Shloka 25
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
तोरणानि च यूपांश्व घटान् पात्रीस्तथेष्टका: । युधिष्टिरा भ्यनुज्ञाता: सर्व तद् व्यभजन् द्विजा:
toraṇāni ca yūpāṃś ca ghaṭān pātrīs tathā iṣṭakāḥ | yudhiṣṭhirābhyanujñātāḥ sarva tad vyabhajan dvijāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Mit Yudhiṣṭhiras Erlaubnis teilten die Brāhmaṇas alles, was dort war, unter sich auf — Festbögen (toṛaṇa), Opferpfähle (yūpa), Krüge (ghaṭa), Gefäße (pātra) und sogar die Ziegel (iṣṭakā), alles, was in der Opferhalle zurückgeblieben war. Die Szene hebt die pflichtgemäße königliche Sanktion der Gaben und die geordnete Verteilung des Ritualvermögens nach dem Ritus hervor — Großmut, von Angemessenheit geleitet, nicht von persönlichem Horten.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual wealth and materials are to be handled through dharma: the king authorizes giving, and the officiants/recipients distribute what is due in an orderly way. The emphasis is on sanctioned generosity and proper completion of the sacrifice, not on retaining sacred resources for personal gain.
After the Aśvamedha rite, the remaining valuable and ritual items in the sacrificial hall—decorations, posts, containers, and bricks—are divided among the Brahmins, but only after Yudhiṣṭhira grants permission.