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

అగ్నులను స్థాపించిన ఆ బ్రాహ్మణుడికీ, యెవని విధిక్రియలు క్షీణించవో—క్రమశిక్షణలేని, ఫలరహితమైన (నిష్క్రియ) అగ్నిహోత్రం చేయుటకన్నా అగ్నులను నిలుపుకోకపోవడమే శ్రేయస్కరం.

Word by Word

सःhe

चand

अपिalso/even

अग्न्याहितःone who has established/maintained the sacred fires

विप्रःbrahmin

क्रियाritual act/observance

यस्यwhose

नnot

हीयतेis diminished/declines

श्रेयःbetter/good (the preferable course)

हानाहिताग्नित्वम्the state of not having (established) the sacred fires

अग्निहोत्रम्Agnihotra (fire-offering rite)

नnot

निष्क्रियम्inactive/without proper performance

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Parāśara

vipra (brāhmaṇa)

āhitāgni (sacred fires)

Agnihotra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

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.