Rājasūya: Agrapūjā for Kṛṣṇa and the Slaying (and Liberation) of Śiśupāla
श्रीशुक उवाच इत्युक्त्वा यज्ञिये काले वव्रे युक्तान् स ऋत्विज: । कृष्णानुमोदित: पार्थो ब्राह्मणान् ब्रह्मवादिन: ॥ ६ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca ity uktvā yajñiye kāle vavre yuktān sa ṛtvijaḥ kṛṣṇānumoditaḥ pārtho brāhmaṇān brahma-vādinaḥ
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Having spoken thus, King Yudhiṣṭhira waited until the auspicious time for the sacrifice arrived. Then, with Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s permission, he chose suitable ṛtvij priests—brāhmaṇas expert in the Vedas and authoritative speakers on Brahman—to perform the yajña.
The great Bhāgavatam commentator Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the proper time for the sacrifice mentioned here was the spring.
This verse emphasizes selecting yuktān—truly qualified ṛtviks and brahma-vādī brāhmaṇas—at the proper sacrificial time, showing that yajña must be performed with competence and Vedic integrity.
The narration highlights that Arjuna’s role in organizing and selecting brāhmaṇas was done under Kṛṣṇa’s sanction, indicating that the sacrifice was aligned with Kṛṣṇa’s will and dharmic order.
Choose genuinely qualified guides and practitioners for sacred or important duties, and seek divine-centered counsel so that major decisions are timely, principled, and spiritually aligned.