Shloka 12
Nāga-prādhānya-nāma-kathana
Principal Nāga Names Enumerated
जुह॒वुस्ते सुतपसो विधिवज्जातवेदसम् । मन्त्रैरुच्चावचैरविप्रा येन कामेन तच्छुणु,ब्राह्मणो! वे उत्तम तपस्वी वालखिल्य मनमें जो कामना रखकर छोटे-बड़े मन्त्रोंद्वारा विधिपूर्वक अग्निमें आहुति देते थे, वह बताता हूँ, सुनिये
juhavus te sutapaso vidhivaj jātavedasam | mantrair uccāvacair aviprā yena kāmena tac chṛṇu, brāhmaṇa ||
Disse Śaunaka: “Aqueles ascetas bem disciplinados, de conduta bramânica sem mácula, ofereciam oblações a Jātavedas (Agni) segundo o rito correto, empregando mantras de vários tipos. Ó Brāhmaṇa, escuta enquanto te digo o desejo (propósito) pelo qual realizaram essas oferendas.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that ritual action (homa into Agni) is to be performed vidhivat—according to prescribed rule—and that the ethical-spiritual meaning depends on the intention (kāma/purpose) behind the act, not merely on external performance.
Śaunaka addresses a Brahmin listener and introduces an explanation: certain ascetics performed proper fire-offerings with various mantras, and he is about to state the specific desire or objective for which they undertook that rite.