Shloka 10

Rajo-guṇa-nirdeśa — Brahmā’s Enumeration of Rajasic Dispositions

Devanagari script

स्वाहाकारो नमस्कार: स्वधाकारो वषट्क्रिया । याजनाध्यापने चोभे यजनाध्ययने अपि

Transliteration

svāhākāro namaskāraḥ svadhākāro vaṣaṭkriyā | yājanādhyāpane cobhe yajanādhyayane api

Translation

Vāyu said: “The utterance ‘svāhā’ is an act of reverent salutation; the utterance ‘svadhā’ is likewise a ritual act, as is the vaṣaṭ-call. Both the officiating of sacrifices and the teaching of sacred lore—and likewise the performing of sacrifice and the study of the Veda—are to be understood as sacred duties.”

Word by Word

स्वाहाकारःthe utterance/act of saying “svāhā” (oblation-call)

नमस्कारःsalutation, obeisance

स्वधाकारःthe utterance/act of saying “svadhā” (ancestral offering-call)

वषट्क्रियाthe rite/action of the “vaṣaṭ” call

याजनin officiating at sacrifice (causing another to sacrifice)

अध्यापनेin teaching (instruction)

चand

उभेboth (two)

यजनेin sacrificing (performing sacrifice)

अध्ययनेin studying/recitation (of Veda)

अपिalso, even

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

svāhā

svadhā

vaṣaṭ

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms that Vedic ritual utterances (svāhā, svadhā, vaṣaṭ) are not mere sounds but sacred acts, and it upholds both ritual performance and Vedic learning/teaching as legitimate, duty-bearing paths within dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is explaining the religious-ethical status of sacrificial practice and Vedic education, enumerating key liturgical formulas and pairing priestly functions (officiating and teaching) with personal disciplines (sacrificing and studying).