Shloka 12
Nāga-prādhānya-nāma-kathana
Principal Nāga Names Enumerated
जुह॒वुस्ते सुतपसो विधिवज्जातवेदसम् । मन्त्रैरुच्चावचैरविप्रा येन कामेन तच्छुणु,ब्राह्मणो! वे उत्तम तपस्वी वालखिल्य मनमें जो कामना रखकर छोटे-बड़े मन्त्रोंद्वारा विधिपूर्वक अग्निमें आहुति देते थे, वह बताता हूँ, सुनिये
juhavus te sutapaso vidhivaj jātavedasam | mantrair uccāvacair aviprā yena kāmena tac chṛṇu, brāhmaṇa ||
Dijo Śaunaka: “Aquellos ascetas bien disciplinados, de conducta brahmánica intacta, ofrecían oblaciones a Jātavedas (Agni) conforme al rito debido, empleando mantras de diversas clases. Oh Brāhmaṇa, escucha mientras te digo el deseo (propósito) por el cual realizaron esas ofrendas.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that ritual action (homa into Agni) is to be performed vidhivat—according to prescribed rule—and that the ethical-spiritual meaning depends on the intention (kāma/purpose) behind the act, not merely on external performance.
Śaunaka addresses a Brahmin listener and introduces an explanation: certain ascetics performed proper fire-offerings with various mantras, and he is about to state the specific desire or objective for which they undertook that rite.