Bhartriyajna's Explanation of the Judgment by Speech

Verse 1 (skanda.6.202.1)

विश्वामित्र उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे विनयावनताः स्थिताः तं पप्रच्छुर्नरश्रेष्ठ कौतुकाविष्टचेतसः

viśvāmitra uvāca tacchrutvā brāhmaṇāḥ sarve vinayāvanatāḥ sthitāḥ taṁ papracchurnaraśreṣṭha kautukāviṣṭacetasaḥ

Vishvamitra said: Hearing this, O best of men, all the brahmins, standing humbly bowed, their minds filled with curiosity, questioned him.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.202.2)

कस्यचिन्निर्णयो देयो मध्यस्थस्य द्विजोत्तमैः वेदवाक्येन संत्यज्य वाक्यं मनुजसंभवम्

kasyacinnirṇayo deyo madhyasthasya dvijottamaiḥ vedavākyena saṁtyajya vākyaṁ manujasaṁbhavam

'Why must the judgment concerning anyone be given by the presiding elder through the best of brahmins, by means of Vedic utterance alone, setting aside ordinary human speech?'

Verse 3 (skanda.6.202.3)

कस्मात्तालत्रयं देयं मध्यगेन महात्मना एतन्नः सर्वमाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः

kasmāttālatrayaṁ deyaṁ madhyagena mahātmanā etannaḥ sarvamācakṣva paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi naḥ

'Why must the three claps be given by the great-souled presiding elder? Tell us all of this, for we are filled with the deepest curiosity.'

Verse 4 (skanda.6.202.4)

तच्छ्रुत्वा भर्तृयज्ञस्तु तानुवाच द्विजोत्तमान् श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि यदेतत्कारणं स्थितम्

tacchrutvā bhartṛyajñastu tānuvāca dvijottamān śrūyatāmabhidhāsyāmi yadetatkāraṇaṁ sthitam

Hearing this, Bhartriyajna said to those excellent brahmins: 'Listen, and I shall declare to you what the reason for this is.'

Verse 5 (skanda.6.202.5)

नासत्यं जायते वाक्यं नागराणां कथंचन ब्रह्मशालास्थितानां च शुभं वा यदि वाऽशुभम्

nāsatyaṁ jāyate vākyaṁ nāgarāṇāṁ kathaṁcana brahmaśālāsthitānāṁ ca śubhaṁ vā yadi vā'śubham

'The word of the Nagaras seated in the assembly-hall of Brahman never becomes false, in any way, whether it be auspicious or inauspicious.'

Verse 6 (skanda.6.202.6)

वेदोक्तेः सवनैस्तस्माद्दर्शयंति द्विजोत्तमाः इष्टं वा यदि वानिष्टं पृच्छमानस्य चार्थिनः

vedokteḥ savanaistasmāddarśayaṁti dvijottamāḥ iṣṭaṁ vā yadi vāniṣṭaṁ pṛcchamānasya cārthinaḥ

'Therefore the best of brahmins show, through Vedic recitations and libations, whether the outcome is favourable or unfavourable for the petitioner who asks.'

Verse 7 (skanda.6.202.7)

भूयोभूयस्ततः कुर्यान्मध्यस्थः स द्विजन्मनाम् प्रश्नं तस्य निमित्तं च यावत्तस्य विनिर्णयः

bhūyobhūyastataḥ kuryānmadhyasthaḥ sa dvijanmanām praśnaṁ tasya nimittaṁ ca yāvattasya vinirṇayaḥ

'Then the presiding elder should repeat the question to the brahmins, again and again, for that same purpose, until his judgment is complete.'

Verse 8 (skanda.6.202.8)

ब्रह्मशालोपविष्टानां यदि वाक्यं वृथा भवेत् माहात्म्यं नश्यते तेषां ततः क्रोधः प्रजायते

brahmaśālopaviṣṭānāṁ yadi vākyaṁ vṛthā bhavet māhātmyaṁ naśyate teṣāṁ tataḥ krodhaḥ prajāyate

'If the word of those seated in the assembly-hall of Brahman should prove false, their greatness is destroyed, and from that, anger arises.'

Verse 9 (skanda.6.202.9)

क्रोधात्सञ्जायते द्रोहो द्रोहात्पापस्य संगमः एतस्मात्कारणाद्विप्रा मध्यस्थः पृच्छ्यते मुहुः

krodhātsañjāyate droho drohātpāpasya saṁgamaḥ etasmātkāraṇādviprā madhyasthaḥ pṛcchyate muhuḥ

'From anger arises enmity, and from enmity, union with sin. For this reason, O brahmins, the presiding elder is questioned again and again.'

