Shloka 2
Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
ऋते दधि घृतेनेह न यज्ञ: सम्प्रवर्तते । तेन यज्ञस्य यज्ञत्वमतो मूलं च कथ्यते,दही और गोघृतके बिना यज्ञ नहीं होता। उन्हींसे यज्ञका यज्ञत्व सफल होता है। अतः गौओंको यज्ञका मूल कहते हैं
ṛte dadhi-ghṛtenehā na yajñaḥ sampravartate | tena yajñasya yajñatvam ato mūlaṃ ca kathyate ||
“दही आणि तूप यांशिवाय या लोकात यज्ञ नीट प्रवर्तत नाही. यांच्यामुळेच यज्ञाचे ‘यज्ञत्व’ सिद्ध होते; म्हणून (गौजन्य पदार्थांमुळे) गायींना यज्ञाचे मूळ म्हणतात.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A yajña is not merely an intention but a properly supported sacred act; essential offerings like curd and ghee are foundational, because they enable the rite to proceed and confer on it its full sacrificial character.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma explains the practical foundations of Vedic ritual, emphasizing that key dairy offerings—curd and ghee—are indispensable for the functioning and completeness of sacrifice.