Shloka 79
वृद्धैः काश्यपगौतमप्र भृतिभि र्भग्वड्धिरो5त्रयादिभि: शुक्रागस्त्यबृहस्पतिप्रभतिभिर्रह्यर्षिभि: सेवितम् । भारद्वाजमतमृचीकतनयै: प्राप्त वसिष्ठात् पुनः सावित्रीमधिगम्य शक्रवसुभि: कृत्स्ना जिता दानवा:
bhīṣma uvāca |
vṛddhaiḥ kāśyapa-gautama-bhṛgu-prabhṛtibhir bhagavadbhir atry-ādibhiḥ śukrāgastya-bṛhaspati-prabhṛtibhir brahmarṣibhiḥ sevitam | bhāradvāja-mataṁ ṛcīka-tanayaiḥ prāptaṁ vasiṣṭhāt punaḥ sāvitrīm adhigamya śakra-vasubhiḥ kṛtsnā jitā dānavāḥ ||
भीष्म उवाच—वृद्धैः काश्यपगौतमभृग्वङ्गिरोऽत्र्यादिभिः, तथा शुक्रागस्त्यबृहस्पतिप्रभृतिभिर्महर्षिभिः, एषा सावित्री (गायत्री) नित्यं सेविता। भारद्वाजेनास्य मन्त्रस्य सम्यगनुचिन्तनं कृतम्; ऋचीकतनयास्तु तस्मादेव तामवापुः। पुनश्च वसिष्ठात् सावित्रीं प्राप्य शक्रवसवः तस्याः प्रभावेन कृत्स्नान् दानवान् पराजिग्युः।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that spiritual power and moral protection arise from disciplined practice and legitimate transmission of sacred knowledge. The Savitri/Gayatri is portrayed as effective when approached through reverence, contemplation, and guru-to-disciple lineage, becoming a support for dharma and a means to subdue forces aligned with adharma.
Bhishma lists eminent ancient seers who constantly practiced the Savitri/Gayatri. He then traces a line of transmission and application: Bharadvaja contemplated it; the sons of Richika received it from him; and Indra with the Vasus, having obtained it from Vashishtha, used its potency to defeat the Danavas.