Shloka 8

Marutta’s Sacrifice and Agni’s Embassy (मरुत्त-यज्ञे दूतत्वम्)

Devanagari script

इन्द्र उवाच एहि गच्छ प्रहितो जातवेदो बृहस्पतिं परिदातुं मरुत्ते । अयं वै त्वां याजयिता बृहस्पति- स्तथामरं चैव करिष्यतीति,तब इन्द्रने अग्निदेवसे कहा--जातवेदा! इधर आओ और मेरा संदेश लेकर मरुत्तके पास जाओ। मरुत्तकी सम्मति लेकर बृहस्पतिजीको उनके पास पहुँचा देना। वहाँ जाकर राजासे कहना कि “ये बृहस्पतिजी ही आपका यज्ञ करायेंगे तथा ये आपको अमर भी कर देंगे!

Transliteration

indra uvāca: ehi gaccha prahito jātavedo bṛhaspatiṃ paridātuṃ marutte | ayaṃ vai tvāṃ yājayitā bṛhaspatis tathāmaraṃ caiva kariṣyatīti ||

Translation

Indra berkata: “Mari, wahai Jātavedas (Agni). Pergilah atas perintahku untuk menghantar Bṛhaspati kepada Marutta. Katakan kepada raja di sana: ‘Bṛhaspati inilah yang akan menjadi pendeta upacaramu dan mengendalikan korban sucimu; dan melalui ritus itu, baginda akan dijadikan ‘tidak mati’—yakni memperoleh kemasyhuran yang tidak luput serta pencapaian di alam syurga.’”

Word by Word

इन्द्रःIndra

उवाचsaid

एहिcome

गच्छgo

प्रहितःsent, dispatched

जातवेदःJātavedas (Agni)

बृहस्पतिम्Bṛhaspati

परिदातुम्to deliver/hand over (to present)

मरुत्तेto Marutta

अयम्this (man)

वैindeed

त्वाम्you

याजयिताone who will cause (you) to perform sacrifice; officiant

बृहस्पतिःBṛhaspati

तथाthus, in that manner

अमरम्immortal (state)

चand

एवindeed, certainly

करिष्यतिwill make/do

इतिthus (quotative)

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Indra

Agni (Jātavedas)

Bṛhaspati

Marutta

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual action (yajña) should be guided by rightful spiritual authority: Indra directs that Bṛhaspati, the proper preceptor, conduct Marutta’s sacrifice. The promise of ‘immortality’ points to the ethical idea that correctly performed sacred duty yields enduring spiritual merit and undying fame, not merely worldly gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra commissions Agni (Jātavedas) as a messenger to go to King Marutta and bring Bṛhaspati to him. Agni is to tell Marutta that Bṛhaspati himself will officiate the king’s yajña and, through that sacrificial undertaking, will grant him ‘amaratva’—lasting renown and heavenly attainment.