Shloka 10
अग्निशाप-प्रसंगः
Agni’s Curse and the Restoration of Ritual Order
देवता: पितरश्वैव भुज्जते मयि यद् हुतम् । देवतानां पितृणां च मुखमेतदहं स्मृतम्,“मुझमें जो आहुति दी जाती है, उसे देवता और पितर दोनों भक्षण करते हैं। इसीलिये मैं देवताओं और पितरोंका मुख माना जाता हूँ
devatāḥ pitaraś caiva bhuñjate mayi yad hutam | devatānāṃ pitṝṇāṃ ca mukham etad ahaṃ smṛtam ||
„Welche Opfergabe auch immer in mich dargebracht wird, davon nehmen sowohl die Götter als auch die Ahnenväter teil. Darum gedenkt man meiner als des eigentlichen ‘Mundes’—des empfangenden Kanals—der Götter und der Pitṛs, durch den die Gaben sie in rechter Ordnung erreichen.“
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Offerings made in the proper ritual medium are not merely symbolic: they are understood to reach their intended recipients—gods and ancestors—through an authorized ‘channel’ (mukha). The verse underscores the dharmic idea that correct ritual action sustains reciprocal bonds between humans, devas, and Pitṛs.
In the course of the early Adi Parva discussion, a statement is made explaining how oblations function: what is offered ‘into me’ is enjoyed by devas and Pitṛs alike, hence the speaker identifies that locus as their ‘mouth,’ i.e., the means by which offerings are received.