Shloka 47
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
यत्रायजद् राजसूयेन सोम: साक्षात् पुरा विधिवत् पार्थिवेन्द्र: । अत्रिर्धीमान् विप्रमुख्यो बभूव होता यस्मिन् क्रतुमुख्ये महात्मा
yatrāyajad rājasūyena somaḥ sākṣāt purā vidhivat pārthivendraḥ | atrir dhīmān vipramukhyo babhūva hotā yasmin kratumukhye mahātmā ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : «En ce lieu même, jadis, Soma en personne—manifesté au grand jour—accomplit selon le rite le sacrifice du Rājasūya pour un roi souverain. Dans ce sacrifice, le plus éminent de tous, le grand Atri, sage et premier parmi les brāhmaṇas, officia comme prêtre Hotṛ.»
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharma through vidhivat (proper procedure): royal power and public order gain legitimacy when grounded in Vedic ritual discipline and guided by exemplary Brahmin sages. It also presents sacred precedent—what was done by divine and ṛṣi authorities—as a moral validation of a place and an act.
Vaiśaṃpāyana identifies a particular location as ritually eminent by recalling an ancient precedent: Soma appeared and performed a Rājasūya for a king there, and the sage Atri served as the Hotṛ in that foremost sacrifice. The narration elevates the site by linking it to divine participation and renowned priestly leadership.