Shloka 13

अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha

Completion of the Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

अपरिज्ञानमेतत्‌ ते महान्तं धर्ममिच्छत: । न हि यज्ञे पशुगणा विधिदृष्टा: पुरंदर

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | aparijñānam etat te mahāntaṃ dharmam icchataḥ | na hi yajñe paśugaṇā vidhidṛṣṭāḥ purandara |

Translation

“ਪੁਰੰਦਰ! ਮਹਾਨ ਧਰਮ ਦੀ ਇੱਛਾ ਰੱਖਦਿਆਂ ਵੀ ਜੇ ਤੂੰ ਪਸ਼ੂਵਧ ਲਈ ਉਦਯਤ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈਂ, ਤਾਂ ਇਹ ਤੇਰਾ ਅਗਿਆਨ ਹੈ; ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਯੱਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਸ਼ੂ-ਸਮੂਹ ਦੇ ਵਧ ਦਾ ਵਿਧਾਨ ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਲਦਾ।”

Word by Word

• अपरिज्ञानम्: ignorance, lack of understanding
• अपरिज्ञानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपरिज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• महान्तम्: great
• महान्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteous duty
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छतः: of (you) desiring
• इच्छतः: Sambandha
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• यज्ञे: in a sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पशुगणाः: groups of animals
• पशुगणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशुगण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विधिदृष्टाः: seen/attested by rule (in injunctions)
• विधिदृष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधिदृष्ट
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √दृश्, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरंदर: O Purandara (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरंदर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Purandara (Indra)
• yajña (sacrifice)
• paśu (animals)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma requires right understanding of śāstric injunctions; zeal for a ‘great’ religious act does not justify violence when the rule for such killing is not actually sanctioned. The verse frames animal-slaughter in the name of yajña as a sign of ignorance rather than righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, narrating the episode, addresses Purandara (Indra) and rebukes the intention to kill animals for a sacrifice, asserting that such mass animal-killing is not supported by proper ritual injunctions and thus contradicts the pursuit of dharma.