Shloka 1.14.36

अश्वमेधप्रवृत्तिः — Commencement and Performance of Daśaratha’s Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

हयस्य यानि चाङ्गानि तानि सर्वाणि ब्राह्मणा:।अग्नौ प्रास्यन्ति विधिवत्समन्त्राष्षोडशर्त्विज:।।।।

Transliteration

hayasya yāni cāṅgāni tāni sarvāṇi brāhmaṇāḥ |

agnau prāsyanti vidhivat samantrāḥ ṣoḍaśartvijaḥ ||

Translation

The sixteen officiating priests, reciting the proper mantras, duly offered into the fire all the limbs and portions of the horse, exactly as the rite requires.

Context

The sixteen officiating priests (brahmins) offered all the horse's limbs with prayers as per the customs.

Characters & Entities

• Sixteen ṛtvij priests (ṣoḍaśa-ṛtvijaḥ)
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)
• Agni (sacrificial fire)
• Aśvamedha horse

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma is collective responsibility performed with correct speech (mantra) and correct method (vidhi): ritual action is ethical when it is disciplined, authorized, and complete.

What is the narrative situation?

The priests complete a central offering stage of the Aśvamedha by consigning the horse’s portions into the consecrated fire with mantras.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Ritual integrity and teamwork among the officiants—precision, completeness, and fidelity to injunction.