Shloka 39
Kośa, Bala, and Maryādā: Treasury, Capacity, and Enforceable Limits (कोश-बल-मर्यादा)
यज्ञार्थमन्यद् भवति यज्ञो<न्यार्थस्तथा पर: | यज्ञस्यार्थार्थमेवान्यत् तत् सर्व यज्ञसाधनम्
yajñārtham anyad bhavati yajño 'nyārthas tathā paraḥ | yajñasyārthārtham evānyat tat sarvaṁ yajñasādhanam ||
Manches besteht um des Yajña willen, und der Yajña selbst kann wiederum um eines weiteren Zieles jenseits seiner selbst willen vollzogen werden. Ebenso ist alles, was mit dem Yajña verbunden ist, auf die Erreichung eines bestimmten Zweckes ausgerichtet; in Wahrheit ist all dies das Mittel, durch das der Yajña zustande kommt.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that ritual elements are instruments serving a purpose, and even yajña itself can be a means toward a higher goal; one should understand the intended end and align actions accordingly.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is explaining to Yudhishthira how to interpret sacrificial practice: as a structured system of means (sādhanas) oriented toward definite aims, not as purposeless formalism.