Shloka 18
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
अग्निदेव इस जगत्के पालक, अनिर्वचनीय, सर्वव्यापी, सबके उत्पादक, समस्त प्राणियोंके हृदयमें शयन करनेवाले, सर्वसमर्थ तथा रुद्रसे भी ज्येष्ठ हैं ।।
agnidevaḥ asya jagataḥ pālakaḥ, anirvacanīyaḥ, sarvavyāpī, sarveṣāṃ janakaḥ, samasta-prāṇināṃ hṛdaye śayana-kartā, sarva-samarthaś ca rudrād api jyeṣṭhaḥ. anveṣyatāṃ sa tu kṣipraṃ tejorāśir hutāśanaḥ; sa vo manogataṃ kāmaṃ devaḥ sampādayiṣyati.
Bhīṣma said: Agni, the Fire-god, is the protector of this world—indescribable, all-pervading, the source of all, dwelling in the hearts of every living being, omnipotent, and even elder than Rudra. Seek that Hutāśana, that mass of radiance, without delay; that deity will bring to fulfillment the desire held within your minds.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents Agni as a cosmic guardian and an indwelling divine presence; by promptly seeking and honoring such a deity, one’s rightful inner aims can be brought to completion—highlighting devotion, urgency in spiritual effort, and trust in divine order.
Bhishma is instructing his listeners to approach Agni—described with exalted attributes—and assures them that this deity, the radiant Hutashana, will fulfill the desire they hold in their minds.