Shloka 23
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
जलेचर: क्लान्तमनास्तेजसाग्ने: प्रदीपित: । उवाच देवान् मण्डूको रसातलतलोत्थित:
jale-caraḥ klānta-manās tejasā agneḥ pradīpitaḥ | uvāca devān maṇḍūko rasātala-talotthitaḥ ||
Bhishma disse: Uma rã, criatura das águas, chamuscada pelo calor flamejante de Agni e cansada no coração, ergueu-se das profundezas de Rasātala e falou aos deuses. (No contexto do relato, os deuses—ávidos e ao mesmo tempo temerosos de contemplar Agni—são abordados por esse ser aflito, que se torna a voz inesperada a dirigir-se a eles.)
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a lowly or suffering being can become the bearer of an important message; divine power (Agni’s tejas) inspires awe but also causes distress, and dharma requires that such power be approached with discernment and compassion for those affected.
A frog, burned and exhausted by Agni’s blazing energy, emerges from the netherworld Rasātala and speaks to the assembled gods, who are themselves eager yet afraid to behold Agni.