य इन्द्रियात्मका देवा यज्ञभागभुजस्तु ते तान्यजन्ति तदा देवाः कल्यादिषु भवन्ति ये
Those gods who are of the nature of the senses and partake of the sacrificial share—those are the ones worshipped then; and the gods who preside over the elements are present.
अध्वर्युप्रैषकाले तु व्युत्थिता ऋषयस्तथा महर्षयश्च तान्दृष्ट्वा दीनान्पशुगणांस्तदा विश्वभुजं ते त्वपृच्छन् कथं यज्ञविधिस्तव
At the time when the Adhvaryu priests gave the signal, the sages rose up; seeing the distressed herds of animals, they questioned Viśvabhuk: 'What is the rule of your sacrifice?'
अधर्मो बलवानेष हिंसा धर्मेप्सया तव नवः पशुविधिस्त्विष्टस् तव यज्ञे सुरोत्तम
'Unrighteousness is strong here; violence is being done in your desire for righteousness. This new rule of animal sacrifice is fierce in your sacrifice, O best of gods.'
अधर्मो धर्मघाताय प्रारब्धः पशुभिस्त्वया नायं धर्मो ह्यधर्मो ऽयं न हिंसा धर्म उच्यते आगमेन भवान्धर्मं प्रकरोतु यदीच्छति
'Unrighteousness, destructive of righteousness, has been begun by you with animals. This is not righteousness, but unrighteousness; for violence is not called righteousness. Let your honor establish righteousness according to scripture, if you wish.'
विधिदृष्टेन यज्ञेन धर्मेणाव्यसनेन तु यज्ञबीजैः सुरश्रेष्ठ त्रिवर्गपरिमोषितैः
By sacrifice performed according to prescribed rule, with righteousness and without fault, and with the seeds of sacrifice, O best of gods, the three aims of life are not diminished.
एष यज्ञो महानिन्द्रः स्वयम्भुविहितः पुरा एवं विश्वभुगिन्द्रस्तु ऋषिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः उक्तो न प्रतिजग्राह मानमोहसमन्वितः
This great sacrifice, O Indra, was established of old by Svayambhū. Thus, when Viśvabhuk Indra was addressed by the seers who know the truth, he did not accept it, being filled with pride and delusion.
तेषां विवादः सुमहाञ् जज्ञे इन्द्रमहर्षीणाम् जङ्गमैः स्थावरैः केन यष्टव्यमिति चोच्यते
A great dispute arose among Indra and the great sages, both moving and unmoving beings, about who should be offered sacrifice.
ते तु खिन्ना विवादेन शक्त्या युक्ता महर्षयः संधाय सममिन्द्रेण पप्रच्छुः खचरं वसुम्
Afflicted by the dispute and endowed with power, the great sages, together with Indra, approached Vasum, who moves through the sky, and questioned him.
महाप्राज्ञ त्वया दृष्टः कथं यज्ञविधिर्नृप औत्तानपादे प्रब्रूहि संशयं नस्तुद प्रभो
O wise one, you have witnessed the method of sacrifice, O king descended from Uttānapāda; please resolve our doubt, O lord.
श्रुत्वा वाक्यं वसुस्तेषाम् अविचार्य बलाबलम् वेदशास्त्रमनुस्मृत्य यज्ञतत्त्वमुवाच ह
Hearing their words, Vasum, without considering strength or weakness, recalled the Vedic scriptures and spoke about the essence of sacrifice.
यथोपनीतैर्यष्टव्यम् इति होवाच पार्थिवः यष्टव्यं पशुभिर्मेध्यैर् अथ मूलफलैरपि
The king said: Sacrifice should be performed with those who are properly brought, with pure animals, or with roots and fruits as well.
हिंसा स्वभावो यज्ञस्य इति मे दर्शनागमः तथैते भाविता मन्त्रा हिंसालिङ्गा महर्षिभिः
The inherent nature of sacrifice is violence—this is my understanding from tradition; likewise, the mantras composed by the sages bear the mark of violence.
दीर्घेण तपसा युक्तैस् तारकादिनिदर्शिभिः तत्प्रमाणं मया चोक्तं तस्माच्छमितुम् अर्हथ
Those who observe stars and other signs, endowed with long austerity, have declared this as the standard; therefore, you ought to accept it.
यदि प्रमाणं स्वान्येव मन्त्रवाक्याणि वो द्विजाः तथा प्रवर्ततां यज्ञो ह्य् अन्यथा मानृतं वचः
If your own mantric statements are the authority, O twice-born, then let the sacrifice proceed accordingly; otherwise, the words would be untrue.
