Shloka 148
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
अग्न्यभावे च कुरुते वह्निस्थानेषु काउ्चनम् | जामदग्न्य प्रमाणज्ञो वेदश्रुतिनिदर्शनात्
agnyabhāve ca kurute vahnistāneṣu kāñcanam | jāmadagnyaḥ pramāṇajño vedaśrutinidarśanāt ||
বসিষ্ঠ ক’লে—অগ্নি নাথাকিলে, য’ত অগ্নিৰ স্থান নিৰ্দিষ্ট, তাত সোণ ব্যৱহাৰ কৰিব পাৰি; বেদ-শ্ৰুতিৰ দৃষ্টান্তে ই প্ৰমাণিত। হে জামদগ্ন্য পৰশুৰাম, প্ৰমাণজ্ঞ পুৰুষ এনেদৰে কৰে।
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma and ritual duty are guided by Vedic authority; when the primary requirement (fire) is genuinely unavailable, one may use an approved substitute (gold) as supported by śruti-based precedent, preserving the intent of the rite rather than abandoning it.
Vasiṣṭha addresses Paraśurāma (Jāmadagnya), citing a Vedic-style example: in the absence of fire, gold may be used in the ritual context where fire would normally be employed, demonstrating how learned authorities apply śruti-backed alternatives under constraint.