Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
अनुग्रहं तु नागानां यं चक्रुः शृणु तं प्रभो । देवा भृगुकुलश्रेष्ठ प्रीत्या सत्यपराक्रमा:,प्रभो! भृगुकुलश्रेष्ठ तब सत्यपराक्रमी देवताओंने प्रसन्न हो नागोंपर जिस प्रकार अपना अनुग्रह प्रकट किया, उसे सुनो
anugrahaṃ tu nāgānāṃ yaṃ cakruḥ śṛṇu taṃ prabho | devā bhṛgukulaśreṣṭha prītyā satyaparākramāḥ ||
ప్రభో! భృగుకులశ్రేష్ఠా! సత్యపరాక్రములైన దేవతలు ప్రసన్నులై నాగులపై ఏ విధంగా అనుగ్రహం చూపారో వినుము।
भीष्म उवाच
That divine favor (anugraha) is portrayed as responding to goodwill and worthiness; the verse frames grace as purposeful and ethically meaningful, not random—an invitation to learn how right conduct and pleasing disposition can draw benevolent support.
Bhīṣma transitions into a story: he tells his listener—addressed as ‘prabho’ and ‘best of the Bhṛgu line’—to hear how the gods, pleased, granted a particular favor to the Nāgas. This verse serves as the introduction to that account.