Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 13: Daśaratha Goes to the Sacrificial Arena
Text 1.13.4
भवान्स्निग्धः सुहृन्मह्यं गुरुश्च परमो महान्।
वोढव्यो भवता चैव भारो यज्ञस्य चोद्यतः॥
bhavān snigdhaḥ suhṛn mahyaṁ guruś ca paramo mahān
voḍhavyo bhavatā caiva bhāro yajñasya codyataḥ
bhavān = Your Grace; snigdhaḥ = has unbroken affection; suhṛt = you are a well-wisher; mahyam = towards me; guruḥ = guru; ca = and; paramaḥ = the best here; mahān = factually incomparable; voḍhavyaḥ = should be borne; bhavatā ca eva = by Your Grace; bhāraḥ = therefore, the responsibility; yajñasya ca = for the sacrifice; udyataḥ = inaugurated.
Your Grace has unbroken affection towards me. You are a well-wisher, the best and factually incomparable guru here. Therefore, the responsibility for the inaugurated sacrifice should be borne by Your Grace.
Vasiṣṭha was even better than Vāmadeva and other priests, and so he was factually incomparable. The word ca in the second line signifies that Vasiṣṭha should also carry out his responsibilities as a sacrificial priest.