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TEXT 28 dravya-yajnas tapo-yajna
SYNONYMS  dravya-yajnah--sacrificing
one's possessions; tapah-yajnah--sacrifice in austerities; yoga-yajnah--sacrifice
in eightfold mysticism; tatha--thus; apare--others; svadhyaya--sacrifice
in the study of the Vedas; jnana-yajnah--sacrifice in advancement
of transcendental knowledge; ca--also; yatayah--enlightened;
samsita--taken to strict; vratah--vows.
TRANSLATION There are
others who, enlightened by sacrificing their material possessions in severe
austerities, take strict vows and practice the yoga of eightfold mysticism,
and others study the Vedas for the advancement of transcendental knowledge.
PURPORT These sacrifices
may be fitted into various divisions. There are persons who are sacrificing
their possessions in the form of various kinds of charities. In India,
the rich mercantile community or princely orders open various kinds of
charitable institutions like dharma-sala, anna-ksetra, atithi-sala,
anathalaya, vidya-pitha, etc. In other countries, too, there
are many hospitals, old age homes and similar charitable foundations meant
for distributing food, education and medical treatment free to the poor.
All these charitable activities are called dravyamaya-yajna. There
are others who, for higher elevation in life or for promotion to higher
planets within the universe, voluntarily accept many kinds of austerities
such as candrayana and caturmasya. These processes entail
severe vows for conducting life under certain rigid rules. For example,
under the caturmasya vow the candidate does not shave for four months
during the year (July to October), he does not eat certain foods, does
not eat twice in a day and does not leave home. Such sacrifice of the comforts
of life is called tapomaya-yajna. There are still others who engage
themselves in different kinds of mystic yogas like the Patanjali
system (for merging into the existence of the Absolute), or hatha-yoga
or astanga-yoga (for particular perfections). And some travel to
all the sanctified places of pilgrimage. All these practices are called
yoga-yajna, sacrifice for a certain type of perfection in the material
world. There are others who engage themselves in the studies of different
Vedic literatures, specifically the Upanisads and Vedanta-sutras,
or the Sankhya philosophy. All of these are called svadhyaya-yajna,
or engagement in the sacrifice of studies. All these yogis are faithfully
engaged in different types of sacrifice and are seeking a higher status
of life. Krsna consciousness, is, however, different from these because
it is the direct service of the Supreme Lord. Krsna consciousness cannot
be attained by any one of the above-mentioned types of sacrifices but can
be attained only by the mercy of the Lord and His bona fide devotee. Therefore,
Krsna consciousness is transcendental.
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