Shloka 30
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
देवास्त्वनुग्रहं चक्रुर्मण्ड्रकानां भृगूत्तम । यत्तच्छूणु महाबाहो गदतो मम सर्वश:,भुगुश्रेष्॒ महाबाहो! उस समय देवताओंने मेढकोंपर जो कृपा की, वह सब बता रहा हूँ, सुनो
devās tv anugrahaṃ cakrur maṇḍrakānāṃ bhṛgūttama | yat tac chṛṇu mahābāho gadato mama sarvaśaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik dalam kalangan Bhṛgu, wahai yang berlengan perkasa! Para dewa pernah menunjukkan kurnia kepada katak-katak Maṇḍraka. Dengarlah daripadaku seluruh kisah bagaimana rahmat itu terjadi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse introduces a moral exemplum: divine favor (anugraha) is not arbitrary but connected to conduct and circumstance, and Bhishma frames the coming story as a complete, instructive account meant to illuminate dharma through narrative.
Bhishma begins recounting an episode in which the gods granted grace to the Maṇḍraka frogs. He addresses his listener with honorific epithets and invites attentive listening, signaling that a full backstory and its ethical import will follow.