Shloka 12
Atithi’s Direction to the Nāga-sage Padma at Naimiṣa (अतिथ्युपदेशः—नैमिषे पद्मनागोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)
अनिनिर्हि यज्ञानां होता कर्ता स चानिनित्रह्य,अग्निदेव यज्ञोंके होता और कर्ता हैं। वे अग्निदेव ब्राह्मण हैं
anirṇir hi yajñānāṃ hotā kartā sa cānirṇiḥ | agnidevo yajñānāṃ hotā ca kartā ca | sa agnidevo brāhmaṇaḥ ||
Arjuna said: “Indeed, the one who invokes and accomplishes sacrifices is beyond ordinary limitation. Agni himself is the Hotṛ and the effective agent of the sacrifice. Therefore Agni is to be regarded as ‘Brāhmaṇa’—the sacred, priestly principle—because he embodies the ritual knowledge and power by which offerings become efficacious.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates Agni beyond a mere physical fire: Agni is the essential priestly agency of sacrifice—the invoker (hotā) and the performer (kartā). Ethically, it underscores that sacred action becomes fruitful through the right principle of mediation and consecration, not merely through external acts.
Arjuna is speaking within the reflective, instruction-heavy setting of the Śānti Parva, articulating a doctrinal point about yajña: Agni is identified as the operative priestly force that carries offerings and makes ritual action effective, hence being called ‘Brāhmaṇa’ in a functional, symbolic sense.