Indo-European linguist Prof. Stefan Zimmer writes, “…all religions practice some form of sacrifice.”[1]

There is, however, a problem with the word, “religion.” Many scholars agree that this word is too closely associated with Judaism and Christianity. It doesn’t well represent other traditions. Perhaps a better word is “dharma,” which implies a set of principles and responsibilities.

Dharma applies to all things in existence. It establishes the principles associated with the nature of a thing. It also implies the actions that the thing must take in accordance with those principles. For example, one of the natural principles of a female bird’s behavior is to care for her chicks. So, defending them is her responsibility according to that principle.[2]

With humans, dharma advises the ways they should and shouldn’t act individually, socially, occupationally, and so on. So, dharma is not just morality or religion in the modern sense, but a set of guiding principles or laws according to which one responsibly acts.

Thus, to extend Zimmer’s point, an essential part of the dharma of all cultures is sacrifice. In ancient societies, it had explicit guidelines. In modern culture there are still sacrifices, but they tend to be implicit, unwritten. Sacrifice is as much a part of our essential nature as work, language, love, and compassion.

In modern language, sacrifice usually implies doing without something or giving something up. And it also means doing good for others. This is the principal sense in which it has survived from ancient times. We sacrifice our time, possessions, or selves for our families, communities, nations, gods, and so on—that is, for the higher good.

Currently, many people think of ancient sacrifice as a primitive act. Partly due to developments in science plus the enchantments that technology offers, humans now think of themselves as advanced. But regarding the total lack of human responsibility toward Nature, humanity is not evolving, but rather degrading. 

In terms of respect for Nature, many ancient societies were more advanced. The Egyptians, Indians, Canaanites, Minoans, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Europeans, and Israelites all performed sacrifices as a central part of their cultures. Among the folk cultures of China and Africa there were also sacrifices, as well as within the cultures of pre-conquest America.[3]

Christians consider Christ to be the lamb of God, whose crucifixion replaced the Jewish animal sacrifice. They believe that Christ sacrificed himself for the sins of humanity, and his followers participate in it in various ways.[4]

According to records from the ancient Vedic culture, daily sacrifices were performed by householders to expiate the sin of accidental killing, such as stepping on insects. There it is written that he who does not feed the gods, the unexpected guests, the animals, the forefathers, and his own self, each day by performing sacrifice, is a dead man, even though he breathes.[5]

A simple definition of ancient sacrifice is the offering of food or objects to the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.

However, sacrifice is more than just offerings. The concept is vast, so much so that scholars have trouble circumscribing it.

It has been richly, flexibly, and broadly applied across cultures, but there are a few fundamental principles associated with it. And Krishna explains them in His Gita.

As mentioned in the previous section, sacrifice the means whereby gratitude and affection can be communicated to Nature, the gods, and the God of gods, Krishna.

Krishna teaches that sacrifices have a variety of forms. To find out which type may be appropriate, one should learn from authentic gurus who are seers of the inner truths of the world.[6]

Krishna further explains that sacrifices are of three types: those that are unselfish and elevate humanity, those that are selfish and are based on consumption, and those that abandon all responsibility and degrade humanity.[7]

The ancient sages knew which forms of sacrifice were devoid of greed and selfishness. In His Gita, Krishna describes them.[8]

And He explains that selfish sacrifices are due to attachment to the body and senses. This mentality that the body is everything is what Socrates described as the cause of war. Wars are scenes of mass human sacrifice. And the desire that humans have to satisfy their palates causes billions of animals to be sacrificed yearly.

When those sacrifices involving wars, animal slaughter, and exploitation of Nature are not regulated by the laws of dharma, they’re degrading. They abandon rules; they forsake all sense of responsibility; and they’re characterized by the madness of addiction to consume Nature’s resources. Those are the degrading sacrifices of today.

