Shloka 21

Vasiṣṭha on Saṃsāra, Guṇas, and Misattributed Agency

Mahābhārata 12.292

Devanagari script

स चाप्यग्न्याहितो विप्र: क्रिया यस्य न हीयते । श्रेयो हानाहिताग्नित्वमग्निहोत्रं न निष्क्रियम्‌

Transliteration

sa cāpy agnyāhito vipraḥ kriyā yasya na hīyate | śreyo hānāhitāgnitvam agnihotraṃ na niṣkriyam ||

Translation

ଏବଂ ଯେ ଅଗ୍ନି ସ୍ଥାପନ କରିଥିବା ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଙ୍କର ବିହିତ କ୍ରିୟା କେବେ ଲୁପ୍ତ ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ—ତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଶିଷ୍ଟାଚାର ଓ ଫଳଶକ୍ତିହୀନ (ନିଷ୍କ୍ରିୟ) ଅଗ୍ନିହୋତ୍ର କରିବାଠାରୁ ଅଗ୍ନି ନ ରଖିବା ଶ୍ରେୟ।

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अग्न्याहितः: one who has established/maintained the sacred fires
• अग्न्याहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्न्याहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विप्रः: brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रिया: ritual act/observance
• क्रिया: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• यस्य: whose
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हीयते: is diminished/declines
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (हाय्)
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/Impersonal (bhāva-prayoga)

• श्रेयः: better/good (the preferable course)
• श्रेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हानाहिताग्नित्वम्: the state of not having (established) the sacred fires
• हानाहिताग्नित्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाहिताग्नित्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अग्निहोत्रम्: Agnihotra (fire-offering rite)
• अग्निहोत्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• निष्क्रियम्: inactive/without proper performance
• निष्क्रियम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्क्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• āhitāgni (sacred fires)
• Agnihotra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual status and outward observance are not sufficient; if the Agnihotra and related duties are performed without proper discipline, intent, and efficacy, it is ethically better not to claim or maintain the ritual-fire status at all. Dharma prioritizes genuine, effective practice over hollow form.

What is happening in the narrative?

Parāśara is instructing about the standards of righteous conduct for a brāhmaṇa, using the example of the āhitāgni and the Agnihotra to emphasize that rites must be sustained correctly; otherwise, the mere external badge of ritualism becomes spiritually counterproductive.