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Shloka 6

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.

śrī-śukaḥŚrī Śuka
śrī-śukaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: श्रीमान् शुकः (the venerable Śuka)
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय (quotative)
uktvāhaving said
uktvā:
Kriyā (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म/Absolutive action)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having said’
yajñiyesacrificial
yajñiye:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location-time)
TypeAdjective
Rootyajñiya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण of kāle
kāleat the time
kāle:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
vavrechose/selected
vavre:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
TypeVerb
Rootvṛ (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
yuktānqualified/fit
yuktān:
Karma (कर्म/Direct object)
TypeAdjective
Rootyukta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्यय from yuj धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) used adjectivally
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
ṛtvijaḥpriests
ṛtvijaḥ:
Karma (कर्म/Direct object)
TypeNoun
Rootṛtvij (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
kṛṣṇa-anumoditaḥapproved by Kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa-anumoditaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + anumodita (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from anu+mud धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध): कृष्णेन अनुमोदितः (approved by Kṛṣṇa)
pārthaḥPārtha (Arjuna)
pārthaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootpārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
brāhmaṇānbrāhmaṇas
brāhmaṇān:
Karma (कर्म/Direct object)
TypeNoun
Rootbrāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
brahma-vādinaḥVedic scholars/speakers of Brahman
brahma-vādinaḥ:
Karma (कर्म/Qualifier of brāhmaṇān)
TypeAdjective
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक) + vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ब्रह्म वदन्ति ये (speakers of Brahman/Vedic experts)

The great Bhāgavatam commentator Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the proper time for the sacrifice mentioned here was the spring.

Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
K
Kṛṣṇa
A
Arjuna (Pārtha)

FAQs

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.