Shloka 22
(हयमेधाग्निना सर्वे याजका: सपुरोहिता: । वेदोक्तेन विधानेन क्रियाश्चक्रु: समन्त्रकम् ।।) याजकैरभ्यनुज्ञाते प्रेतकर्मण्यनुछिते । घृतावसिक्त राजानं सह माद्र्या स्वलंकृतम्,समस्त याजकों और पुरोहितोंने अश्वमेधकी अग्निसे वेदोक्त विधिके अनुसार मन्त्रोच्चारणपूर्वक सारी क्रियाएँ सम्पन्न कीं। याजकोंकी आज्ञा लेकर प्रेतकर्म आरम्भ करते समय माद्रीसहित अलंकारयुक्त राजाका घृतसे अभिषेक किया गया
hayamedhāgninā sarve yājakāḥ sapurohitāḥ | vedoktena vidhānena kriyāś cakruḥ samantrakam || yājakair abhyanujñāte pretakarmaṇy anucite | ghṛtāvasiktaṃ rājānaṃ saha mādryā svalakṛtam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: All the officiating priests, together with the family chaplains, performed every rite with the Aśvamedha fire, following the Veda-prescribed procedure and accompanying mantras. Then, with the priests’ authorization, as the proper funeral rites were about to begin, the king—adorned and together with Mādrī—was anointed with clarified butter (ghṛta).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores dharma as fidelity to Vedic injunctions: rites must be performed in the prescribed manner, with proper authorization and mantras, especially when shifting from royal sacrificial activity to the solemn obligations of funeral duty.
The priests complete the required sacrificial procedures using the Aśvamedha fire. With their formal permission, the funeral rites are then initiated, and the king—adorned and accompanied by Mādrī—is ritually anointed with ghee as part of the commencement of the funerary sequence.