Shloka 29
प्रतिग्रहभेदः — The Distinction between Giving and Accepting
Vṛṣādarbhī–Saptarṣi Dialogue
विश्वे चाग्निमुखा देवा: संख्याता: पूर्वमेव ते । तेषां नामानि वक्ष्यामि भागाहाणां महात्मनाम्,“विश्वेदेवोंकी चर्चा तो मैंने पहले ही की है, उन सबका मुख अग्नि है। यज्ञमें भाग पानेके अधिकारी उन महात्माओंके नामोंको कहता हूँ
viśve cāgnimukhā devāḥ saṅkhyātāḥ pūrvam eva te | teṣāṃ nāmāni vakṣyāmi bhāgahāṇāṃ mahātmanām ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Die Viśvedevas habe ich dir bereits aufgezählt — jene Gottheiten, deren ‚Mund‘ Agni ist, denn durch das Feuer empfangen sie die Opfergaben. Nun will ich die Namen jener großgesinnten Wesen verkünden, die Anspruch auf ihre zugeteilten Anteile am Opfer haben.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual order and dharma are upheld by recognizing the proper recipients of sacrificial offerings: the gods receive their portions through Agni, the consecrated medium of yajña. The verse emphasizes correct knowledge and proper allocation as part of righteous practice.
Bhishma continues his instruction by transitioning from a prior enumeration of the Viśvedevas to a forthcoming list of their individual names, explaining that these deities—whose offerings are conveyed via Agni—are entitled to shares in the sacrifice.