Shloka 21
वीरुधश्रैव वक्षांश्व यज्ञार्थ वै तथौषधी: । पशुंश्चैव तथा मेध्यान् यज्ञार्थानि हवींषि च,इसी उद्देश्यसे उन्होंने यज्ञसम्पादनके लिये नाना प्रकारकी लता-वेलों, वृक्षों, ओषधियों, मेध्य पशुओं तथा यज्ञार्थक हविष्योंकी भी सृष्टि की है
vīrudhaś caiva vṛkṣāṃś ca yajñārthaṃ vai tathauṣadhīḥ | paśūṃś caiva tathā medhyān yajñārthāni havīṃṣi ca |
Nakula said: For the sake of sacrifice, He brought forth creeping plants and trees, and likewise medicinal herbs; and also animals fit for ritual purity, along with the oblations meant for sacrificial rites. The passage frames creation itself as ordered toward dharma: the world’s resources are not merely for consumption, but for regulated, sanctifying use through yajña, which sustains cosmic and social harmony.
नकुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that creation is structured to support dharma through yajña: plants, animals, and oblations are presented as provisions meant for sanctified, regulated use, emphasizing responsibility and ethical restraint rather than mere enjoyment.
Nakula is describing how the Creator arranged the world’s components—vegetation, medicinal herbs, suitable animals, and sacrificial offerings—so that sacrificial rites can be performed, implying that yajña is a sustaining principle for society and the cosmos.