एवं कृतोत्तरास्ते तु युज्यात्मानं ततो धिया अवश्यम्भाविनं दृष्ट्वा तमधो ह्यशपंस्तदा
Having received such a reply, they prepared themselves with resolve; seeing what must inevitably occur, they then cursed him.
इत्युक्तमात्रो नृपतिः प्रविवेश रसातलम् ऊर्ध्वचारी नृपो भूत्वा रसातलचरो ऽभवत्
As soon as he was thus addressed, the king entered the netherworld; having become one who moves above, he became a dweller in the nether regions.
वसुधातलचारी तु तेन वाक्येन सो ऽभवत् धर्माणां संशयछेत्ता राजा वसुरधोगतः
He who once moved upon the earth, by that statement, became so; the king Vasum, fallen below, became the resolver of doubts concerning dharma.
तस्मान्न वाच्यो ह्येकेन बहुज्ञेनापि संशयः बहुधारस्य धर्मस्य सूक्ष्मा दुरनुगा गतिः
Therefore, a doubt should not be declared by one alone, even if highly learned; the subtle and difficult path of dharma has many streams.
तस्मान्न निश्चयाद्वक्तुं धर्मः शक्यो हि केनचित् देवानृषीनुपादाय स्वायम्भुवमृते मनुम्
Therefore, dharma cannot be definitively stated by anyone, except for Manu, who is born from Svāyambhuva, taking the gods and sages into account.
तस्मान्न हिंसा यज्ञे स्याद् यदुक्तमृषिभिः पुरा ऋषिकोटिसहस्राणि स्वैस्तपोभिर्दिवं गताः
Therefore, violence should not occur in sacrifice, as was said by the sages of old; thousands of great sages have attained heaven by their own austerities.
तस्मान्न हिंसायज्ञं च प्रशंसन्ति महर्षयः उञ्छं मूलं फलं शाकम् उदपात्रं तपोधनाः
Therefore, the great sages do not praise sacrifices involving violence; ascetics praise gleaned grains, roots, fruits, vegetables, and water in a vessel.
एतद्दत्त्वा विभवतः स्वर्गलोके प्रतिष्ठिताः अद्रोहश्चाप्यलोभश्च दमो भूतदया शमः
Having given these according to their means, they are established in the heavenly world; non-injury, non-greed, self-restraint, compassion for beings, and tranquility.
ब्रह्मचर्यं तपः शौचम् अनुक्रोशं क्षमा धृतिः सनातनस्य धर्मस्य मूलमेव दुरासदम्
Celibacy, austerity, purity, compassion, forgiveness, and steadfastness—these are the very difficult roots of eternal dharma.
द्रव्यमन्त्रात्मको यज्ञस् तपश्च समतात्मकम् यज्ञैश्च देवानाप्नोति वैराजं तपसा पुनः
Sacrifice consists of material and mantra, and austerity is of the nature of equality; by sacrifices one attains the gods, and by austerity, the realm of Virāj.
ब्रह्मणः कर्मसंन्यासाद् वैराग्यात्प्रकृतेर्लयम् ज्ञानात्प्राप्नोति कैवल्यं पञ्चैता गतयः स्मृताः
Through renunciation of action, by detachment, by dissolution into nature, and by knowledge, one attains liberation; these five are said to be the paths.
एवं विवादः सुमहान् यज्ञस्यासीत्प्रवर्तने ऋषीणां देवतानां च पूर्वे स्वायम्भुवे ऽन्तरे
Thus, a great dispute arose among the sages and the gods regarding the performance of sacrifice in the former age of Svāyambhuva.
ततस्ते ऋषयो दृष्ट्वा हृतं धर्मं बलेन तु वसोर्वाक्यमनादृत्य जग्मुस्ते वै यथागतम्
Then the sages, seeing that righteousness had been forcibly taken away and disregarding Vasu's words, departed as they had come.
गतेषु ऋषिसंघेषु देवा यज्ञमवाप्नुयुः श्रूयन्ते हि तपःसिद्धा ब्रह्मक्षत्रादयो नृपाः
When the assembly of sages had gone, the gods obtained the sacrifice; it is heard that kings such as Brahmins and Kshatriyas, accomplished in austerity, did so.
प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादौ ध्रुवो मेधातिथिर्वसुः सुधामा विरजाश्चैव शङ्खपाद्राजसस्तथा
Priyavrata, Uttānapāda, Dhruva, Medhātithi, Vasu, Sudhāmā, Virajā, Śaṅkhapād, and other kings likewise.
प्राचीनबर्हिः पर्जन्यो हविर्धानादयो नृपाः एते चान्ये च बहवस् ते तपोभिर्दिवं गताः
Prācīnabarhi, Parjanya, Havirdhāna, and other kings—these and many others attained heaven through their austerities.