Hare Krsna,
Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to SB 2.6.28 that people in general are always anxious to have peace of mind or peace in the world, but they do not know how to achieve such a standard of peace in the world. Such peace in the world is obtainable by performances of sacrifice and by practice of austerity.
For a long time, I was not fully clear what śacrifice’ actually meant in the context of Krsna consciousnesṣ. I had a general understanding that sacrifice meant to give up one thing or endure something to obtain something higheṛ. A student may give up sleep to have more time to study for the examṣ. A sportsperson may give up some comfort and luxuries in life to maintain strict discipline to become a first-class sportspersoṇ. But what does “sacrifice” mean in Vedic context? Srila Prabhupada unravels that mystery for uṣ.
In the same purport to SB 2.6.28, he writes that Brahmā, the original living being within the material world, taught us the way of sacrifice. The word “sacrifice” suggests dedication of one’s own interests for satisfaction of a second person. That is the way of all activities. Every man is engaged in sacrificing his interests for others, either in the form of family, society, community, country or the entire human society. But perfection of such sacrifices is attained when they are performed for the sake of the Supreme Person, the Lord. Because the Lord is the proprietor of everything, because the Lord is the friend of all living creatures, and because He is the maintainer of the performer of sacrifice, as well as the supplier of the ingredients of sacrifices, it is He only and no one else who should be satisfied by all sacrifices.
BG 3.9 states that all sacrificial performances are meant for the satisfaction of Lord Viṣṇu. The Vedas enjoin: yajno vai viṣṇuḥ. In other words, the same purpose is served whether one performs prescribed yajnas or directly serves Lord Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore performance of yajna as it is prescribed in this verse.
“A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (BG 5.29)
Since human being sometimes, out of habit or long tradition, blindly does something without questioning the motive behind it, Krsna is teaching us to revisit why we do something.
Kṛṣṇa would ask, “What is the purpose of this sacrifice? Who is the demigod to be worshiped through this sacrifice? Who will perform it and with what materials?… Is it a ceremony based on scriptural injunction, or simply a custom of ordinary society?” (Sārārtha-darśini, SB 10.24.4 and SB 10.24.7)
He further goes on to state that “when people in this world perform activities, sometimes they understand what they are doing and sometimes they don’t. Those who know what they are doing achieve success in their work, whereas ignorant people do not.” (SB 10.24.6)
The perfect process of performing yajnas, or sacrifice, to please the Supreme Lord Hari (the Personality of Godhead, who gets us free from all miseries of existence) is to follow the ways of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this dark age of quarrel and dissension. And to save them all, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu propounded the saṅkīrtana movement or yajna for all practical purposes, and the people of the present age are strongly recommended to follow this sure and recognized path. (SB 1.12.34 Purport)
Lord Krsna is intelligently directing His father, Nanda Maharaja, to move from performing sacrifice to please the lord of the rain (Lord Indra) to performing sacrifice to actually please the Supreme Personality of Godheaḍ, Sri Krsna.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 