Shloka 6

Nakula’s Declaration and the Uñchavṛtti Brāhmaṇa’s Superior Merit (Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 92)

Devanagari script

तत्राग्निकल्पा होतार आसन सत्रे महात्मन: । मूलाहारा: फलाहारा: साश्मकुट्टा मरीचिपा:,उन महात्माके यज्ञमें अग्निके समान तेजस्वी होता थे। जिनमें फल, मूलका आहार करनेवाले, अभ्मकुट्ट*, मरीचिपः, परिपृष्टिकः, वैधसिकर्“ं और प्रसंख्याने* आदि अनेक प्रकारके यति एवं भिक्षु उपस्थित थे

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | tatrāgnikalpā hotāra āsan satre mahātmanaḥ | mūlāhārāḥ phalāhārāḥ sāśmakuttā marīcipāḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: There, in that great-souled king’s sacrificial session, the officiating priests shone with a brilliance like fire. Present as well were many ascetics and mendicants of diverse disciplines—some living on roots, some on fruits, and others practicing austere modes of subsistence such as the ‘stone-pounded’ and ‘ray-drinking’ vows—gathered to witness and uphold the sanctity of the rite.

Word by Word

तत्रthere

अग्नि-कल्पाःfire-like

होतारःHotṛ priests

आसन्were

सत्रेin the sacrificial session

महात्मनःof the great-souled (man)

मूल-आहाराःroot-eating; having roots as food

फल-आहाराःfruit-eating; having fruits as food

स-अश्मकुट्टाःalong with the Aśmakuttas (a class of ascetics)

मरीचिपाःMarīcipas (a class of ascetics)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Hotṛ priests (hotāraḥ)

Satra (sacrificial session)

Mahātmā (the great-souled patron of the sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 highlights the dharmic ideal that a major Vedic rite is upheld not only by formal priests but also by the presence of disciplined ascetics. Their restrained livelihoods symbolize self-control and purity, reinforcing the ethical atmosphere required for yajña.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the great patron’s sacrificial session, the officiating priests are described as radiant like fire, and numerous ascetics of different austerities—root-eaters, fruit-eaters, and other severe practitioners—are said to be present at the ritual gathering.