Shloka 13
Atithi’s Direction to the Nāga-sage Padma at Naimiṣa (अतिथ्युपदेशः—नैमिषे पद्मनागोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)
न हांते मन्त्राणां हवनमस्ति न विना पुरुषं तपः सम्भवति | हविर्मन्त्राणां सम्पूजा विद्यते देवमानुष-ऋषीणामनेन त्वं होतेति नियुक्त: | ये च मानुष-होत्राधिकारास्ते च ब्राह्मणस्य हि याजनं विधीयते न क्षत्रवैश्ययोर्दधिजात्योस्तस्माद् ब्राह्मणा हाग्निभूता यज्ञानुद्तन्ति । यज्ञास्ते देवांस्तर्पयन्ति देवा: पृथिवीं भावयन्ति शतपथेडपि हि ब्राह्मणमुखे भवति
na hānte mantrāṇāṁ havanam asti na vinā puruṣaṁ tapaḥ sambhavati | havirmantrāṇāṁ sampūjā vidyate devamānuṣa-ṛṣīṇām anena tvaṁ hoteti niyuktaḥ | ye ca mānuṣa-hotṛ-adhikārās te ca brāhmaṇasya hi yājanaṁ vidhīyate na kṣatravaiśyayoḥ dvijātyos tasmād brāhmaṇā hāgnibhūtā yajñān udvahanti | yajñās te devāṁs tarpayanti devāḥ pṛthivīṁ bhāvayanti śatapathenāpi hi brāhmaṇamukhe bhavati |
阿周那说道：“没有咒语（mantra）便无从行供献；没有人作为行事者，苦行（tapas）亦不能成就。凭借与供物（havis）相连的咒语，诸天、人类与诸仙（ṛṣi）得以如法受敬；因此，噢，火神，你被任命为Hotṛ。于人间，担任Hotṛ之权唯属婆罗门，因为主持祭祀之法令为其所设。刹帝利与吠舍虽为再生族（dvija），却不被许可行祭司之职；故婆罗门——宛如具形之火——承担诸祭之重任。诸祭使天神满足，而天神又令大地以富饶昌盛。甚至《百道梵书》（Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa）亦言：供献当置于婆罗门之口。”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual efficacy depends on both sacred speech (mantra) and a qualified human agent; within the varṇa-based dharma framework presented here, priestly officiation (hotṛ/yājana) is assigned to Brāhmaṇas, and sacrifice is portrayed as sustaining a reciprocal order: humans nourish gods through yajña, and gods sustain the earth’s prosperity.
Arjuna explains the logic of Vedic sacrifice: mantras and offerings constitute worship of gods, humans, and seers; Agni is appointed as the Hotṛ’s medium; and the human officiant role is restricted to Brāhmaṇas. He supports the point by invoking a Vedic authority (Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa) and concludes with the cosmic economy where yajña pleases the gods and the gods make the earth flourish.