Shloka 52

Jarītā–Śārṅgā-saṃvāda: Ākhu-haraṇa and the Approach of Agni (आखुहरणं अग्न्यागमनश्च)

Devanagari script

अतोऊहं त्वां स्वयं नाद्य याजयामि परंतप । ममांशस्तु क्षितितले महाभागो द्विजोत्तम:,“अतः परंतप! मैं स्वयं तुम्हारा यज्ञ नहीं कराऊँगा। पृथ्वीपर मेरे ही अंशभूत एक महाभाग श्रेष्ठ द्विज हैं

Transliteration

ato 'haṃ tvāṃ svayaṃ nādya yājayāmi parantapa | mamāṃśas tu kṣititale mahābhāgo dvijottamaḥ ||

Translation

“Therefore, O scorcher of foes, I will not myself officiate your sacrifice today. Yet upon the earth there is a most fortunate, foremost of Brahmins—one who is, as it were, a portion of myself—who can undertake it.”

Word by Word

अतःtherefore, hence

ऊहंI infer/consider

त्वाम्you

स्वयम्personally, oneself

नnot

अद्यtoday/now

याजयामिI cause (someone) to perform sacrifice / I officiate (as priest) for

परंतपO scorcher of foes

ममof me, my

अंशःa portion/part

तुbut, however

क्षितितलेon the surface of the earth

महाभागःvery fortunate/noble

द्विजोत्तमःbest of the twice-born (best Brahmin)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

parantapa (epithet of the addressed person)

dvijottama (an unnamed foremost Brahmin, described as the speaker's aṃśa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual action should be performed by the proper authority in the proper context; when direct performance is unsuitable, one should guide the seeker to a qualified officiant, maintaining dharmic order and integrity of the rite.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a speaker declining to personally conduct the addressee’s sacrifice at that time, while indicating that an eminent Brahmin on earth—described as sharing the speaker’s own spiritual ‘portion’—is available to perform it.