Shloka 22
Matsya Purana — Questions on Padmanabha’s Lotus-Creation in the Padma Mahakalpa; Prelude to N...
स यज्ञो वेदनिर्दिष्टस् तत्तपः कवयो विदुः यः कर्ता कारको बुद्धिर् मनः क्षेत्रज्ञ एव च //
sa yajño vedanirdiṣṭas tattapaḥ kavayo viduḥ yaḥ kartā kārako buddhir manaḥ kṣetrajña eva ca //
That is the sacrifice (yajña) taught in the Vedas; the sages know that very thing as austerity (tapas): wherein the agent (the doer), the instrumentality of action, the intellect, the mind, and the knower of the field (the inner Self) are all brought into disciplined unity.
FAQs
This verse is not describing Pralaya directly; it reframes true “yajña” as an inward discipline—mastery of mind and intellect under the guidance of the kṣetrajña (Self)—which is the spiritual steadiness needed to endure cosmic change.
It teaches that external rites must be supported by inner governance: a king or householder performs Vedic duties best when the doer, instruments of action, intellect, and mind are restrained and aligned with the Self—making dharma a lived discipline, not mere ceremony.
Ritually, it emphasizes the “antaryajña” (inner sacrifice): the real offering is the ordering of buddhi and manas. It does not give Vastu or temple-building rules here, but it clarifies the intention and inner purity that should accompany any Vedic rite.