Shloka 123
Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’
Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda
देवानां तु पशु: पक्षो मतो राजन् वदस्व नः । ऋषि बोले--नरेश्वर! हमलोगोंका पक्ष यह है कि अन्नसे यज्ञ करना चाहिये तथा देवताओंका पक्ष यह है कि छाग नामक पशुके द्वारा यज्ञ होना चाहिये। राजन! अब आप हमें अपना निर्णय बताइये
devānāṁ tu paśuḥ pakṣo mato rājan vadasva naḥ |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Raja, pendirian para dewa dianggap demikian: yajña memerlukan hewan kurban. Sampaikan keputusanmu kepada kami.” Para resi berkata: “Wahai penguasa manusia, pihak kami memilih yajña dengan biji-bijian; pihak para dewa memilih yajña dengan hewan yang disebut kambing. Wahai Raja, kini nyatakan putusanmu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-question as a contest of viewpoints—here, the gods’ stance favoring a sacrificial animal—then demands a responsible judgment from the king, highlighting that ethical action often requires discerning decision rather than mere rule-following.
Bhishma presents the gods’ position in an ongoing deliberation about proper sacrifice and asks the king to pronounce a verdict, setting up a reasoned resolution between competing ritual-ethical claims.