Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

So now look at Vishvarupa upasana(vishvatomukham) from next verse. What He is talked about in 4.24 He will explain more in 9.16. 

Bg 9.16

ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ
svadhāham aham auṣadham
mantro ’ham aham evājyam
aham agnir ahaṁ hutam

Word for word: 

aham — I; kratuḥ — Vedic ritual; aham — I; yajñaḥ — smṛti sacrifice; svadhā — oblation; aham — I; aham — I;auṣadham — healing herb; mantraḥ — transcendental chant; aham — I; aham — I; eva — certainly; ājyam — melted butter; aham — I; agniḥ — fire; aham — I; hutam — offering.

Translation: 

But it is I who am the ritual, I the sacrifice, the offering to the ancestors, the healing herb, the transcendental chant. I am the butter and the fire and the offering.

 

ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ, so here Krishna is talking about the various element in the sacrifice, kratur refers to the Vedic ritual.

yajñaḥ, refers to Puranic ritual smṛti sacrifice, that means there are sacrifices which are mentioned in different scriptures, and accordingly they gave different technical names, so in a general non-technical sense we can say kratur refers to sacrifice, especially kratur refers to sacrifice is Vedas. Krishna is saying I am both the sacrifices 

svadhāham, I am what is offered in it, oblation.

Then I am the healing herb, svadhāham aham auṣadham

mantro ’ham aham, whatever the mantras that are chanted I am that mantra, 

aham evājyam, the melted gee which is offered is I am

aham agnir ahaṁ hutam, I am the fire.

So basically Krishna is helping us to see when some sacrifice is happening it is not just material elements are interacting but it is ultimately manifestation of Absolute Truth.

Now we will see evolution of thought in BG, in 4.24 what has happened was all the elements of sacrifice was identified with Brahman,

brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir
brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ
brahma-karma-samādhinā

Word for word: 

brahma — spiritual in nature; arpaṇam — contribution; brahma — the Supreme; haviḥ — butter; brahma — spiritual; agnau — in the fire of consummation; brahmaṇā — by the spirit soul; hutam — offered; brahma — spiritual kingdom; eva — certainly; tena — by him; gantavyam — to be reached; brahma — spiritual; karma — in activities; samādhinā — by complete absorption.

Translation: 

A person who is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.

 

So there it is described that all the elements of sacrifice are Brahman, but here is accepted but the thought is taken further and mentioned actually it is aham, all of it I am that, ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ. I am all this. So what is the point over there when Nishkam Yogi is performing the sacrifice, Nishkam yogi doesn’t know what is Absolute Truth, but as one moves forward one starts understanding what the Absolute Truth is so here it is clear for devotee that all the manifestation of Yajna are manifestation of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Of Krishna Himself.

End of transcription.