worship.