Devanagari
नारद उवाच
भो भो: प्रजापते राजन् पशून् पश्य
त्वयाध्वरे ।
संज्ञापिताञ्जीवसङ्घान्निर्घृणेन सहस्रश: ॥ ७ ॥
Verse text
nārada uvāca
bhoḥ bhoḥ prajāpate rājan
paśūn paśya tvayādhvare
saṁjṣāpitāṣ jīva-saṅghān
nirghṛṇena sahasraśaḥ
Synonyms
nāradaḥ uvāca
—
the great sage Nārada replied
;
bhoḥ bhoḥ
—
hello
;
prajā
—
pate — O ruler of the citizens
;
rājan
—
O King
;
paśūn
—
animals
;
paśya
—
please see
;
tvayā
—
by you
;
adhvare
—
in the sacrifice
;
saṁjṣāpitān
—
killed
;
jīva
—
saṅghān — groups of animals
;
nirghṛṇena
—
without pity
;
sahasraśaḥ
—
in thousands .
Translation
The great saint Nārada said: O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed without compassion and without mercy in the sacrificial arena.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Nārada said: O protector of the people! O King! Look at these animals, thousands of jīvas, killed by you in sacrifices without mercy.
By his power of yoga Nārada directly showed the King the sacrificial animals killed in order to make him detached from the results of karma-yoga. Saṣjṣapitām means killed.
Purport
Because animal sacrifice is recommended in the
Vedas,
there are animal sacrifices in almost all religious rituals. However, one should not be satisfied simply by killing animals according to the directions of the scriptures. One should transcend the ritualistic ceremonies and try to understand the actual truth, the purpose of life. Nārada Muni wanted to instruct the King about the real purpose of life and invoke a spirit of renunciation in his heart. Knowledge and the spirit of renunciation (
jṣāna-vairāgya
) are the ultimate goal of life. Without knowledge, one cannot become detached from material enjoyment, and without being detached from material enjoyment, one cannot make spiritual advancement.
Karmīs
are generally engaged in sense gratification, and for this end they are prepared to commit so many sinful activities. Animal sacrifice is but one such sinful activity. Consequently, by his mystic power Nārada Muni showed King Prācīnabarhiṣat the dead animals which he had sacrificed.