Shloka 25
Marutta’s Sacrifice and Agni’s Embassy (मरुत्त-यज्ञे दूतत्वम्)
अग्निरुवाच गन्धर्वराड् यत्वयं तत्र दूतो बिभेम्यहं वासव तत्र गन्तुम् । संरब्धो मामब्रवीत् तीक्षणरोष: संवर्तो वाक््यं चरितब्रह्म॒चर्य:,अग्निने कहा--देवेन्द्र! ये गन्धर्वराज वहाँ दूत बनकर जायाँ। मैं दुबारा वहाँ जानेसे डरता हूँ; क्योंकि ब्रह्मचारी संवर्तने तीव्र रोषमें भरकर मुझसे कहा था कि “अग्ने! यदि फिर इस प्रकार किसी तरह बृहस्पतिको मरुत्तके पास पहुँचानेके लिये आओगे तो मैं कुपित हो दारुण दृष्टिसे तुम्हें भस्म कर डालूँगा।” इन्द्र! उनकी इस बातको अच्छी तरह समझ लीजिये
agnir uvāca gandharvarāḍ yat tvayaṃ tatra dūto bibhemy ahaṃ vāsava tatra gantum | saṃrabdho mām abravīt tīkṣṇaroṣaḥ saṃvarto vākyaṃ caritabrahmacaryaḥ ||
Agni said: “O Vāsava (Indra), if that Gandharva-king is to go there as your messenger, let him go; I myself am afraid to go there again. For Saṃvarta, the brahmacārin, once spoke to me in fierce anger: ‘Agni, if you ever again come in any way to bring Bṛhaspati to Marutta, I will, enraged, burn you to ashes with my dreadful gaze.’ O Indra, understand his warning well.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even powerful beings must respect the force of tapas and the moral authority of a disciplined ascetic; prudence and restraint are part of dharma, especially when prior warnings have been given.
Agni tells Indra he is afraid to return as a messenger because the ascetic Saṃvarta previously threatened to burn him to ashes if he again tried to bring Bṛhaspati to Marutta; Agni urges Indra to take that threat seriously.