Shloka 653
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
अग्निकार्येषु वै तेषां हव्यं नाश्नाति पावक: । जो प्रज्वलित यज्ञाग्निमें समिधाकी आहुति नहीं देते
agnikāryeṣu vai teṣāṃ havyaṃ nāśnāti pāvakaḥ |
Śakra disse: “Aqueles que negligenciam os atos devidos ligados ao fogo sagrado, Agni não aceita a sua oblação. Por isso, as ofertas devem ser feitas segundo o rito: acender e manter o fogo consagrado e oferecer devidamente a lenha (samidhā) e o havis; caso contrário, o sacrifício torna-se ineficaz no plano ético e espiritual.”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Offerings bear fruit only when performed according to dharma: the sacred fire must be properly kindled and tended, and oblations offered in the prescribed way; otherwise even a nominal offering is not truly ‘received’ by Agni.
Indra (Śakra) states a rule of sacrificial propriety: people who fail in the duties connected with maintaining and serving the ritual fire find that Agni does not accept their havya, underscoring the importance of correct observance in yajña.