Shloka 3
Nakula’s Declaration and the Uñchavṛtti Brāhmaṇa’s Superior Merit (Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 92)
कथं हि सर्वयज्ञेषु निश्चय: परमो5भवत् | एतदर्हसि मे वक्तुं निखिलेन द्विजर्षभ,परंतु सभी यज्ञोंमें यह उत्तम निश्चय कैसे कार्यान्वित किया जा सकता है। द्विजश्रेष्ठ! इस विषयका मुझसे पूर्णतः प्रतिपादन कीजिये
Janamejaya uvāca | kathaṁ hi sarvayajñeṣu niścayaḥ paramo 'bhavat | etad arhasi me vaktuṁ nikhilena dvijarṣabha ||
Janamejaya said: “How did this supreme resolve come to be established among all sacrifices? O best of twice-born sages, you ought to tell me this fully.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dharmic inquiry: a ruler seeks a clear, comprehensive account of how a ‘supreme resolve’ becomes authoritative across ritual life, implying that right action in sacrifice depends on well-grounded understanding rather than mere performance.
Janamejaya addresses a foremost Brahmin sage and asks for a full explanation of how an ultimate determination/conclusion came to be accepted in the context of all sacrifices, prompting the sage to elaborate on the underlying principle or precedent.