Shloka 25
Marutta’s Sacrifice and Agni’s Embassy (मरुत्त-यज्ञे दूतत्वम्)
अग्निरुवाच गन्धर्वराड् यत्वयं तत्र दूतो बिभेम्यहं वासव तत्र गन्तुम् । संरब्धो मामब्रवीत् तीक्षणरोष: संवर्तो वाक््यं चरितब्रह्म॒चर्य:
agnir uvāca gandharvarāḍ yat tvayaṃ tatra dūto bibhemy ahaṃ vāsava tatra gantum | saṃrabdho mām abravīt tīkṣṇaroṣaḥ saṃvarto vākyaṃ caritabrahmacaryaḥ ||
Agni dit : «Ô Vāsava (Indra), si ce roi des Gandharvas doit s’y rendre comme ton messager, qu’il y aille ; moi, je crains d’y retourner. Car Saṃvarta, le brahmacārin, m’a jadis parlé dans une colère farouche : “Agni, si jamais tu reviens, de quelque manière que ce soit, pour amener Bṛhaspati auprès de Marutta, je te réduirai en cendres, dans ma fureur, par mon regard terrible.” Ô Indra, comprends bien son avertissement.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even powerful beings must respect the force of tapas and the moral authority of a disciplined ascetic; prudence and restraint are part of dharma, especially when prior warnings have been given.
Agni tells Indra he is afraid to return as a messenger because the ascetic Saṃvarta previously threatened to burn him to ashes if he again tried to bring Bṛhaspati to Marutta; Agni urges Indra to take that threat seriously.