Shloka 53
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
तान्यग्नौ जुहु॒वुर्धीरा: समस्ता: षोडशर्त्विज: । नरेश्वर! उस अश्वके जो शेष अंग थे, उनको धीर स्वभाववाले समस्त सोलह ऋत्विजोंने अग्निमें होम कर दिया
tāny agnau juhuvur dhīrāḥ samastāḥ ṣoḍaśartvijaḥ | nareśvara! asya aśvake ye śeṣāṅgāni āsan, tāni dhīrasvabhāvavantaḥ samastāḥ ṣoḍaśa ṛtvijaḥ agnau homaṃ kṛtvā juhuvuḥ |
Vaiśampāyana sprach: O König, die standhaften sechzehn Opferpriester brachten im heiligen Feuer alle verbleibenden Teile jenes Opferrosses dar. So wurde das Ritual in der gebührenden Ordnung vollendet, mit diszipliniertem Geist und genauer Befolgung, und bekräftigte die Verantwortung des Königs, das Dharma durch ein rechtmäßig vollzogenes Opfer zu wahren.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined ritual responsibility: qualified priests, acting with steadiness and precision, complete the sacrifice by offering the remaining portions into the fire—symbolizing orderly completion of duty (dharma) in a public, kingly rite.
During the Aśvamedha proceedings, the sixteen officiating priests collectively perform the concluding fire-offerings, consigning the remaining parts of the sacrificial horse/rite into Agni, thereby bringing that segment of the ritual to completion.