Shloka 7
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
सक्तुप्रस्थेन वो नायं यज्ञस्तुल्यो नराधिपा: । उज्छवृत्तेर्वदान्यस्य कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिन:,“राजाओ! तुम्हारा यह यज्ञ कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासी एक उज्छवृत्तिधारी उदार ब्राह्मणके सेरभर सत्तू दान करनेके बराबर भी नहीं हुआ है”
Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca:
Saktuprasthena vo nāyaṃ yajñas tulyo narādhipāḥ |
Ucchavṛtter vadānyasya Kurukṣetranivāsinaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O kings, this sacrifice of yours is not equal even to the gift of a mere prastha of parched flour (saktu) given by a generous Brahmin who lived at Kurukṣetra and survived by gleaning. The measure of a rite is not its outward grandeur, but the purity of giving and the spirit of self-denial behind it.”
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.