Shloka 24
अग्निशाप-प्रसंगः
Agni’s Curse and the Restoration of Ritual Order
तथा त्वदर्चिनिर्दिग्धं सर्व शुचि भविष्यति । त्वमग्ने परमं तेज: स्वप्रभावाद् विनिर्गतम्,“इसके सिवा जो तुम्हारी क्रव्याद मूर्ति है (कच्चा मांस या मुर्दा जलानेवाली जो चिताकी आग है) वही सब कुछ भक्षण करेगी। जैसे सूर्यकी किरणोंसे स्पर्श होनेपर सब वस्तुएँ शुद्ध मानी जाती हैं, उसी प्रकार तुम्हारी ज्वालाओंसे दग्ध होनेपर सब कुछ शुद्ध हो जायगा। अग्निदेव! तुम अपने प्रभावसे ही प्रकट हुए उत्कृष्ट तेज हो; अतः विभो! अपने तेजसे ही महर्षिके उस शापको सत्य कर दिखाओ और अपने मुखमें आहुतिके रूपमें पड़े हुए देवताओंके तथा अपने भागको भी ग्रहण करो”
tathā tvad-arcir-nirdigdhaṃ sarvaṃ śuci bhaviṣyati | tvam agne paramaṃ tejaḥ sva-prabhāvād vinirgatam ||
Disse Śaunaka: “Do mesmo modo, tudo o que for chamuscado por tuas chamas tornar-se-á inteiramente puro. Ó Agni, tu és o fulgor supremo que se manifestou por teu próprio poder inerente. Portanto, ó poderoso, com teu próprio esplendor faze cumprir a maldição do sábio e recebe em tua boca—como oblações—tanto os deuses que ali caíram quanto a tua parte devida.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fire (Agni) is presented as a purifier and as the ritual ‘mouth’ that receives offerings; the verse also underscores that divine power and the force of a sage’s curse operate within a moral-ritual order (dharma), where allotted shares and vows/words must be fulfilled.
Śaunaka addresses Agni, praising his self-manifest radiance and urging him to accomplish the fulfillment of a sage’s curse and to accept oblations properly—taking in what has fallen into his mouth as offering and reclaiming his rightful sacrificial portion.