Shloka 176
Nakula’s Declaration and the Uñchavṛtti Brāhmaṇa’s Superior Merit (Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 92)
चिन्तायज्ञं करिष्यामि विधिरेष सनातन: । “यदि इन्द्र बारह वर्षोंतक वर्षा नहीं करेंगे तो मैं चिन्तनमात्रके द्वारा मानसिक यज्ञ करूँगा। यह यज्ञकी सनातन विधि है
cintāyajñaṃ kariṣyāmi vidhireṣa sanātanaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Realizarei um sacrifício feito apenas de contemplação — um yajña mental. Esta é a regra antiga, honrada pelo tempo.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When outer ritual becomes obstructed by circumstances, dharma can still be upheld through an inner, intention-based discipline—here framed as a ‘mental sacrifice’ (cintāyajña). The verse affirms that inner consecration is also a sanctioned, ancient method (sanātana-vidhi).
The speaker (as narrated by Vaiśampāyana) states a resolve to perform a contemplative, purely mental yajña, presented as a traditional injunction—especially relevant in a situation where Indra’s rain is withheld and ordinary sacrificial arrangements may fail.