Shloka 11
स गत्वाड्रगरकर्मान्तं गृहीत्वाग्निमथागमत् । ततः शुष्केषु पर्णेषु पावकं सो5प्यदीपयत्
sa gatvā ḍragarakarmāntaṁ gṛhītvāgnim athāgamat | tataḥ śuṣkeṣu parṇeṣu pāvakaṁ so 'py adīpayat ||
Bhīṣma said: Having gone to the place where the fire-drill work was done, he took up fire and then returned. Thereafter, on dry leaves, he too kindled the flame—showing deliberate, purposeful action in carrying out what had been resolved.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights purposeful agency: one gathers the necessary means (fire) and applies them to suitable conditions (dry leaves) to produce a result. Ethically, it underscores that outcomes arise from deliberate choices and proper preparation, not from chance.
In Bhīṣma’s narration, a person goes to the place associated with producing/handling fire, takes fire, returns, and then kindles it on dry leaves—initiating a blaze by using appropriate fuel.