Shloka 26

Agni’s Withdrawal to the Forest and Identification with Āṅgirasa (अग्न्याङ्गिरस-इतिहासः)

Devanagari script

निष्पाप ब्राह्मण! तुम मेरे इस अपराधको क्षमा करो। मैं बुद्धिमान्‌ ब्राह्मणोंके तेज और महत्त्वको जानती हूँ ।। अपेय: सागर: क्रोधात्‌ कृतो हि लवणोदक: । तथैव दीप्ततपसां मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम्‌

Transliteration

niṣpāpa brāhmaṇa! tvaṃ mama etam aparādhaṃ kṣamasva. ahaṃ buddhimatī brāhmaṇānāṃ tejaḥ-mahattvaṃ jānāmi. apeyaḥ sāgaraḥ krodhāt kṛto hi lavaṇodakaḥ. tathaiva dīptatapasāṃ munīnāṃ bhāvitātmanām.

Translation

ಓ ನಿಷ್ಪಾಪ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನೇ! ನನ್ನ ಈ ಅಪರಾಧವನ್ನು ಕ್ಷಮಿಸು. ಜ್ಞಾನಿಗಳಾದ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರ ತೇಜಸ್ಸು ಮತ್ತು ಮಹಿಮೆಯನ್ನು ನಾನು ತಿಳಿದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಕ್ರೋಧದಿಂದಲೇ ಸಾಗರವು ಲವಣಜಲವಾಗಿ ಅಪೇಯವಾಯಿತು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ದೀಪ್ತತಪಸ್ಸುಳ್ಳ, ನಿಯತಾತ್ಮರಾದ ಮುನಿಗಳ ಕ್ರೋಧವೂ ದುರ್ಧರ್ಷವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

अपेयःundrinkable

सागरःocean

क्रोधात्from anger / due to anger

कृतःmade, rendered

हिindeed / for

लवण-उदकःsalt-water

तथाso / likewise

एवjust / indeed

दीप्त-तपसाम्of those whose austerity is blazing

मुनीनाम्of sages

भावित-आत्मनाम्of the self-controlled / disciplined-souled

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa)

स

सागर (Ocean)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should promptly seek forgiveness for wrongdoing and recognize the moral-spiritual power (tejas) of disciplined sages; uncontrolled anger can transform what is beneficial into something harmful, just as wrath is said to have made the ocean’s water undrinkable.

What is happening in the narrative?

A female speaker addresses a Brāhmaṇa, admits her offence, and asks pardon. To justify her urgency and humility, she cites an illustrative comparison: anger can have vast consequences, and the wrath of austere, self-controlled sages is especially potent.