Shloka 25
Śṛṅgī’s Curse on King Parikṣit
Parikṣit–Śṛṅgī–Takṣaka Causal Link
अपरे त्वब्रुवंस्तत्र ऋत्विजो5स्य भवामहे । यज्ञविघ्नं करिष्यामो दीयतां दक्षिणा इति
apare tv abruvaṃs tatra ṛtvijo ’sya bhavāmahe | yajñavighnaṃ kariṣyāmo dīyatāṃ dakṣiṇā iti
Others there declared, “We are his officiating priests. We will cause an obstruction to the sacrifice—so let the sacrificial fee, the dakṣiṇā, be given.”
शेष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions against exploiting sacred roles for personal gain: when ritual specialists threaten to disrupt a yajña unless paid, dharma is inverted—duty becomes coercion, and religious authority becomes a tool of greed.
A group of priests present at the scene assert that they are the officiants for the sacrifice and threaten to create a ritual obstruction (yajñavighna) unless the dakṣiṇā (fee/gift) is handed over.