Shloka 7
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
देवाश्व शप्ता रुद्राण्या प्रजोच्छेदे पुराकृते । न भविष्यति वो<पत्यमिति सर्वे जगत्पते
devāś ca śaptā rudrāṇyā prajocchede purākṛte | na bhaviṣyati vo 'patyam iti sarve jagatpate ||
Bhishma said: “O Lord of the world, when in former times we brought about the destruction of Rudrani’s offspring, Rudrani cursed all the gods, declaring, ‘You shall have no progeny.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral causality: harming another’s lineage (prajoccheda) invites grave consequences, even for gods. It underscores restraint, accountability, and the ethical weight of actions against family and continuity.
Bhishma recounts an ancient episode: after the gods caused the destruction of Rudrani’s progeny, Rudrani pronounced a curse upon them that they would be without offspring, and Bhishma reports this to the addressed ‘Lord of the world.’