Shloka 21
Adhyāya 283: Varṇa-vṛtti, Nyāya-ārjana, and the Decline-and-Restoration of Dharma (वर्णवृत्तिः न्यायार्जनं च)
दधीचिरुवाच सर्वेषामेव मन्त्रो5यं येनासौ न निमन्त्रित: । यथाह शंकरादूर्ध्व॑ नान्यं पश्यामि दैवतम् | तथा दक्षस्य विपुलो यज्ञोडयं न भविष्यति,दधीचि बोले--मैं जानता हूँ, आप सब लोगोंका ही यह मिल-जुलकर किया हुआ निश्चय है। इसीलिये उन महादेवजीको निमन्त्रित नहीं किया गया है; परंतु मैं भगवान् शंकरसे बढ़कर दूसरे किसी देवताको नहीं देखता। यदि यह सत्य है तो प्रजापति दक्षका यह विशाल यज्ञ निश्चय ही नष्ट हो जायगा
Dadhīcir uvāca—sarveṣām eva mantro ’yaṁ yenāsau na nimantritaḥ | yathāha Śaṅkarād ūrdhvaṁ nānyaṁ paśyāmi daivatam | tathā Dakṣasya vipulo yajño ’yaṁ na bhaviṣyati ||
Dadhichi said: “This is indeed a concerted resolve of all of you, and that is why Śaṅkara has not been invited. But I see no deity higher than Lord Śaṅkara. If this is true, then this grand sacrifice of Prajāpati Dakṣa will not come to fruition—indeed, it is bound to be ruined.”
दक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
Religious and ethical action (like a yajña) fails when driven by collective pride and exclusion of the truly worthy; honoring the highest principle (here identified with Śaṅkara) is presented as essential for the success of sacred undertakings.
Dadhichi observes that the assembled parties have jointly decided not to invite Śaṅkara to Dakṣa’s grand sacrifice. He declares Śaṅkara unsurpassed among deities and warns that, given this slight, Dakṣa’s yajña will not reach successful completion and is destined for ruin.