Shloka 21

Devanagari script

महाभाग कथं यज्ञेष्वागमो नृपसत्तम । यष्टव्यं पशुभिमुख्यैरथो बीजै रसैरिति,“महाभाग नृपश्रेष्ठ! यज्ञोंके विषयमें शास्त्रका मत कैसा है? मुख्य-मुख्य पशुओंद्वारा यज्ञ करना चाहिये अथवा बीजों एवं रसोंद्वारा'

Transliteration

mahābhāga kathaṃ yajñeṣv āgamo nṛpasattama | yaṣṭavyaṃ paśubhir mukhyair atho bījai rasair iti ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「大いなる幸運に恵まれし方、王の中の最勝者よ――祭祀（ヤジュニャ）について聖典は如何なる規定を説くのか。主要な供物は獣（犠牲獣）であるべきか、それとも種子と乳・酥などの液状供物であるべきか。」

Word by Word

महाभागO fortunate one

कथम्how?

यज्ञेषुin sacrifices

आगमःscriptural authority/teaching

नृपसत्तमO best of kings

यष्टव्यम्should be sacrificed/should one perform sacrifice

पशुभिःwith animals

मुख्यैःprincipal/chief

अथोor else / or rather

बीजैःwith seeds/grains

रसैःwith juices/liquids (oblations)

इतिthus (quotative)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical-ritual inquiry: what do authoritative scriptures prescribe for yajña—animal offerings or non-violent substitutes like grains and liquid oblations—highlighting the tension between ritual tradition and moral concern.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, while narrating, introduces a question addressed to a foremost king, asking for clarification of the śāstric position on how sacrifices should be conducted—by principal animals or by offerings such as seeds and juices.