राजपूजाविधानम् / Royal Reception Protocols during Āśvamedha Preparations
ततो यूपोच्छये प्राप्ते षड् बैल्चान् भरतर्षभ । खादिरान् बिल्वसमितांस्तावत: सर्ववर्णिन:
tato yūpocchaye prāpte ṣaḍ bailcān bharatarṣabha | khādirān bilvasamitāṁs tāvataḥ sarvavarṇinaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Cuando llegó el momento de erigir los postes sacrificiales, oh toro entre los Bhāratas, los sacerdotes prepararon seis postes de madera de bilva y, asimismo, seis de madera de khadira—postes de toda clase y apariencia prescritas—para que el rito avanzara en plena conformidad con la norma y la tradición.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The passage emphasizes dharma as meticulous adherence to prescribed ritual order: the sacrifice is not merely an act of power but a disciplined, rule-governed undertaking where correct materials and procedures uphold sacred legitimacy.
As the Aśvamedha preparations advance, the priests reach the stage of erecting the yūpas (sacrificial posts) and arrange posts made from specified woods (here bilva and khadira), indicating the formal commencement of key ritual infrastructure.