Shloka 20
Marutta’s Sacrifice and Agni’s Embassy (मरुत्त-यज्ञे दूतत्वम्)
व्यास उवाच ततो देवानगमद्ू धूमकेतु- दहिाद् भीतो व्यथितोडश्वृत्थपर्णवत् । त॑ं वै दृष्टवा प्राह शक्रो महात्मा बृहस्पते: संनिधौ हव्यवाहम्,व्यासजी कहते हैं--संवर्तकी बात सुनकर अग्निदेव भस्म होनेके भयसे व्यथित हो पीपलके पत्तेकी तरह काँपते हुए तुरंत देवताओंके पास लौट गये। उन्हें आया देख महामना इन्द्रने बृहस्पतिजीके सामने ही पूछा--'अग्निदेव! तुम तो मेरे भेजनेसे बृहस्पतिजीको राजा मरुत्तके पास पहुँचानेका संदेश लेकर गये थे। बताओ, यज्ञकी तैयारी करनेवाले राजा मरुत्त क्या कहते हैं? वे मेरी बात मानते हैं या नहीं?”
vyāsa uvāca | tato devān agamad dhūmaketur dahyād bhīto vyathito 'śvatthaparṇavat | taṃ vai dṛṣṭvā prāha śakro mahātmā bṛhaspateḥ saṃnidhau havyavāham |
Vyāsa said: Then Agni—called Dhūmaketu—terrified of being burned to ashes and shaken with anxiety, went back at once to the gods, trembling like a leaf of the aśvattha tree. Seeing him return, the great-souled Śakra (Indra), in the very presence of Bṛhaspati, questioned Havyavāha (Agni): “Agni, you went at my command with a message to bring Bṛhaspati to King Marutta. Tell me—what does Marutta, who is preparing the sacrifice, say? Will he accept my word or not?”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even divine agents can be shaken by fear when confronted with overwhelming power; the passage highlights the ethical tension between authority (Indra’s command), ritual sovereignty (a king’s sacrifice), and truthful reporting by a messenger in the presence of a spiritual preceptor (Bṛhaspati).
Agni returns to the gods trembling after hearing about Saṃvartaka (implied as a fearsome force). Indra, with Bṛhaspati present, interrogates Agni about the response of King Marutta, who is preparing a sacrifice, and whether Marutta will comply with Indra’s message.