Shloka 4
Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’
Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda
ऋषय ऊचु: बीजैर्यज्ञिषु यष्टव्यमिति वै वैदिकी श्रुति: । अजरसंज्ञानि बीजानि च्छागं नो हन्तुमर्हथ,ऋषियोंने कहा-- देवताओ! यज्ञोंमें बीजोंद्वारा यजन करना चाहिये, ऐसी वैदिकी श्रुति है। बीजोंका ही नाम अज है; अत: बकरेका वध करना हमें उचित नहीं है
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ—bījair yajñeṣu yaṣṭavyam iti vai vaidikī śrutiḥ | ajarasaṃjñāni bījāni chāgaṃ no hantum arhatha ||
Os sábios disseram: “Ó deuses! A revelação védica declara, de fato, que nos ritos o sacrifício deve ser realizado por meio de sementes (grãos). As próprias sementes recebem a designação ‘aja’; portanto, não é apropriado que nos exijais matar um bode. Que o sacrifício se cumpra sem violência, conforme a verdadeira intenção da śruti.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for non-violence in sacrifice by appealing to Vedic authority: true yajña can be performed with offerings like seeds/grains, and one should not justify killing a goat when the śruti can be understood in a non-violent way.
Within Bhīṣma’s instruction, the sages present a reasoned objection: they cite śruti to claim that offerings should be made with seeds, and they use the term ‘aja’ (a name associated here with seeds) to argue that demanding a goat’s slaughter is improper.