Shloka 17

Devanagari script

कालागुरुप्रभृतिभिरर्गन्धै श्चोच्चावचैस्तथा । समवच्छाद्य गाज्ेयं सम्प्रज्वाल्य हुताशनम्‌

Transliteration

kālāgurūprabhṛtibhir gandhaiś coccāvacais tathā | samavacchādya gājyena saṃprajvālya hutāśanam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Setelah menyalutinya dengan ghee dan pelbagai wangian—seperti kayu gaharu hitam (kālāguru) serta minyak wangi lain, yang biasa mahupun yang halus—mereka pun menyalakan api, menyediakan nyalaan itu untuk upacara yang ditetapkan.

Word by Word

कालाwith aloeswood (kālāguru)

अगुरुwith agaru (fragrant wood)

प्रभृतिभिःbeginning with, etc.

गन्धैःwith fragrances/perfumes

चand

उच्चावचैःvarious (high and low), diverse

तथाthus, likewise

समवच्छाद्यhaving completely covered/overlaid

गाज्यम्ghee (clarified butter)

सम्प्रज्वाल्यhaving fully kindled

हुताशनम्fire (the eater of oblations)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

hutāśana (fire)

ghee (gājya/ghṛta)

kālāguru (black aloe-wood)

fragrant substances (gandha)

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 conscientiousness in ritual action: offerings are prepared with care and purity (ghee and perfumes), and the fire—central to Vedic rites—is kindled properly. Ethical weight is placed on performing prescribed duties with reverence rather than negligence.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a rite in progress: the relevant materials are coated with ghee and scented substances (including black aloe-wood), and then the sacrificial/funerary fire is kindled, indicating the commencement or continuation of a solemn ceremonial act.