Shloka 24
कालनियमः शोकशमनं च
Kāla as Regulator; Pacification of Grief
अत्र गाथां यज्ञगीतां कीर्तयन्ति पुराविद: । त्रयीमुपाश्रितां लोके यज्ञसंस्तरकारिकाम्
atra gāthāṁ yajñagītāṁ kīrtayanti purāvidaḥ | trayīm upāśritāṁ loke yajñasaṁstarakārikām ||
Ici, les connaisseurs de l’antique tradition récitent un verset sacrificiel, chanté dans le rite par les prêtres officiants. Fondé sur les trois Veda, on dit qu’il établit et maintient dans le monde la juste dignité du sacrifice ; c’est pourquoi ceux qui sont versés dans les récits d’autrefois le répètent en de telles circonstances.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that sacrificial practice (yajña) is validated and sustained by the authority of the three Vedas (trayī). Tradition-bearers preserve this authority by reciting an inherited gāthā at appropriate ritual moments, emphasizing continuity, legitimacy, and right order in religious action.
Vaiśampāyana introduces a traditional gāthā associated with sacrifice. He notes that ancient lore-knowers recite it, describing it as Veda-based and as something that establishes the standing of yajña in the world—setting up the quotation or discussion that follows.