Shloka 79
वृद्धैः काश्यपगौतमप्र भृतिभि र्भग्वड्धिरो5त्रयादिभि: शुक्रागस्त्यबृहस्पतिप्रभतिभिर्रह्यर्षिभि: सेवितम् । भारद्वाजमतमृचीकतनयै: प्राप्त वसिष्ठात् पुनः सावित्रीमधिगम्य शक्रवसुभि: कृत्स्ना जिता दानवा:
bhīṣma uvāca |
vṛddhaiḥ kāśyapa-gautama-bhṛgu-prabhṛtibhir bhagavadbhir atry-ādibhiḥ śukrāgastya-bṛhaspati-prabhṛtibhir brahmarṣibhiḥ sevitam | bhāradvāja-mataṁ ṛcīka-tanayaiḥ prāptaṁ vasiṣṭhāt punaḥ sāvitrīm adhigamya śakra-vasubhiḥ kṛtsnā jitā dānavāḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : Le mantra Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) a été pratiqué sans relâche par les vénérables brahmarishis—Kāśyapa, Gautama, Bhṛgu et d’autres, ainsi qu’Atri et les siens ; de même par Śukra, Agastya, Bṛhaspati et d’autres grands sages. Bhāradvāja a longuement et profondément médité ce mantra ; les fils de Ṛcīka le reçurent de lui. Puis Indra et les Vasus, ayant obtenu la Sāvitrī de Vasiṣṭha, triomphèrent par sa puissance de toute l’armée des Dānavas. Le passage montre que le mantra n’est pas un bien privé, mais un héritage de discipline : approché avec révérence, étude et juste transmission, il devient une force qui protège le dharma et dompte l’adharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that spiritual power and moral protection arise from disciplined practice and legitimate transmission of sacred knowledge. The Savitri/Gayatri is portrayed as effective when approached through reverence, contemplation, and guru-to-disciple lineage, becoming a support for dharma and a means to subdue forces aligned with adharma.
Bhishma lists eminent ancient seers who constantly practiced the Savitri/Gayatri. He then traces a line of transmission and application: Bharadvaja contemplated it; the sons of Richika received it from him; and Indra with the Vasus, having obtained it from Vashishtha, used its potency to defeat the Danavas.