Shloka 5
अध्याय ३३७ — ज्ञानमार्ग-वैविध्यप्रश्नः तथा व्यासस्य नारायणोद्भवकथा
Systems of Knowledge and Vyāsa’s Nārāyaṇa-Origin
तस्य यज्ञों महानासीदश्चमेधो महात्मन: । बृहस्पतिरुपाध्यायस्तत्र होता बभूव ह,एक समय उन महात्मा नरेशने महान् अश्व-मेधयज्ञका आयोजन किया। उसमें उनके उपाध्याय बृहस्पति होता हुए
tasya yajño mahān āsīd aśvamedho mahātmanaḥ | bṛhaspatir upādhyāyas tatra hotā babhūva ha ||
Bhishma berkata: Bagi raja yang berjiwa agung itu, telah diadakan suatu korban suci yang besar—Aśvamedha. Dalam upacara itu, gurunya, Bṛhaspati, benar-benar bertugas sebagai pendeta hotṛ.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharmic kingship: a ruler’s legitimacy and moral order are reinforced through properly conducted Vedic rites, guided by a qualified preceptor. It also stresses the importance of correct ritual roles (such as the hotṛ) and the authority of learned teachers in public religious acts.
Bhishma narrates that a great king performed a magnificent Aśvamedha sacrifice, and that the king’s own preceptor, Bṛhaspati, officiated in the specific role of hotṛ, reciting the hymns required for the rite.