Shloka 4
ऋषय ऊचु: बीजैर्यज्ञिषु यष्टव्यमिति वै वैदिकी श्रुति: । अजरसंज्ञानि बीजानि च्छागं नो हन्तुमर्हथ,ऋषियोंने कहा-- देवताओ! यज्ञोंमें बीजोंद्वारा यजन करना चाहिये, ऐसी वैदिकी श्रुति है। बीजोंका ही नाम अज है; अत: बकरेका वध करना हमें उचित नहीं है
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ—bījair yajñeṣu yaṣṭavyam iti vai vaidikī śrutiḥ | ajarasaṃjñāni bījāni chāgaṃ no hantum arhatha ||
The sages said: “Vedic revelation indeed declares that sacrifice in the rites should be performed by means of seeds (grains). Seeds themselves bear the designation ‘aja’; therefore, it is not proper for you to require us to kill a goat. Let the sacrifice be accomplished without violence, in accordance with the true intent of the śruti.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for non-violence in sacrifice by appealing to Vedic authority: true yajña can be performed with offerings like seeds/grains, and one should not justify killing a goat when the śruti can be understood in a non-violent way.
Within Bhīṣma’s instruction, the sages present a reasoned objection: they cite śruti to claim that offerings should be made with seeds, and they use the term ‘aja’ (a name associated here with seeds) to argue that demanding a goat’s slaughter is improper.