Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
अभवत् प्रीतिमानग्निर्गर्भे चास्या मनो दधे | सुदर्शनाके रूप, शील, कुल, शरीरकी आकृति और कान्तिको देखकर अग्निदेव बहुत प्रसन्न हुए और उन्होंने उसमें गर्भाधान करनेका विचार किया
abhavat prītimān agnir garbhe cāsyā mano dadhe |
Bhīṣma berkata—Agni, dipenuhi kegembiraan, memusatkan pikirannya untuk menanamkan seorang anak dalam rahimnya. Melihat kecantikan, budi pekerti, keluhuran garis keturunan, tubuh yang serasi, dan sinar kemuliaan Sudarśanā, Sang Dewa Api sangat berkenan dan berketetapan untuk melakukan pembuahan.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights how attraction and intention (manaḥ) can lead to procreative resolve, while the surrounding dharma-discourse typically evaluates such impulses through the lenses of virtue (śīla), lineage (kula), and rightful conduct—suggesting that desire is ethically significant when it shapes actions affecting family and social order.
Bhīṣma narrates that Agni, delighted by Sudarśanā’s qualities and radiance, forms the intention to impregnate her—marking the moment when divine desire turns into a concrete resolve toward conception.