Shloka 16
अग्निशाप-प्रसंगः
Agni’s Curse and the Restoration of Ritual Order
अथर्षयकश्न देवाश्व॒ ब्रह्माणमुपगम्य तु । अग्नेरावेदयछ्छापं क्रियासंहारमेव च,तत्पश्चात् ऋषि और देवता ब्रह्माजीके पास गये और अग्निको जो शाप मिला था एवं अग्निने सम्पूर्ण क्रियाओंसे जो अपने-आपको समेटकर अदृश्य कर लिया था, वह सब समाचार निवेदन करते हुए बोले--
atha ṛṣayaś ca devāś ca brahmāṇam upagamya tu | agner āvedayac chāpaṁ kriyā-saṁhāram eva ca ||
Então os sábios e os deuses aproximaram-se de Brahmā e lhe relataram a maldição que recaíra sobre Agni, e também como Agni, retirando-se de todas as funções sacrificiais, recolhera sua atividade em si mesmo e se tornara invisível.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a key bearer of sacred duty (Agni as the carrier of offerings) is harmed or dishonored, the resulting moral rupture can disrupt the entire ritual and social order. The proper response is collective responsibility and appeal to legitimate cosmic authority (Brahmā) to restore dharma rather than letting disorder spread.
The Ṛṣis and the Devas go to Brahmā and inform him of two linked events: Agni has received a curse, and because of it he has withdrawn from all ritual functions (kriyā-saṁhāra), becoming invisible—creating a crisis for sacrifices and the maintenance of the world-order.