Shloka 64
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
न तेजसो<स्ति संस्पर्शो मम देव विभावसो । आपदर्थ हि सम्बन्ध: सुसूक्ष्मोडपि महाद्युते
na tejaso 'sti saṁsparśo mama deva vibhāvaso | āpad-artha hi sambandhaḥ susūkṣmo 'pi mahādyute ||
“O god Vibhāvasu (Agni), O great-luminous one—there is no contact of mine with this fiery power. Even the exceedingly subtle connection that has arisen now exists only for the sake of averting the calamity that has befallen the gods.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes purity of intention and ethical restraint: any association with power (tejas) should not be for personal gain, but only as a duty-bound, minimal, and purpose-limited response to avert harm in a time of crisis.
Bhīṣma addresses Agni (Vibhāvasu), clarifying that he has no real involvement with the fiery power being invoked; any slight connection that has occurred is only to counter a danger threatening the gods, not from desire or attachment.