Shloka 18
नारद–असित (देवल) संवादः — भूतप्रभवाप्यय, इन्द्रिय-गुण-विवेक, क्षेत्रज्ञ-तत्त्व
स्यूमराश्मिर्वाच स्वर्गकामो यजेतेति सतत श्रूयते श्रुति: । फलं प्रकल्प्य पूर्व हि ततो यज्ञ: प्रतायते
syūmarāśmir uvāca: svargakāmo yajeteti satataṁ śrūyate śrutiḥ | phalaṁ prakalpya pūrvaṁ hi tato yajñaḥ pratāyate ||
سیومراشمی نے کہا—شروتی میں یہ بات ہمیشہ سنی جاتی ہے کہ ‘جو شخص سُوَرگ کا خواہاں ہو وہ یَجْن کرے۔’ اس لیے انسان پہلے پھل—یعنی سُوَرگ—کا ارادہ باندھتا ہے، پھر یَجْن کی رسم کو حرکت دیتا ہے۔
कपिल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that many Vedic sacrifices are commonly undertaken with a prior intention for a specific reward—especially heaven. It points to the ethical issue of motivation: action (yajña) is often driven by desire for phala (result), not merely by disinterested duty.
In the Shanti Parva’s philosophical discussion, the speaker cites a well-known Vedic injunction—‘one who desires heaven should sacrifice’—to explain how ritual practice typically begins: first the sacrificer mentally fixes the desired fruit, and then the ritual is initiated.