Shloka 9
Adhyāya 196: Droṇa’s Conciliatory Counsel and Karṇa’s Suspicion of Counsel (मन्त्र-नय-विवादः)
व्यास उवाच ततस्तु ते पूर्वजदेववाक्यं श्रुत्वा जम्मुर्यत्र देवा यजन्ते । समासीनास्ते समेता महाबला भागीर थ्यां ददृशु: पुण्डरीकम्,व्यासजी कहते हैं--राजन्! तब वे अपने पूर्वज देवता ब्रह्माजीका वचन सुनकर फिर वहीं चले गये, जहाँ सब देवता यज्ञ कर रहे थे। एक दिन वे सभी महाबली देवगण गंगाजीमें स्नान करनेके लिये गये और वहाँ तटपर बैठे। उसी समय उन्हें भागीरथीके जलमें बहता हुआ एक कमल दिखायी दिया
vyāsa uvāca | tatastu te pūrvaja-devavākyaṃ śrutvā yatra devā yajante tatraiva jagmuḥ | samāsīnāste sametā mahābalā bhāgīrathyāṃ dadṛśuḥ puṇḍarīkam ||
Vyāsa disse: «Ó rei, depois de ouvirem a ordem de sua divindade ancestral, Brahmā, retornaram ao mesmo lugar onde os deuses realizavam o sacrifício. Certo dia, todos aqueles deuses de grande poder foram banhar-se no Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā). Sentados juntos na margem do rio, viram então uma flor de lótus a derivar nas águas do Bhāgīrathī.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights responsiveness to divine instruction and the sanctity of yajña and the Gaṅgā: when higher guidance is received, the proper course is prompt, disciplined action, and sacred settings often become the stage for meaningful signs.
After hearing Brahmā’s directive, the gods return to the sacrificial site. Later they go to the Bhāgīrathī to bathe, sit together on the bank, and notice a lotus floating in the river—an event that functions as a narrative cue for what follows.