Shloka 10
अग्निशाप-प्रसंगः
Agni’s Curse and the Restoration of Ritual Order
देवता: पितरश्वैव भुज्जते मयि यद् हुतम् । देवतानां पितृणां च मुखमेतदहं स्मृतम्,“मुझमें जो आहुति दी जाती है, उसे देवता और पितर दोनों भक्षण करते हैं। इसीलिये मैं देवताओं और पितरोंका मुख माना जाता हूँ
devatāḥ pitaraś caiva bhuñjate mayi yad hutam | devatānāṃ pitṝṇāṃ ca mukham etad ahaṃ smṛtam ||
«Toute oblation versée en moi est partagée par les dieux comme par les Pères ancestraux. C’est pourquoi l’on se souvient de moi comme de la “bouche” même—le canal de réception—des dieux et des Pitṛs, par laquelle les offrandes leur parviennent selon l’ordre prescrit.»
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Offerings made in the proper ritual medium are not merely symbolic: they are understood to reach their intended recipients—gods and ancestors—through an authorized ‘channel’ (mukha). The verse underscores the dharmic idea that correct ritual action sustains reciprocal bonds between humans, devas, and Pitṛs.
In the course of the early Adi Parva discussion, a statement is made explaining how oblations function: what is offered ‘into me’ is enjoyed by devas and Pitṛs alike, hence the speaker identifies that locus as their ‘mouth,’ i.e., the means by which offerings are received.