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Shloka 1

Cāturhotra as Inner Sacrifice (Yoga-Yajña) and Nārāyaṇa Recitation

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माज बक। डे: पजञ्चविशो< ध्याय: चातुहोंम यज्ञका वर्णन ब्राह्मण उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । चातुरहोत्रविधानस्य विधानमिह यादृशम्‌

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam | cāturhotravidhānasya vidhānam iha yādṛśam ||

Translation

બ્રાહ્મણે કહ્યું—પ્રિયે! આ જ વિષયમાં લોકો એક પ્રાચીન ઇતિહાસનું ઉદાહરણ પણ આપે છે. અહીં ચાર હોતાઓથી યુક્ત યજ્ઞનું જેવું વિધાન છે તેવું જ હું વર્ણવું છું।

Word by Word
[{'term''brāhmaṇaḥ', 'definition': 'a Brāhmaṇa
[{'term':
here, the speaker (a learned priestly figure)'}, {'term''uvāca', 'definition': 'said
here, the speaker (a learned priestly figure)'}, {'term':
spoke'}, {'term''atra api', 'definition': 'here also
spoke'}, {'term':
in this matter as well'}, {'term''udāharanti', 'definition': 'they cite
in this matter as well'}, {'term':
they adduce as an example'}, {'term''imam', 'definition': 'this'}, {'term': 'itihāsam', 'definition': 'traditional account
they adduce as an example'}, {'term':
ancient narrative/precedent (itihāsa)'}, {'term''purātanam', 'definition': 'ancient
ancient narrative/precedent (itihāsa)'}, {'term':
of old'}, {'term''cāturhotra', 'definition': 'the system involving four hotṛ-priests
of old'}, {'term':
the four-priest arrangement in Vedic sacrifice'}, {'term''vidhānasya', 'definition': 'of the procedure/arrangement
the four-priest arrangement in Vedic sacrifice'}, {'term':
of the prescribed system'}, {'term''vidhānam', 'definition': 'rule
of the prescribed system'}, {'term':
proper method'}, {'term''iha', 'definition': 'here
proper method'}, {'term':
in this context'}, {'term''yādṛśam', 'definition': 'as it is
in this context'}, {'term':
Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities
B
Brāhmaṇa (speaker)
I
itihāsa (ancient precedent/narrative)
C
cāturhotra (four-priest sacrificial system)
Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer

Educational Q&A

That correct ritual action (yajña) should follow established vidhi, and that such norms are validated by remembered precedent (purātana itihāsa), not by personal whim.

A Brāhmaṇa begins an explanation by introducing an ancient illustrative story, stating that he will describe the proper procedure for a sacrifice conducted with four officiating priests (cāturhotra).

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