Devanagari
तमृत्विज: शक्रवधाभिसन्धितंविचक्ष्य दुष्प्रेक्ष्यमसह्यरंहसम्
निवारयामासुरहो महामतेन युज्यतेऽत्रान्यवध: प्रचोदितात् ॥ २७ ॥
Verse text
tam ṛtvijaḥ śakra-vadhābhisandhitaṁ
vicakṣya duṣprekṣyam asahya-raṁhasam
nivārayām āsur aho mahā-mate
na yujyate ’trānya-vadhaḥ pracoditāt
Synonyms
tam
—
King Pṛthu
;
ṛtvijaḥ
—
the priests
;
śakra
—
vadha — killing the King of heaven
;
abhisandhitam
—
thus preparing himself
;
vicakṣya
—
having observed
;
duṣprekṣyam
—
terrible to look at
;
asahya
—
unbearable
;
raṁhasam
—
whose velocity
;
nivārayām āsuḥ
—
they forbade
;
aho
—
oh
;
mahā
—
mate — O great soul
;
na
—
not
;
yujyate
—
is worthy for you
;
atra
—
in this sacrificial arena
;
anya
—
others
;
vadhaḥ
—
killing
;
pracoditāt
—
from being so directed in the scriptures .
Translation
When the priests and all the others saw Mahārāja Pṛthu very angry and prepared to kill Indra, they requested him: O great soul, do not kill him, for only sacrificial animals can be killed in a sacrifice. Such are the directions given by śāstra.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Observing that Pṛthu, who was terrible to behold, having intolerable speed against his enemies, was preparing to kill Indra, the priests prevented him. O great soul! From what is declared in scriptures, it is not proper that other killing should take place in this sacrifice.”
Ahisandhitam means “having the intention.” Vicakṣya means “seeing.” Because of the prescriptions of scripture (pracoditāt) no killing except the sacrifice of the animals is allowed.
Purport
Animal killing is intended for different purposes: it tests the proper pronunciation of Vedic
mantras,
and an animal being put into the sacrificial fire should come out with a new life. No one should ever be killed in a sacrifice meant for the satisfaction of Lord Viṣṇu. How then could Indra be killed when he is actually worshiped in the
yajṣa
and accepted as part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Therefore the priests requested King Pṛthu not to kill him.