Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 4.25.7

narada uvaca

bho bhoh prajapate rajan

pasun pasya tvayadhvare

samjnapitan jiva-sanghan

nirghrinena sahasrasah

SYNONYMS

naradah uvaca -- the great sage Narada replied; bhoh bhoh -- hello; praja-pate -- O ruler of the citizens; rajan -- O King; pasun -- animals; pasya -- please see; tvaya -- by you; adhvare -- in the sacrifice; samjnapitan -- killed; jiva-sanghan -- groups of animals; nirghrinena -- without pity; sahasrasah -- in thousands.

TRANSLATION

The great saint Narada said: O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed without compassion and without mercy in the sacrificial arena.

PURPORT

Because animal sacrifice is recommended in the Vedas, there are animal sacrifices in almost all religious rituals. However, one should not be satisfied simply by killing animals according to the directions of the scriptures. One should transcend the ritualistic ceremonies and try to understand the actual truth, the purpose of life. Narada Muni wanted to instruct the King about the real purpose of life and invoke a spirit of renunciation in his heart. Knowledge and the spirit of renunciation (jnana-vairagya) are the ultimate goal of life. Without knowledge, one cannot become detached from material enjoyment, and without being detached from material enjoyment, one cannot make spiritual advancement. Karmis are generally engaged in sense gratification, and for this end they are prepared to commit so many sinful activities. Animal sacrifice is but one such sinful activity. Consequently, by his mystic power Narada Muni showed King Pracinabarhishat the dead animals which he had sacrificed.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness