भर्त्सयित्वा नदीपुत्रं बाष्पव्याकुललोचना । ततःप्रोवाच मध्यस्था वह्नेः कुरुपितामहम्
bhartsayitvā nadīputraṃ bāṣpavyākulalocanā | tataḥprovāca madhyasthā vahneḥ kurupitāmaham
Setelah menegur putra sungai, dengan mata diguncang air mata, ia lalu berdiri di tengah api dan bersabda kepada Bhīṣma, kakek agung para Kuru.
Sūta
Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis in the frame narrative (implicit)
Scene: A sorrowful princess with tear-filled eyes stands amid a ritual fire, turning to address Bhīṣma; flames rise around her while attendants and sages watch in stunned silence.
Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often teach through dramatic dialogue, showing how actions bind beings through consequence and moral tension.
The verse continues the Bhīṣma–Ambā account within Adhyāya 57; the tīrtha is the same kṣetra where Āditya was installed (57.1).
None; it introduces a speech episode occurring ‘within the fire’ as part of the narrative.