दृढेयुश्न ऋतेयुश्व परिव्याधश्व कीर्तिमान् | एकत्र द्वितश्वैव त्रितश्षादित्यसांनिभा:
dṛḍheyur ṛteyuś ca parivyādhaś ca kīrtimān | ekatra dvitāś caiva tritāś cādityasaṃnibhāḥ ||
Bhishma nói: Dṛḍheyu, Ṛteyu và Parivyādha lừng danh—cùng với Ekatrā, Dvitā và Tritā rực sáng như mặt trời—đó là bảy vị ṛtvij (tư tế chủ lễ) của Varuṇa, cư ngụ về phương Tây.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights the sanctity and authority of Vedic ritual lineages: named ṛtviks of Varuṇa are portrayed as sun-radiant, implying purity, discipline, and alignment with ṛta (cosmic order). Ethical force is conveyed indirectly—dharma is upheld through properly ordered sacred offices and qualified officiants.
Bhīṣma is listing and identifying a set of seven priests associated with Varuṇa, describing their fame and brilliance and noting their residence in the western quarter. The passage functions as a catalog within Bhīṣma’s instruction, grounding his discourse in traditional sacred personages.