Shloka 21
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
भुगुश्रेष्ठट उत्तम तपस्यासे युक्त, तेजस्वी और लोकविख्यात सभी सिद्ध देवता सभी लोकोंमें अग्निदेवकी खोज करते रहे
Bhīṣma uvāca — Bhṛguśreṣṭhaḥ uttama-tapasyāyuktaḥ tejasvī ca lokavikhyātaḥ; sarve siddhāḥ devatāś ca sarveṣu lokeṣu Agnidevaṃ mārgaṇāya paryeṣamāṇāḥ āsan.
Bhishma dijo: «¡Oh, el mejor de los Bhṛgu, dotado de la más alta austeridad, radiante y célebre en los mundos! En verdad, todos los Siddhas y los dioses, a través de todos los reinos, no cesaban de buscar a Agni, el dios del Fuego».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical-spiritual primacy of tapas (disciplined austerity) and tejas (inner radiance): even gods and perfected beings undertake a collective quest for Agni, suggesting that divine power and cosmic order are sustained through disciplined seeking and reverence for foundational principles (fire as purifier, witness, and ritual center).
Bhishma addresses a foremost Bhṛgu-sage and describes a situation in which Siddhas and gods, across all realms, are searching for Agni. The line sets up or continues a mythic episode where Agni’s presence is crucial—often for sacrifice, purification, or restoring balance—prompting a widespread divine search.