Shloka 7
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
सक्तुप्रस्थेन वो नायं यज्ञस्तुल्यो नराधिपा: । उज्छवृत्तेर्वदान्यस्य कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिन:
Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca:
Saktuprasthena vo nāyaṃ yajñas tulyo narādhipāḥ |
Ucchavṛtter vadānyasya Kurukṣetranivāsinaḥ ||
नेवला बोला—राजाओ! तुम्हारा यह यज्ञ कुरुक्षेत्र-निवासी, उञ्छवृत्ति से जीवन चलाने वाले उदार ब्राह्मण के एक प्रस्थ सत्तू-दान के बराबर भी नहीं है।
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that spiritual worth is determined by intention, sacrifice, and purity of giving—not by the scale or splendor of a ritual. A small gift offered by a truly self-denying and generous person can surpass a grand royal sacrifice in merit.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses kings and contrasts their elaborate yajña with the exemplary charity of a Kurukṣetra Brahmin who lived by gleaning. The comparison reframes the evaluation of the sacrifice, highlighting a moral standard rooted in humility and genuine generosity.