Shloka 216
Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
वाजपेयेषु दशसु प्रादां तेष्वपि चाप्यहम् । इनके अतिरिक्त भी जो वस्तुएँ वेदोंमें दक्षिणाके अवयवरूपसे बतायी गयी हैं, उन सबको मैंने दस वाजपेय यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान करके दान किया था
vājapeyeṣu daśasu prādāṃ teṣv api cāpy aham |
Bhagīratha dit : « Lors de dix sacrifices Vājapeya, j’ai fait des dons ; et, dans ces rites mêmes, j’ai encore accordé tous les objets supplémentaires que les Veda décrivent comme éléments constitutifs de la dakṣiṇā, l’offrande due au sacrifice. » Cette parole souligne l’exigence d’une générosité entière, conforme aux Écritures : non pas partielle, mais accomplie jusqu’au bout.
भगीरथ उवाच
Educational Q&A
That righteous giving (dāna) should be complete and aligned with śāstra: one should not perform grand rites while neglecting the full, Veda-prescribed dakṣiṇā and its constituent gifts.
Bhagīratha speaks about his past religious observances, stating that he performed ten Vājapeya sacrifices and, within them, donated not only the main gifts but also all additional items described in the Vedas as parts of the dakṣiṇā.