Shloka 79
वृद्धैः काश्यपगौतमप्र भृतिभि र्भग्वड्धिरो5त्रयादिभि: शुक्रागस्त्यबृहस्पतिप्रभतिभिर्रह्यर्षिभि: सेवितम् । भारद्वाजमतमृचीकतनयै: प्राप्त वसिष्ठात् पुनः सावित्रीमधिगम्य शक्रवसुभि: कृत्स्ना जिता दानवा:
bhīṣma uvāca |
vṛddhaiḥ kāśyapa-gautama-bhṛgu-prabhṛtibhir bhagavadbhir atry-ādibhiḥ śukrāgastya-bṛhaspati-prabhṛtibhir brahmarṣibhiḥ sevitam | bhāradvāja-mataṁ ṛcīka-tanayaiḥ prāptaṁ vasiṣṭhāt punaḥ sāvitrīm adhigamya śakra-vasubhiḥ kṛtsnā jitā dānavāḥ ||
Bhishma sprach: Das Savitri‑ (Gayatri‑) Mantra ist von ehrwürdigen Brahmarishis beständig geübt worden—von Kashyapa, Gautama, Bhrigu und anderen, ebenso von Atri und den Übrigen; ebenso von Shukra, Agastya, Brihaspati und weiteren großen Sehern. Bharadvaja hat dieses Mantra tief erwogen; die Söhne Richikas empfingen es von ihm. Ferner überwanden Indra und die Vasus, nachdem sie die Savitri von Vashishtha erlangt hatten, durch ihre Macht das gesamte Heer der Danavas. Die Stelle zeigt das Mantra nicht als privaten Besitz, sondern als diszipliniertes Erbe: Wird es mit Ehrfurcht, Studium und rechter Überlieferung gesucht, wird es zu einer Kraft, die Dharma schützt und Adharma bezwingt.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that spiritual power and moral protection arise from disciplined practice and legitimate transmission of sacred knowledge. The Savitri/Gayatri is portrayed as effective when approached through reverence, contemplation, and guru-to-disciple lineage, becoming a support for dharma and a means to subdue forces aligned with adharma.
Bhishma lists eminent ancient seers who constantly practiced the Savitri/Gayatri. He then traces a line of transmission and application: Bharadvaja contemplated it; the sons of Richika received it from him; and Indra with the Vasus, having obtained it from Vashishtha, used its potency to defeat the Danavas.