Shloka 22
Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse
त्वं हि यज्ञो$क्षर: सर्वस्त्वं धर्मस्त्वं प्रजापति: । त्वं गति: सर्वभूतानामिति मे निश्चिता मतिः,“आप ही यज्ञ, अक्षर, सर्वस्वरूप, धर्म, प्रजापति एवं सम्पूर्ण भूतोंकी गति हैं--यह मेरी निश्चित धारणा है”
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
tvaṃ hi yajño 'kṣaraḥ sarvas tvaṃ dharmas tvaṃ prajāpatiḥ |
tvaṃ gatiḥ sarvabhūtānām iti me niścitā matiḥ ||
毗舍波耶那说：“你实即祭祀本身；你是不可坏者（阿克沙罗），是包容一切的实相。你是法（Dharma）；你是生主（Prajāpati），众生之主。你是万有众生的归趣与终极依止——此乃我笃定不移之见。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a theologically charged ethical vision: the supreme addressee is identified with yajña (sacred duty and offering), akṣara (the imperishable absolute), dharma (moral-cosmic law), and prajāpati (creative lordship). Thus, righteousness and sacrificial responsibility are not merely social acts but participate in the ultimate reality, which is also the final refuge (gati) of all beings.
Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, reports a statement of reverential praise in which the speaker addresses a supreme figure as the essence of sacrifice, dharma, and creation, concluding with a firm personal conviction that this being is the ultimate destination of all creatures. The tone is devotional and doctrinal, framing the ongoing events within a cosmic and moral horizon.