Shloka 18
जयद्रथ-निग्रहः — Jayadratha Restrained, Shamed, and Released
यज्ञवाटस्थ ते भूमि: कृष्यतां तेन भारत । तत्र यज्ञो नृपश्रेष्ठ प्रभूतान्न: सुसंस्कृत:
yajñavāṭasthā te bhūmiḥ kṛṣyatāṃ tena bhārata | tatra yajño nṛpaśreṣṭha prabhūtānnaḥ susaṃskṛtaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Bhārata, let that tract of land which lies within your sacrificial enclosure be cultivated. Then, O best of kings, a sacrifice can be performed there—well prepared and furnished with abundant, properly processed food—so that the rite is sustained without want and the king’s duty of hospitality and righteous giving is fulfilled.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous action is supported by practical stewardship: cultivating land and ensuring abundant, well-prepared provisions enables a sacrifice to be performed properly, reflecting a king’s dharma of sustaining ritual order, hospitality, and generosity.
Vaiśampāyana advises that the land within the sacrificial enclosure should be cultivated so that, in that very place, a well-arranged sacrifice can be conducted with plentiful prepared food—ensuring the rite proceeds without scarcity.