In general, sacrifice involves offering a portion of production to the gods. This acknowledges that things don’t belong to us. The universe was here when humans arrived and will be here after we leave. Humans own nothing; rather, they take temporary control, and they should honor the one or ones who are the actual owners—the gods. And without the gods, we would have nothing. They supply everything.

We practice sacrifice, because whenever there is production, there will most often be surplus. To avoid thinking that surplus is for us, it should be offered back to those who provided it. The gods and the God of gods are satisfied seeing the desire of humans to reciprocate unselfishly. In addition, such offerings should be distributed to the poor, the needy, and Nature. Part of sacrifice that elevates is to include everyone in the performance and in the result.

In summary, by their nature, humans practice some form of sacrifice, either that which precipitates elevation, consumption, or degradation.

Ignorance or rejection of the elevating forms of sacrifice ultimately results in degradation or destruction. When humans try to minimize the higher forms of sacrifice, they violate the laws of nature and must suffer the consequences.

Sacrifice in the Bhagavad Gita

In His Gita, Krishna refers to the timeless principle that sacrifice is a fundamental part of dharma, and He teaches that its higher forms must not be abandoned. He explains that for sacrifice to be elevating—that is, free from greed, the performers must be detached from the results of their work. That means they must not be afraid to sacrifice a significant portion of their money or produce.[9]

Krishna created the universe and along with it, the gods. And He created the system whereby humans would sacrifice to the gods, whom He put in charge of the functions of the universe. So, in past ages, humans sacrificed to them to acknowledge gratitude, but such sacrifices were complex and mystical. In this age, simpler sacrifices are recommended 

Krishna explains in His Gita that He is the God of gods and the ultimate enjoyer of sacrifice. Since ancient times, billions have acknowledged Him as such. and, since He is the creator of the gods, sacrifices need not be offered to them, but the offerings may be directly given to Krishna.[10]

In this way, Krishna links sacrifice to yoga, which means to connect with the Supreme. Just as part of human dharma is to sacrifice, so it is the dharma of the soul to connect with the Supreme. Thus, sacrifice to Krishna is the best way to act according to the lower dharma of the world and the higher dharma of the soul.[11]

Through such sacrifice one achieves harmony with Nature and gets free from suffering. This is because suffering is caused by attachment to the money one makes from working. That attachment turns into greed, which further binds one to the money. So, using a portion of one’s earnings in sacrifice to Krishna begins to dissolve the attachment. When families and communities operate on the principle of detachment, and they spend money on sacrifice instead of comforts, they reduce their greed. Thus, performing the elevating form of sacrifice, they work to mitigate the degradation of the environment.

For such degradation to be reversed, it requires the participation of communities and states. As long as societies misuse money for unregulated, unrestricted consumption and ignore the elevating forms of sacrifice, humans will continue to degrade the environment and themselves.

In summary, elevating sacrifice acknowledges the soul in all living beings. It’s based on a relationship with those who supply all things to humans. It’s unselfish. And it’s sustained by the satisfaction of reciprocating with the higher powers, rather than that derived from the body and senses.

But Krishna never says that one must offer one’s money to an organization or charismatic person. Rather, one should learn how to sacrifice from gurus who know the inner truths, and then one may perform it with one’s family, friends, associates, and community, or with a society organized for that purpose, if one so desires.[12]

[1] Zimmer, “Sacrifice in Proto-Indo-European:” https://goo.gl/3Broo6

[2] Dharma: https://goo.gl/K72xhn

[3] Sacrifice in ancient societies: Multiple Internet searches, including Zimmer above

[4] Christian sacrifice: https://goo.gl/rD723t

[5] Manu Samhita (https://goo.gl/jC9poC): 3.72

[6] Sacrifice in the Bhagavad Gita: chapter four

[7] Three types of sacrifice: BG 17.11-13

[8] BG 16.8-9

[9] BG 18.5-6, BG 3.9, BG 5.29, BG 2.62-63, 18.27, 14.9, 14.12

[10] BG Chapter 3

[11] SB 1.2.6, 1.5.38

[12] BG 3.11, 1.42, 4.34