Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यजनं बहुशश्चाग्नौ जगु: सामानि सामगा: । ततश्चन्दनकाष्ठैश्ष तथा कालीयकैरपि

Transliteration

yajanaṃ bahuśaścāgnau jaguḥ sāmāni sāmagāḥ | tataścandanakāṣṭhaiś ca tathā kālīyakair api ||

Translation

സാമഗാനികൾ അഗ്നിയിൽ പലവട്ടം ആഹുതികൾ അർപ്പിച്ച് സാമമന്ത്രങ്ങൾ പാടി. തുടർന്ന് ചന്ദനക്കട്ടകളും കാളീയകം പോലുള്ള സുഗന്ധദ്രവ്യങ്ങളും കൂടി (അഗ്നിക്ക്) സമർപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

यजनम्sacrifice, worship-rite

बहुशःmany times, repeatedly

चand

अग्नौin the fire

जगुःthey sang/chanted

सामानिSāman hymns

सामगाःSāma-chanters

ततःthen, thereafter

चन्दनकाष्ठैःwith sandalwood pieces/logs

तथाlikewise, also

कालीयकैःwith black aloe/agarwood (kālīyaka) pieces

अपिalso, even

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Agni (sacrificial fire)

Sāmagāḥ (Sāmaveda chanters)

Sāmāni (Sāman hymns)

Candana (sandalwood)

Kālīyaka (aromatic substance)

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 highlights dharmic ritual discipline: sacred acts are strengthened by correct Vedic recitation and by offering pure, auspicious substances. Ethical emphasis lies in reverence, purity, and careful performance rather than mere outward display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a yajña scene where Sāmaveda chanters repeatedly make offerings into the fire while singing Sāman hymns, and then enhance the rite by using fragrant materials like sandalwood and kālīyaka.