Shloka 25
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
“'देवताओ! अग्नि रसातलमें निवास करते हैं। प्रभो! मैं अग्निजनित संतापसे ही घबराकर यहाँ आया हूँ ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | sa saṁsupto jale devā bhagavān havyavāhanaḥ | apaḥ saṁsṛjya tejobhis tena santāpitā vayam ||
毗湿摩说道：“诸神啊，圣火——供物之载者哈维耶瓦哈那（Havyavāhana）——将水与自身炽烈之能相合，沉睡于水中。正因那光焰，我们才被灼烧折磨。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming power of divine tejas (radiant energy): even when Agni is ‘asleep’ within the waters, his inherent potency can still cause suffering. It implies that cosmic forces must remain in proper balance, and that beings should seek rightful divine or dharmic means to restore equilibrium when afflicted.
Bhishma reports a situation to the gods: Agni (Havyavāhana) has merged his fiery energy with the waters and lies dormant there, yet that combined radiance is scorching ‘us’ (the speakers’ group). The statement functions as a plea/complaint describing the cause of their distress.