Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 15
Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda
इन्द्र रवाच ऋषत्विज: कुण्जरास्तत्र वाजिनो<थ्वर्यवस्तथा । हवींषि परमांसानि रुधिरं त्वाज्यमुच्यते
indra uvāca—rājan, asmin yuddha-yajñe kuñjarā eva ṛtvijaḥ, vājino ’dhvaryavaḥ tathā; havīṃṣi paramāṃsāni, rudhiraṃ tv ājyam ucyate.
因陀罗说道：“大王啊，在这以战争为祭的仪式中，大象本身便是祭官，战马充当阿德瓦律（adhvaryu）之职。供献乃是敌人的血肉，而他们的鲜血便被称作酥油。”
अम्बरीष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how war can be described using the language of Vedic sacrifice, turning instruments of battle into ritual roles and blood into ‘ghee.’ This highlights a key Mahabharata concern: dharma can be argued through powerful metaphors, yet such sacralization of violence raises ethical tension and demands discernment.
Indra addresses a king and characterizes the ongoing conflict as a ‘war-sacrifice,’ mapping elephants and horses onto priestly functions and defining enemy flesh and blood as offerings. The speech functions as a rhetorical reframing meant to interpret (and potentially justify) the brutality of battle within a ritual paradigm.