Verse 10 (skanda.6.202.10)

समुदायः समस्तानां यथा चैव प्रजायते तदा तालत्रयं यच्च मध्यस्थः संप्रयच्छति

samudāyaḥ samastānāṁ yathā caiva prajāyate tadā tālatrayaṁ yacca madhyasthaḥ saṁprayacchati

'And when consensus arises among them all, then the presiding elder gives the three claps.'

Verse 11 (skanda.6.202.11)

तासां तु पूर्वया कामं हंति पृच्छाप्रदायिनाम् द्वितीयया तथा क्रोधं हंति लोभं तृतीयया

tāsāṁ tu pūrvayā kāmaṁ haṁti pṛcchāpradāyinām dvitīyayā tathā krodhaṁ haṁti lobhaṁ tṛtīyayā

'Of these, the first destroys desire in those who have posed the question; the second, likewise, destroys anger; and the third destroys greed.'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.202.12)

एतस्मात्कारणाद्देयं तेन तालत्रयं द्विजाः

etasmātkāraṇāddeyaṁ tena tālatrayaṁ dvijāḥ

'For this reason, O brahmins, the three claps must be given by him.'

Verse 13 (skanda.6.202.13)

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः आथर्वणश्चतुर्थस्तु ब्राह्मणः परिकीर्तितः स कस्मात्प्रथमः प्रश्नो नागराणां प्रकीर्तितः

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ ātharvaṇaścaturthastu brāhmaṇaḥ parikīrtitaḥ sa kasmātprathamaḥ praśno nāgarāṇāṁ prakīrtitaḥ

The brahmins said: 'The Atharvan brahmin is declared to be the fourth in order. Why then is he declared to be the first to be questioned among the Nagaras?'

Verse 14 (skanda.6.202.14)

भर्तृयज्ञ उवाच आथर्वः प्रथमः प्रश्नो यस्मात्प्रोक्तो मया द्विजाः तदहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुध्वं सुसमाहिताः

bhartṛyajña uvāca ātharvaḥ prathamaḥ praśno yasmātprokto mayā dvijāḥ tadahaṁ saṁpravakṣyāmi śṛṇudhvaṁ susamāhitāḥ

Bhartriyajna said: 'O brahmins, why I have declared that the Atharvan is the first to be questioned — that I shall now explain; listen with full attention.'

Verse 15 (skanda.6.202.15)

नेर्ष्या चैवात्र कर्तव्या स्वस्थानस्य विनाशनी निरूपितं मया सम्यक्स्थानस्थस्य विशुद्धये

nerṣyā caivātra kartavyā svasthānasya vināśanī nirūpitaṁ mayā samyaksthānasthasya viśuddhaye

'No jealousy, which would bring destruction upon one's own community, is to be entertained here — this rule has been properly established by me for the purification of the community.'

Verse 16 (skanda.6.202.16)

ऋग्यजुःसामसंज्ञाख्या अग्निष्टोमादिका मखाः पारत्रिकाः प्रवर्तंते नैहिकाश्चाभिचारिकाः

ṛgyajuḥsāmasaṁjñākhyā agniṣṭomādikā makhāḥ pāratrikāḥ pravartaṁte naihikāścābhicārikāḥ

'The sacrifices known by the names Rig, Yajur, and Sama, such as the Agnishtoma, pertain to the world beyond; while worldly and magical rites pertain to this world.'

Verse 17 (skanda.6.202.17)

अथर्ववेदे तच्चोक्तं सर्वं चैवाभिचारिकम् हिताय सर्वलोकानां ब्रह्मणा लोककारिणा

atharvavede taccoktaṁ sarvaṁ caivābhicārikam hitāya sarvalokānāṁ brahmaṇā lokakāriṇā

'All of that magical rite has been declared in the Atharva Veda, by Brahma, the maker of worlds, for the benefit of all people.'

Verse 18 (skanda.6.202.18)

अथर्ववेदः प्रथमं द्रष्टव्यः कार्यसिद्धये एतस्मात्कारणादाद्यः स चतुर्थोऽपि संस्थितः

atharvavedaḥ prathamaṁ draṣṭavyaḥ kāryasiddhaye etasmātkāraṇādādyaḥ sa caturtho'pi saṁsthitaḥ

'The Atharva Veda is to be consulted first, for the accomplishment of any matter. For this reason, though placed fourth in the usual order, he stands first here.'

Verse 19 (skanda.6.202.19)

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि द्विजोत्तमाः पृच्छा संबंधजं सर्वमेकं कार्यं सदैव हि

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṁ yatpṛṣṭo'smi dvijottamāḥ pṛcchā saṁbaṁdhajaṁ sarvamekaṁ kāryaṁ sadaiva hi

O best of brahmins, all this has now been told to you, as you asked — for everything born of this questioning is, indeed, always one and the same undertaking.