Shloka 653

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

अग्निकार्येषु वै तेषां हव्यं नाश्नाति पावक: । जो प्रज्वलित यज्ञाग्निमें समिधाकी आहुति नहीं देते

Transliteration

agnikāryeṣu vai teṣāṃ havyaṃ nāśnāti pāvakaḥ |

Translation

ಶಕ್ರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಅಗ್ನಿಕಾರ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಲಕ್ಷ್ಯ ಮಾಡುವವರ ಹವ್ಯವನ್ನು ಪಾವಕನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಪ್ರಜ್ವಲಿತ ಯಜ್ಞಾಗ್ನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಿಧೆಯ ಆಹುತಿ ನೀಡದವರ ಅಗ್ನಿಹೋತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಗ್ನಿದೇವನು ಹವಿಷ್ಯವನ್ನು ಗ್ರಹಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅಗ್ನಿಯನ್ನು ವಿಧಿಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಜ್ವಲಿಸಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಆಹುತಿ ನೀಡಬೇಕು.

Word by Word

• अग्निकार्येषु: in the fire-rites / in acts pertaining to fire
• अग्निकार्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निकार्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• तेषाम्: of them / for them
• तेषाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• हव्यम्: the oblation (that which is to be offered)
• हव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अश्नाति: eats / partakes / accepts
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पावकः: the purifier (Agni, Fire)
• पावकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Pāvaka (Agni)
• havya (oblation)
• agni (sacrificial fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Offerings bear fruit only when performed according to dharma: the sacred fire must be properly kindled and tended, and oblations offered in the prescribed way; otherwise even a nominal offering is not truly ‘received’ by Agni.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śakra) states a rule of sacrificial propriety: people who fail in the duties connected with maintaining and serving the ritual fire find that Agni does not accept their havya, underscoring the importance of correct observance in yajña.