Shloka 53
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
तान्यग्नौ जुहु॒वुर्धीरा: समस्ता: षोडशर्त्विज: । नरेश्वर! उस अश्वके जो शेष अंग थे, उनको धीर स्वभाववाले समस्त सोलह ऋत्विजोंने अग्निमें होम कर दिया
tāny agnau juhuvur dhīrāḥ samastāḥ ṣoḍaśartvijaḥ | nareśvara! asya aśvake ye śeṣāṅgāni āsan, tāni dhīrasvabhāvavantaḥ samastāḥ ṣoḍaśa ṛtvijaḥ agnau homaṃ kṛtvā juhuvuḥ |
毗舍波耶那说：大王啊，那十六位心志坚定的祭官，将那祭马所余诸部分尽皆投入圣火而献。于是仪轨依次而毕，心念严整，遵行无差，昭示国王以如法之祭来护持达摩的责任。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined ritual responsibility: qualified priests, acting with steadiness and precision, complete the sacrifice by offering the remaining portions into the fire—symbolizing orderly completion of duty (dharma) in a public, kingly rite.
During the Aśvamedha proceedings, the sixteen officiating priests collectively perform the concluding fire-offerings, consigning the remaining parts of the sacrificial horse/rite into Agni, thereby bringing that segment of the ritual to completion.