Shloka 4
Jarītā–Śārṅgā-saṃvāda: Ākhu-haraṇa and the Approach of Agni (आखुहरणं अग्न्यागमनश्च)
एवमुक्त: स भगवाननब्रवीत् तायुभौ ततः । भाषमाणौ तदा वीरौ किमन्नं क्रियतामिति,जब वे दोनों वीर “आपके लिये किस अन्नकी व्यवस्था की जाय?” इसी बातको बार- बार दुहराने लगे, तब उनके ऐसा कहनेपर भगवान् अग्निदेव उन दोनोंसे इस प्रकार बोले
evam uktaḥ sa bhagavān abravīt tāyubhau tataḥ | bhāṣamāṇau tadā vīrau kim annaṃ kriyatām iti |
Assim interpelado, o Senhor bem-aventurado (Agni) falou então àqueles dois. E, enquanto os dois heróis repetiam: “Que alimento deve ser preparado para ti?”, o deus do Fogo respondeu-lhes desta maneira.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames hospitality and service (anna-dāna/atithi-satkāra) as a dharmic impulse, but also shows that when the guest is divine, the exchange may move beyond ordinary food into a higher purpose—where the deity redirects human goodwill toward a larger, ethically charged task.
Two heroic figures repeatedly ask what food should be prepared for their guest. Agni, identified as the blessed lord here, responds—signaling that his needs will not be met by ordinary provisions and that he is about to state his own request.