Shloka 4
Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’
Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda
ऋषय ऊचु: बीजैर्यज्ञिषु यष्टव्यमिति वै वैदिकी श्रुति: । अजरसंज्ञानि बीजानि च्छागं नो हन्तुमर्हथ
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ—bījair yajñeṣu yaṣṭavyam iti vai vaidikī śrutiḥ | ajarasaṃjñāni bījāni chāgaṃ no hantum arhatha ||
قال الحكماء: «يا معشر الآلهة! إنّ الوحي الفيدي (الشروتي) يصرّح حقًّا بأنّ القربان في الطقوس ينبغي أن يُؤدّى بالبذور/الحبوب. والبذور نفسها تُسمّى “أجا”. لذلك لا يليق بكم أن تطلبوا منّا قتل ماعز. فليُتمَّ القربان بلا عنف، وفق القصد الحقّ للشروتي.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for non-violence in sacrifice by appealing to Vedic authority: true yajña can be performed with offerings like seeds/grains, and one should not justify killing a goat when the śruti can be understood in a non-violent way.
Within Bhīṣma’s instruction, the sages present a reasoned objection: they cite śruti to claim that offerings should be made with seeds, and they use the term ‘aja’ (a name associated here with seeds) to argue that demanding a goat’s slaughter is improper.