Shloka 12
युधिछिर उवाच अरणीसहितं यस्य मृगो हयादाय गच्छति । तस्याग्नयो न लुप्येरन् प्रथमो5स्तु वरो मम,युधिष्ठिर बोले--भगवन्! पहला वर तो मैं यही माँगता हूँ कि जिस ब्राह्मणके अरणीसहित मन्थन-काष्ठको मृग लेकर भाग गया है, उसके अन्निहोत्रका लोप न हो
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: araṇī-sahitaṃ yasya mṛgo hayādāya gacchati | tasyāgnayo na lupyeran prathamo 'stu varo mama ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai tuan yang mulia, anugerah pertamaku ialah ini: semoga api suci brahmana itu tidak terpadam atau terhenti—dia yang kayu penggesek api (araṇī), bersama kuda, telah dibawa lari oleh seekor rusa. Semoga upacara api hariannya, Agnihotra, tidak terluput.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma as attentive care for others’ sacred obligations: a righteous king prioritizes preventing the lapse of a brāhmaṇa’s agnihotra, valuing continuity of ritual duty and communal spiritual welfare over personal gain.
Yudhiṣṭhira requests a boon that the brāhmaṇa whose araṇīs (fire-kindling sticks) and horse were carried off by a deer should not suffer interruption of his sacred fires; he asks first for the protection of that man’s daily fire-ritual.