Yāska's Nirukta 171.4

171.4

“nārāśaṃsāḥ” te “iti nairuktāḥ” manyante | narāśaṃso'gniryajño vā | vakṣyati hi,-“yajña iti kātthakyaḥ agniriti śākapūṇiḥ”-iti | yajñaśabdena ca viṣṇurucyate “viṣṇurvai yajñaḥ” iti ha vijñāyate | “agnirhi bhūyiṣṭhabhāg devatānām”iti, ato'nāviṣkṛtadevatāliṅgo mantra āgneyaḥ syāt | sarvadevatāśrayaṇācca “agnirvai sarvā devatāḥ” atra vai sarvā vamati devateti ha vijñāyate || yasminnapi pakṣe nārāśaṃso yajñaḥ, tasminnapi pakṣe yajñaprabhavatvādasya jagato yajñasya śraiṣṭhyam, ‘aparigrahaṃ ca śreṣṭhagāmi’ iti nyāyaḥ || kecittu yena narāḥ praśasyante sa ‘nārāśaṃso mantraḥ’-iti paśyanto manuṣyastutayastā ityevaṃ manyante | tadayukam-na hi manuṣyāṇāmanāviṣkṛtaliṅgairmantraiḥ stutirūpapadyate, durbodhyatvāt teṣāmalpabuddhitvācca manuṣyāṇāmiti || ( 4 ) ||
“nārāśaṃsā iti nairuktāḥ” sauryyā vā āgneyā veti |
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