The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Viṣṇusahasranāmastotram

Verse 563

यज्ञं विभर्ति पातीति वा यज्ञभृत् ।जगदादौ तदन्ते च यज्ञं करोति, कृन्ततीति वा यज्ञकृत् ।यज्ञानां तत्समाराधनात्मनां शेषीति यज्ञी ।यज्ञं भुङ्क्ते, भुनक्तीति वा यज्ञभुक् ।यज्ञाः साधनं तत्प्राप्ताविति यज्ञसाधनः ।यज्ञस्यान्तं फलप्राप्तिं कुर्वन यज्ञान्तकृत्; वैष्णवीऋक्शंसनेन पूर्णाहुत्या पूर्ण कृत्वा यज्ञसमाप्तिं करोतीति वा यज्ञान्तकृत् ।यज्ञानां गुह्यं ज्ञानयज्ञः, फलाभिसंधिरहितो वा यज्ञः; तदभेदोपचारान् ब्रह्म यज्ञगुह्यम् ।अद्यते अत्ति च भूतानीति अन्नम् ।अन्नमत्तीति अन्नादः ।सर्व जगदन्नादिरूपेण भोक्तृभोग्यात्मकमेवेति दर्शयितुमेवकार: ; च - शब्दः सर्वनाम्नामेकस्मिन्परन्मिन्पुंसि समुच्चिय वृत्ति दर्शयितुम ॥

In plain words

He who sustains and protects the cosmic sacrifice is Yajñabhṛt. He who performs it at the dawn and dissolution of the universe, severing all bonds, is Yajñakṛt. He who is the ultimate master and recipient of all acts of worship is Yajñī. He who enjoys and nourishes the offering is Yajñabhuk. He who is attained through sacrifice is Yajñasādhanaḥ. He who brings the ritual to its luminous completion through the final oblation of the sacred hymns is Yajñāntakṛt. The secret essence of all sacrifice is the offering of inner knowledge, untouched by desire for results; because of absolute identity with Him, the Supreme Brahman itself is the secret of sacrifice. That which is consumed and in turn consumes all created beings is food (annam), and He who consumes this food is the eater (annādaḥ). The emphatic particle 'eva' reveals that the entire universe is nothing other than the dual play of the enjoyer and the enjoyed, while the particle 'ca' brings together the connective force spanning all beings.

Close to the Sanskrit

Sustaining sacrifice and protecting it, thus Yajñabhṛt. At the beginning and end of the world He performs sacrifice, cutting away, thus Yajñakṛt. Of sacrifices having the nature of His worship, He is the master, thus Yajñī. He enjoys sacrifice, or protects it, thus Yajñabhuk. Sacrifices are the means for attaining Him, thus Yajñasādhanaḥ. Bringing about the end of sacrifice as the attainment of the fruit; or completing the sacrifice with the final oblation of the Vaishnava hymn, thus Yajñāntakṛt. The secret of sacrifices is the knowledge-sacrifice, or sacrifice free from the desire for results; by the usage of non-difference from that, Brahman is the secret of sacrifice. That which is eaten and eats beings is Anna (food). One who eats food is Annādaḥ. The emphatic particle 'eva' is to show that the entire universe consists solely of the enjoyer and the enjoyed; and the word 'ca' is to show the comprehensive function connecting pronouns in one person or another.