Text 18
tasmād brāhmaṇa-deveṣu
martyādiṣu yathārhataḥ
tais taiḥ kāmair yajasvainaṁ
kṣetra-jñaṁ brāhmaṇān anu
tasmāt — therefore; brāhmaṇa-deveṣu — through the brāhmaṇas and the demigods; martya-ādiṣu — through ordinary human beings and other living entities; yathā-arhataḥ — according to your ability; taiḥ taiḥ — with all those; kāmaiḥ — various objects of enjoyment such as sumptuous food, flower garlands, sandalwood paste, etc.; yajasva — you should worship; enam — this; kṣetra-jñam — Supreme Lord situated in the hearts of all beings; brāhmaṇān — the brāhmaṇas; anu — after.
Therefore, my dear King, first offer prasāda unto the brāhmaṇas and the demigods, and after sumptuously feeding them you may distribute prasāda to other living entities according to your ability. In this way you will be able to worship all living entities — or, in other words, the supreme living entity within every living entity.
To distribute prasāda to all living entities, the process is that we must first offer prasāda to the brāhmaṇas and the Vaiṣṇavas, for the demigods are represented by the brāhmaṇas. In this way the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in everyone’s heart, will be worshiped. This is the Vedic system of offering prasāda. Whenever there is a ceremony for distribution of prasāda, the prasāda is offered first to the brāhmaṇas, then to the children and old men, then to the women, and then to animals like dogs and other domestic animals. When it is said that Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Being, is situated in everyone’s heart, this does not mean that everyone has become Nārāyaṇa or that a particular poor man has become Nārāyaṇa. Such a conclusion is rejected herein.