Shloka 18
जयद्रथ-निग्रहः — Jayadratha Restrained, Shamed, and Released
यज्ञवाटस्थ ते भूमि: कृष्यतां तेन भारत । तत्र यज्ञो नृपश्रेष्ठ प्रभूतान्न: सुसंस्कृत:
yajñavāṭasthā te bhūmiḥ kṛṣyatāṃ tena bhārata | tatra yajño nṛpaśreṣṭha prabhūtānnaḥ susaṃskṛtaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Oh Bhārata, que se cultive con ese arado la tierra que está dentro de tu recinto sacrificial. Entonces, oh el mejor de los reyes, podrá celebrarse allí el sacrificio—bien dispuesto y provisto de abundante alimento, debidamente preparado.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous action is supported by practical stewardship: cultivating land and ensuring abundant, well-prepared provisions enables a sacrifice to be performed properly, reflecting a king’s dharma of sustaining ritual order, hospitality, and generosity.
Vaiśampāyana advises that the land within the sacrificial enclosure should be cultivated so that, in that very place, a well-arranged sacrifice can be conducted with plentiful prepared food—ensuring the rite proceeds without scarcity.