Shloka 23
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
ऋच्विजस्तमपर्यन्तं सुवर्णनिचयं तथा,ब्राह्मणोंके लेनेके बाद जो धन वहाँ पड़ा रह गया, उसे क्षत्रिय, वैश्य, शूद्र तथा म्लेच्छ जातिके लोग उठा ले गये
ṛtvijaḥ tam aparyantaṃ suvarṇa-nicayaṃ tathā | brāhmaṇaiḥ gṛhīteṣu śeṣaṃ yat tatra avatiṣṭhata | kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāś ca mleccha-jātayaś ca tad ajahruḥ ||
毗舍波耶那说道：主祭的祭官（ṛtvij）得了一堆不可计量的黄金。婆罗门取走其应得之分后，余下的财物便被其他群体的人搬走——刹帝利、吠舍、首陀罗，乃至被视为“弥勒差”（mleccha）者。此景彰显：仪式报酬（dakṣiṇā）须先依法给付；而在既定权利满足之后，剩余之物便落入众人可取之境。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that in a yajña the first ethical claim on wealth is the prescribed dakṣiṇā to the officiating priests; once that rightful due is met, any surplus is no longer bound by the same ritual obligation and may pass into broader social circulation.
During the Ashvamedha-related proceedings, an immense quantity of gold is present. The priests/Brāhmaṇas take their allotted share, and the remaining wealth lying there is then taken away by others—Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, Śūdras, and mleccha groups.