Shloka 14
अगस्त्यस्य वित्तयाचनं तथा इल्वलोपभिक्षणनिर्णयः
Agastya’s request for wealth and the decision to seek resources from Ilvala
अगस्त्यश्लापि भगवानेतस्मिन् काल एव तु । पितृन् ददर्श गर्ते वै लम्बमानानधोमुखान्,इन्हीं दिनों भगवान् अगस्त्यमुनि कहीं चले जा रहे थे। उन्होंने एक जगह अपने पितरोंको देखा जो एक गड़ढेमें नीचे मुँह किये लटक रहे थे
agastyas tu api bhagavān etasmin kāla eva tu | pitṝn dadarśa garte vai lambamānān adhomukhān ||
En aquel mismo tiempo, el venerable sabio Agastya, mientras viajaba, vio a sus antepasados en un foso, colgando cabeza abajo. La escena anuncia una urgencia moral: la continuidad de los deberes familiares y el pago de las obligaciones hacia los ancestros no son meras costumbres sociales, sino una grave responsabilidad dhármica cuya negligencia trae aflicción al linaje.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores pitṛ-dharma: one must uphold duties that sustain and honor one’s lineage (such as continuing the family line and performing appropriate rites). Neglect of these obligations is portrayed as causing suffering to the ancestors, emphasizing moral responsibility across generations.
While travelling, the sage Agastya suddenly sees his forefathers in a pit, suspended upside down. This startling vision sets up the episode’s motivation: Agastya is prompted to address the cause of their plight and to act in a way that relieves them, linking personal life-choices to ancestral welfare.