Shloka 25
वृत्ति-सत्सङ्ग-दान-धर्म
Livelihood, Virtuous Association, and Ethics of Giving
महेश्वरने कहा--महाभागे! श्रेष्ठ प्रजापति दक्ष अश्वमेध यज्ञ करते हैं; उसीमें ये सब देवता जा रहे हैं ।।
Maheśvara uvāca—Mahābhāge! Śreṣṭhaḥ Prajāpatiḥ Dakṣa aśvamedha-yajñaṁ karoti; tasminn eva ete sarve devatā gacchanti. Umā uvāca—Yajñam etam, Mahādeva, kimarthaṁ nādhigacchasi? Kena vā pratiṣedhena gamanaṁ te na vidyate?
Maheśvara nói: “Này hiền thê cao quý! Prajāpati Dakṣa ưu việt đang cử hành lễ Aśvamedha; chính đến nghi lễ ấy mà tất cả chư thiên đang tiến về.” Umā thưa: “Mahādeva, vì sao Ngài không đến dự lễ tế này? Do điều cấm kỵ hay sự ngăn trở nào mà việc Ngài đến đó không thể thực hiện?”
महेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds a dharmic tension between ritual authority and rightful inclusion: even a grand sacrifice attended by the gods can become ethically fraught if participation is constrained by prohibition, disrespect, or social-religious exclusion.
Maheśvara informs Umā that Dakṣa is conducting an Aśvamedha and that the gods are going there. Umā then questions why Maheśvara himself is not attending and asks what restriction or prohibition prevents his going.