Shloka 15
इन्धनस्य तु तुल्येन शरीरेण विचेतसा । हिंसानिर्वेष्टकामानामिन्धनं पशुसंज्ञितम्,यह चेतनाशून्य जड शरीर ईंधनके ही समान है, उससे हिंसाके प्रायश्चित्तकी इच्छासे यज्ञ करनेवालोंके लिये ईँधन ही पशु है (अत: जो काम ईंधनसे होता है, उसके लिये पशु- हिंसा क्यों की जाय?)
indhanasya tu tulyena śarīreṇa vicetasā | hiṃsā-nirveṣṭa-kāmānām indhanaṃ paśu-saṃjñitam ||
This body, insentient and mindless, is no different from mere fuel. Therefore, for those who would perform sacrifice as an expiation for violence, fuel itself should be regarded as the ‘animal’; if the rite can be accomplished with fuel, why commit animal-killing at all?
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for non-violence in ritual: since an unconscious body is like inert fuel, one should treat fuel as the ‘sacrificial animal’ and avoid actual animal-killing, especially when the rite is sought as expiation for violence.
A Brahmin speaker presents an ethical reasoning within a discussion on sacrifice and expiation, challenging the necessity of animal sacrifice by proposing a symbolic or non-violent substitute.