Shloka 21
Adhyāya 283: Varṇa-vṛtti, Nyāya-ārjana, and the Decline-and-Restoration of Dharma (वर्णवृत्तिः न्यायार्जनं च)
दधीचिरुवाच सर्वेषामेव मन्त्रो5यं येनासौ न निमन्त्रित: । यथाह शंकरादूर्ध्व॑ नान्यं पश्यामि दैवतम् | तथा दक्षस्य विपुलो यज्ञोडयं न भविष्यति
Dadhīcir uvāca—sarveṣām eva mantro ’yaṁ yenāsau na nimantritaḥ | yathāha Śaṅkarād ūrdhvaṁ nānyaṁ paśyāmi daivatam | tathā Dakṣasya vipulo yajño ’yaṁ na bhaviṣyati ||
达提奇说：“我知道这是你们众人共同的决意，所以才没有邀请商羯罗。但在我看来，没有任何神祇高于商羯罗主。若此为真，那么生主达克沙这宏大的祭祀必不得成就——注定要毁灭。”
दक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
Religious and ethical action (like a yajña) fails when driven by collective pride and exclusion of the truly worthy; honoring the highest principle (here identified with Śaṅkara) is presented as essential for the success of sacred undertakings.
Dadhichi observes that the assembled parties have jointly decided not to invite Śaṅkara to Dakṣa’s grand sacrifice. He declares Śaṅkara unsurpassed among deities and warns that, given this slight, Dakṣa’s yajña will not reach successful completion and is destined for ruin.