Shloka 71
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
पप्रच्छ सरितां श्रेष्ठां कच्चिद् गर्भ: सुखोदय: । कीदृग्वर्णोडपि वा देवि कीद्ग्रूपश्च दृश्यते । तेजसा केन वा युक्त: सर्वमेतद् ब्रवीहि मे
pāpṛccha saritāṃ śreṣṭhāṃ kaccid garbhaḥ sukhodayaḥ | kīdṛg varṇo 'pi vā devi kīdṛg rūpaś ca dṛśyate | tejasā kena vā yuktaḥ sarvam etad bravīhi me ||
ビーシュマは語った。火神アグニは、諸河のうち最勝なるガンガーを見て、彼女に問うた。「女神よ、そなたの子はつつがなく、安らかに生まれ出でたか。肌の色は如何、姿形はいかに見える。いかなる光輝を具えているのか。すべてを我に告げよ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in extraordinary, divine contexts, the text emphasizes responsible inquiry: the welfare (sukhodaya) of a child and the nature of his qualities (rūpa, varṇa, tejas) are to be understood carefully, because such qualities imply future duties and consequences within dharma.
Agni meets Gaṅgā and asks whether her child has been safely born, and requests details about the child’s appearance and radiance. Bhīṣma narrates this exchange as part of the larger Anuśāsana-parvan discourse.