Shloka 118
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
अग्निरुवाच मदड्गलेभ्य: प्रसूतानि मदाश्रयकृतानि च । ममैव तान्यपत्यानि वरुणो हवशात्मक:
agnir uvāca mad-aṅgebhyaḥ prasūtāni mad-āśraya-kṛtāni ca | mamaiva tāny apatyāni varuṇo havśātmakaḥ ||
Agni disse: “Esses três descendentes nasceram dos meus próprios membros, e o Criador os fez surgir enquanto repousavam sobre o meu amparo. Portanto, esses três são verdadeiramente meus filhos. Varuṇa—ainda que apareça como a oblação sacrificial (havis)—não tem direito algum sobre eles.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that rightful parentage and authority are grounded in true origin and sustaining support, not merely in assumed forms or external claims—an ethical reminder to base claims on dharmic legitimacy.
Agni speaks in a dispute about who has rightful claim over three children, arguing they were produced from his own body and under his support; therefore Varuṇa, even if identified with the sacrificial oblation, has no claim over them.