Shloka 16

अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha

Completion of the Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

यज बीजै: सहस्राक्ष त्रिवर्षपरमोषितै:

Transliteration

yaja bījaiḥ sahasrākṣa trivarṣa-paramoṣitaiḥ

Translation

“ഹേ സഹസ്രാക്ഷ! മൂന്നു വർഷം സൂക്ഷിച്ചുവെച്ച (പരിപക്വമായ) വിത്തുകളാൽ യാഗം ചെയ്യുക.”

Word by Word

• यज: sacrifice; perform worship
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Loṭ, 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बीजैः: with seeds
• बीजैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सहस्राक्ष: O thousand-eyed one (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• त्रिवर्षपरमोषितैः: with (seeds) kept/stored for at most three years
• त्रिवर्षपरमोषितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिवर्ष-परम-उषित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• bīja (seeds/grains)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual and dharmic action require proper preparation and purity of materials; ethical correctness is expressed through disciplined adherence to prescribed means, not merely through intention.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates an instruction addressed to Sahasrākṣa (Indra): to carry out a sacrifice using seeds/grains that have been stored and matured for up to three years, indicating careful ritual readiness.