Shloka 54
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
न हि यज्ञसमं किज्वचित् त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते । तस्माद् यष्टव्यमित्याहु: पुरुषेणानसूयता । श्रद्धापवित्रमाश्रित्य यथाशक्ति यथेच्छया
na hi yajñasamaṃ kiñcic triṣu lokeṣu vidyate | tasmād yaṣṭavyam ity āhuḥ puruṣeṇān-asūyatā | śraddhāpavitram āśritya yathāśakti yathecchayā ||
तीनों लोकों में यज्ञ के समान कुछ भी नहीं है। इसलिए मनीषी कहते हैं कि मनुष्य को दोषदृष्टि और ईर्ष्या से रहित होकर यज्ञ करना चाहिए; श्रद्धा की पवित्रता का आश्रय लेकर, अपनी शक्ति और अपनी अभिलाषा के अनुसार उसका अनुष्ठान करना चाहिए।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Yajña is upheld as supremely valuable in the moral-religious order; one should perform it without envy or fault-finding, grounded in faith, and in a manner proportionate to one’s means and chosen intention.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira by praising yajña and prescribing the proper inner attitude (non-envy, faith) and practical measure (according to capacity) for its performance.