|  | 
	| Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 
 << Canto 2, The Cosmic Manifestation >>
 << 6 - Puruṣa-sūkta Confirmed >>
 
 << VERSE 25 >>
 
 
 वस्तून्योषधयः स्नेहा रसलोहमृदो जलम्vastūny oṣadhayaḥ snehāऋचो यजूंषि सामानि चातुर्होत्रं च सत्तम
 
 rasa-loha-mṛdo jalam
 ṛco yajūṁṣi sāmāni
 cātur-hotraṁ ca sattama
 
 WORD BY WORD
 
 vastūni  utensils; oṣadhayaḥ  grains; snehāḥ  clarified butter; rasa-loha-mṛdaḥ  honey, gold and earth; jalam  water; ṛcaḥ  the Ṛg Veda; yajūṁṣi  the Yajur Veda; sāmāni  the Sāma Veda; cātuḥ-hotram  four persons conducting the performance; ca  all these; sattama  O most pious one;
 
 TRANSLATION
 
 
 |   | Other requirements are utensils, grains, clarified butter, honey, gold, earth, water, the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda and Sāma Veda and four priests to perform the sacrifice. 
 | 
 PURPORT
 
 
 |   | To perform a sacrifice successfully, at least four expert priests are needed: one who can offer (hotā), one who can chant (udgātā), one who can kindle the sacrificial fire without the aid of separate fire (adhvaryu), and one who can supervise (brahmā). Such sacrifices were conducted from the birth of Brahmā, the first living creature, and were carried on till the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. But such expert brāhmaṇa priests are very rare in this age of corruption and quarrel, and therefore in the present age only the yajña of chanting the holy name of the Lord is recommended. The scriptures enjoin: 
 
 |  |   | harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
 kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
 nāsty eva gatir anyathā
 
 
 | 
 |  |  | 
|---|