Shloka 48
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
जहाँ पूर्वकालमें साक्षात् राजाधिराज सोमने विधिपूर्वक राजसूय-यज्ञका अनुष्ठान किया था। उस श्रेष्ठ यजञ्ञमें बुद्धिमान विप्रवर महात्मा अत्रिने होताका कार्य किया था ।।
yatra pūrvakāle sākṣāt rājādhirājaḥ somo vidhivat rājasūya-yajñam anuṣṭhitavān | tasmin śreṣṭhe yajñe buddhimān vipravaro mahātmā atriṇe hotṛ-kāryaṃ kṛtavān || yasyānte 'bhūt sumahat dānavānāṃ daiteyānāṃ rākṣasānāṃ ca devaiḥ | yasmin yuddhe tārakākhyaṃ sutīvraṃ yatra skandas tārakākhyaṃ jaghāna ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Di tempat itu, pada zaman dahulu, Soma sendiri—raja di atas para raja—melaksanakan yajña Rājasūya menurut tata-ritus yang sempurna. Dalam yajña yang mulia itu, brahmana terunggul yang bijaksana, Mahātmā Atri, menjalankan tugas sebagai Hotṛ. Pada penutup upacara itu bangkitlah pertempuran besar antara para dewa melawan Dānava, Daitya, dan Rākṣasa—perang yang amat dahsyat, di mana Skanda menewaskan asura bernama Tāraka.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links rightful sovereignty and ritual propriety (vidhivat rājasūya) with the maintenance of cosmic order: when dharma is upheld through correct rites and qualified priests, destructive forces are ultimately checked, symbolized by Skanda’s slaying of Tāraka.
Vaiśaṃpāyana recalls a sacred location where Soma once performed a Rājasūya with the sage Atri as Hotṛ; the recollection expands into a mythic memory of a great war between gods and demonic hosts, culminating in Skanda killing the demon Tāraka.