Shloka 23

प्रतिग्रहभेदः — The Distinction between Giving and Accepting

Vṛṣādarbhī–Saptarṣi Dialogue

Devanagari script

कृत्वाग्नौकरणं पूर्व मन्त्रपूर्व तपोधन । ततो5ग्नये5थ सोमाय वरुणाय च नित्यश:

Transliteration

kṛtvāgnaukaraṇaṃ pūrvaṃ mantrapūrva tapodhana | tato 'gnaye 'tha somāya varuṇāya ca nityaśaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “O ascetic rich in austerity, having first completed the rite of kindling and establishing the sacred fire with the due recitation of Vedic mantras, one should thereafter, day after day, offer the allotted portions to Agni, then to Soma, and to Varuṇa—thus maintaining the ordained order of worship and sustaining the divine supports of dharma.”

Word by Word

• {'kṛtvā': 'having done

• having completed', 'agnaukaraṇam': 'the rite of establishing/kindling the sacred fire (agni-kārya)', 'pūrvam': 'first

• beforehand', 'mantrapūrva': 'preceded by mantra-recitation

• with Vedic formulas', 'tapodhana': '‘treasure of austerity’

• an honorific for an ascetic', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'agnaye': 'to Agni (dative)', 'atha': 'then

• next', 'somāya': 'to Soma (dative)', 'varuṇāya': 'to Varuṇa (dative)', 'ca': 'and', 'nityaśaḥ': 'always

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Agni
• Soma
• Varuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is upheld through disciplined, mantra-guided daily ritual: first properly establish the sacred fire, then regularly offer the prescribed shares to key deities in an ordered way.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is instructing a revered ascetic on correct ritual procedure—completing the fire-rite with Vedic mantras and then making regular offerings to Agni, Soma, and Varuṇa.