Mahabharata 1.222.473 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 222, Shloka 473

Jarītā–Śārṅgā-saṃvāda: Ākhu-haraṇa and the Approach of Agni (आखुहरणं अग्न्यागमनश्च)

Devanagari script

काम प्रार्थयसे यं त्वं मत्त: प्राप्स्यसि तं नृप । रुद्र बोले-राजेन्द्र! यदि तुम एकाग्रचित्त हो ब्रह्मचर्यका पालन करते हुए बारह वर्षोतक घृतकी निरन्तर अविच्छिन्न धाराद्वारा अग्निदेवको तृप्त करो तो मुझसे जिस कामनाके लिये प्रार्थना कर रहे हो

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | kāmaṁ prārthayase yaṁ tvaṁ mattaḥ prāpsyasi taṁ nṛpa | rudra uvāca—rājendra! yadi tvam ekāgracittaḥ brahmacaryaṁ pālayan dvādaśa varṣāṇi ghṛtasya nirantara-avicchinna-dhārāyā agnidevaṁ tṛptayasi, tato mām yāṁ kāmanāṁ prati prārthayase, tāṁ prāpsyasi |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Wahai raja, anugerah yang engkau pohon—engkau akan memperolehnya daripadaku.” Rudra bersabda: “Wahai raja yang terbaik, jika engkau bertekad satu hati memelihara brahmacarya dan selama dua belas tahun terus-menerus memuaskan Dewa Api (Agni) dengan aliran ghee (ghṛta) yang tidak terputus, maka engkau akan mencapai hasrat yang engkau mohon kepadaku.”

Word by Word

• कामम्: desire, wish (object sought)
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रार्थयसे: you request, you ask for
• प्रार्थयसे: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अर्थ (प्रार्थयति)
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यम्: which, whom
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• मत्तः: from me
• मत्तः: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Ablative, Singular

• प्राप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• प्राप्स्यसि: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (प्राप्नोति)
• Form: Future, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तम्: that (one/thing)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Agni (Fire-god)
• the king (nṛpa/rājendra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Desired outcomes are linked to disciplined effort: concentrated mind (ekāgratā), moral restraint (brahmacarya), and sustained ritual commitment. The verse frames boons not as arbitrary gifts but as fruits of long, ethically regulated tapas.

What is happening in the narrative?

A king petitions Rudra for a boon. Rudra sets a demanding condition: for twelve years the king must maintain brahmacarya and continuously offer ghee into fire to satisfy Agni; upon fulfilling this vow, the requested boon will be granted.