Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
ऋते दधि घृतेनेह न यज्ञ: सम्प्रवर्तते । तेन यज्ञस्य यज्ञत्वमतो मूलं च कथ्यते,दही और गोघृतके बिना यज्ञ नहीं होता। उन्हींसे यज्ञका यज्ञत्व सफल होता है। अतः गौओंको यज्ञका मूल कहते हैं
ṛte dadhi-ghṛtenehā na yajñaḥ sampravartate | tena yajñasya yajñatvam ato mūlaṃ ca kathyate ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «En este mundo, un sacrificio no puede llevarse a cabo debidamente sin cuajada y ghee. Por ellos el rito llega a ser verdaderamente un “yajña”, un acto sacrificial completo. Por eso se dice que son la raíz misma del sacrificio».
भीष्म उवाच
A yajña is not merely an intention but a properly supported sacred act; essential offerings like curd and ghee are foundational, because they enable the rite to proceed and confer on it its full sacrificial character.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma explains the practical foundations of Vedic ritual, emphasizing that key dairy offerings—curd and ghee—are indispensable for the functioning and completeness of sacrifice.