Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.7.5

īje ca bhagavantam yajña-kratu-rūpam kratubhir uccāvacaih śraddhayāhritāgnihotra-darśa-pūrnamāsa-cāturmāsya-paśu-somānām prakriti-vikritibhir anusavanam cāturhotra-vidhinā

SYNONYMS

īje — worshiped; ca — also; bhagavantam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yajña-kratu-rūpam — having the form of sacrifices without animals and sacrifices with animals; kratubhih — by such sacrifices; uccāvacaih — very great and very small; śraddhayā — with faith; āhrita — being performed; agni-hotra — of the agnihotra-yajña; darśa — of the darśa-yajña; pūrnamāsa — of the pūrnamāsa-yajña; cāturmāsya — of the cāturmāsya-yajña; paśu-somānām — of the yajña with animals and the yajña with soma-rasa; prakriti — by full performances; vikritibhih — and by partial performances; anusavanam — almost always; cātuh-hotra-vidhinā — by the regulative principles of sacrifice directed by four kinds of priests.

TRANSLATION

With great faith King Bharata performed various kinds of sacrifice. He performed the sacrifices known as agni-hotra, darśa, pūrnamāsa, cāturmāsya, paśu-yajña [wherein a horse is sacrificed] and soma-yajña [wherein a kind of beverage is offered]. Sometimes these sacrifices were performed completely and sometimes partially. In any case, in all the sacrifices the regulations of cāturhotra were strictly followed. In this way Bharata Mahārāja worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

Animals like hogs and cows were offered in sacrifice to test the proper execution of the sacrifice. Otherwise, there was no purpose in killing the animal. Actually the animal was offered in the sacrificial fire to get a rejuvenated life. Generally an old animal was sacrificed in the fire. and it would come out again in a youthful body. Some of the rituals however, did not require animal sacrifice. In the present age, animal sacrifices are forbidden. As stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

aśvamedham gavālambham

sannyāsam pala-paitrikam

devarena sutotpattim

kalau pañca vivarjayet

"In this age of Kali, five acts are forbidden: the offering of a horse in sacrifice, the offering of a cow in sacrifice, the acceptance of the order of sannyāsa, the offering of oblations of flesh to the forefathers, and a man's begetting children in his brother's wife." (Cc. Ādi 17.164) Such sacrifices are impossible in this age due to the scarcity of expert brāhmanas or ritvijah who are able to take the responsibility. In the absence of these, the sańkīrtana-yajña is recommended. Yajñaih sańkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasah (Bhāg. 11.5.32). After all, sacrifices are executed to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajñārtha-karma: such activities should be carried out for the Supreme Lord's pleasure. In this age of Kali, the Supreme Lord in His incarnation of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu should be worshiped with His associates by performance of sańkīrtana-yajña, the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. This process is accepted by intelligent men. Yajñaih sańkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasah. The word sumedhasah refers to intelligent men who possess very good brain substance.

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