Shloka 24

Devanagari script

मया मन्त्रबलं ज्ञातुमाहूतस्त्वं विभावसो । बाल्याद्‌ बालोति तत्‌ कृत्वा क्षन्तुमहसि मे विभो,'प्रभो! प्रभाकर! मैंने अपने बाल-स्वभावके कारण मन्त्रका बल जाननेके लिये ही आपका आवाहन किया है। एक अनजान बालिका समझकर आप मेरे इस अपराधको क्षमा कर दें"

Transliteration

mayā mantrabalaṁ jñātum āhūtas tvaṁ vibhāvaso | bālyād bālo iti tat kṛtvā kṣantum arhasi me vibho ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O Vibhāvasu (Fire), I summoned you only to learn the power of a mantra. Taking me to be merely a childish, ignorant girl acting out of youthful folly, you should forgive me, O mighty lord.”

Word by Word

मयाby me

मन्त्रबलम्the power of the mantra

ज्ञातुम्to know

आहूतःhaving been invoked/called

त्वम्you

विभावसोO Vibhāvasu (Agni)

बाल्यात्from childishness / due to childhood

बालःchildish / a child

इतिthus

तत्that (act)

कृत्वाhaving done

क्षन्तुम्to forgive

अर्हसिyou ought / you should

मेof me / my

विभोO mighty one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vibhāvasu (Agni)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical accountability in spiritual practice: one should not test sacred power out of curiosity or immaturity, and when a fault is committed, humility and a sincere request for forgiveness are the proper response.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker addresses Vibhāvasu (Agni), admitting that the invocation was done merely to gauge mantra-power. The speaker frames the act as youthful folly and asks the deity to pardon the offense.