Shloka 2036
Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda
संख्यासमयविस्तीर्णमभिजातोद्धवं बहु । उज्ज्वल और तेज धारवाले
saṅkhyāsamaya-vistīrṇam abhijātodbhavaṃ bahu | ujjvalaṃ ca tejo-dhārāvantaṃ samantato loha-mayaṃ tathā tīkṣṇaṃ prāsa-śakti-ṛṣṭi-paraśv-ādi astrāṇi śastrāṇi ca yair āghātaḥ kriyate, tad eva tasya yuddha-yajñasya bahu-saṅkhyakaṃ dīrgha-kāla-sādhyaṃ kulīna-puruṣa-saṅgṛhītaṃ nānā-vidhaṃ dravyam ||
Ambarīṣa berkata: “Dalam yajña peperangan itu, ‘bahan-bahan’ yang banyak dan pelbagai ialah senjata dan peluru—berkilau terang, menyala garang, bermata tajam, seluruhnya ditempa daripada besi—seperti lembing, tombak panjang, rejaman, kapak, dan seumpamanya, yang dengannya pukulan dilayangkan. Kelimpahannya, persiapan yang memakan masa, serta himpunannya oleh lelaki berdarah bangsawan, itulah kelengkapan luas bagi upacara yang ngeri itu.”
अम्बरीष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames warfare as a ‘sacrifice’ whose requisites are weapons and martial resources, highlighting how violence can be ritually and socially justified; ethically, it invites reflection on the cost, preparation, and moral burden of treating war like a sacred rite.
Ambarīṣa describes the components of a metaphorical war-sacrifice: numerous iron weapons—spears, lances, javelins, axes, and other arms—used to strike opponents, emphasizing their abundance, sharpness, and the long effort by which noble warriors accumulate them.