Shloka 23
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
जलेचर: क्लान्तमनास्तेजसाग्ने: प्रदीपित: । उवाच देवान् मण्डूको रसातलतलोत्थित:
jale-caraḥ klānta-manās tejasā agneḥ pradīpitaḥ | uvāca devān maṇḍūko rasātala-talotthitaḥ ||
Bhishma said: A frog, a creature of the waters, scorched by Agni’s blazing heat and weary at heart, rose up from the depths of Rasātala and addressed the gods. (In the surrounding narrative, the gods—eager yet fearful to behold Agni—are approached by this distressed being who becomes the unexpected voice that speaks to them.)
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a lowly or suffering being can become the bearer of an important message; divine power (Agni’s tejas) inspires awe but also causes distress, and dharma requires that such power be approached with discernment and compassion for those affected.
A frog, burned and exhausted by Agni’s blazing energy, emerges from the netherworld Rasātala and speaks to the assembled gods, who are themselves eager yet afraid to behold Agni.