Shloka 13
अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha
Completion of the Aśvamedha
अपरिज्ञानमेतत् ते महान्तं धर्ममिच्छत: । न हि यज्ञे पशुगणा विधिदृष्टा: पुरंदर,'पुरंदर! आप महान् धर्मकी इच्छा करते हैं तो भी जो पशुवधके लिये उद्यत हो गये हैं, यह आपका अज्ञान ही है; क्योंकि यज्ञमें पशुओंके वधका विधान शास्त्रमें नहीं देखा गया है
vaiśampāyana uvāca | aparijñānam etat te mahāntaṃ dharmam icchataḥ | na hi yajñe paśugaṇā vidhidṛṣṭāḥ purandara |
Vaiśampāyana said: This is ignorance on your part—despite your desire to pursue the great path of dharma—if you have become intent on the slaughter of animals. For in a sacrifice, the scriptural rule for killing herds of animals is not found, O Purandara.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True dharma requires right understanding of śāstric injunctions; zeal for a ‘great’ religious act does not justify violence when the rule for such killing is not actually sanctioned. The verse frames animal-slaughter in the name of yajña as a sign of ignorance rather than righteousness.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating the episode, addresses Purandara (Indra) and rebukes the intention to kill animals for a sacrifice, asserting that such mass animal-killing is not supported by proper ritual injunctions and thus contradicts the pursuit of dharma.