Shloka 18

Devanagari script

याजयित्वा ततो याज्यॉल्लब्ध्वा तु सुबहून्‌ पशून्‌ । याज्येन कर्मणा तेन प्रतिगृह् विधानत:

Transliteration

yājayitvā tato yājyāl labdhvā tu subahūn paśūn | yājyena karmaṇā tena pratigṛhya vidhānataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Sau đó, khi đã chủ trì lễ tế cho vị chủ tế, và nhận được vô số gia súc làm dakṣiṇā, ông tiếp nhận chúng đúng phép, phù hợp với những quy định dành cho nghi lễ ấy.”

Word by Word

याजयित्वाhaving caused (someone) to perform a sacrifice / having officiated

ततःthen; thereafter

याज्यात्from the sacrificer (the patron of the sacrifice)

लब्ध्वाhaving obtained

तुindeed; but

सुबहून्very many

पशून्cattle; animals

याज्येनby/through the sacrificer (patron)

कर्मणाby the act; by the rite

तेनby that; thereby

प्रतिगृह्यhaving accepted/received

विधानतःaccording to rule; duly

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

yājya (sacrificial patron)

paśu (cattle as dakṣiṇā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic restraint and ritual correctness: even when receiving abundant gifts (especially dakṣiṇā like cattle), one should accept them only in the proper, prescribed manner, without greed or impropriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

After serving as the officiating priest for a patron’s sacrifice, the priest receives many cattle as the ritual fee and formally accepts them according to established rules of the rite.