Shloka 17
त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma
Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123
तब उन्होंने बहुत वर्षोतक अपने मस्तकपर एक गर्भ धारण किया। जब एक हजार वर्ष बीत गये, तब ब्रह्माजीको छींक आयी और वह गर्भ नीचे गिर पड़ा ।। स क्षुपो नाम सम्भूत: प्रजापतिररिंदम । ऋ्विगासीन्महाराज यज्ञे तस्य महात्मन:,शत्रुदमन नरेश! उससे जो बालक प्रकट हुआ, उसका नाम '“क्षुप' रखा गया। महाराज! महात्मा ब्रह्माजीके उस यज्ञमें प्रजापति क्षुप ही ऋत्विज हुए
tataḥ sa bahuvarṣotkaṁ garbhaṁ mastake dhārayām āsa | yadā sahasraṁ varṣāṇi vyatītāni tadā brahmaṇaḥ kṣut samajāyata sa ca garbho 'dhaḥ papāta || sa kṣupo nāma sambhūtaḥ prajāpatiḥ arindama | ṛtvig āsīn mahārāja yajñe tasya mahātmanaḥ ||
Then he bore a wondrous embryo upon his head for many years. When a thousand years had passed, Brahmā sneezed, and the embryo fell down. From it was born a Prajāpati named Kṣupa, O subduer of foes. O king, in that great-souled Brahmā’s sacrifice, Kṣupa served as the officiating priest (ṛtvij).
वसुहरोम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores the primacy of yajña (ordered ritual action) in sustaining cosmic and social order: even a newly manifested progenitor (Prajāpati) is defined by service within Brahmā’s sacrifice, suggesting that authority and creation are grounded in dharmic function rather than mere birth.
Vasuharoma narrates a marvel: an embryo is borne on the head for a thousand years; when Brahmā sneezes, it falls and a child is born, named Kṣupa. This Kṣupa becomes a Prajāpati and serves as the ṛtvij in Brahmā’s sacrificial rite.