Shloka 71
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
पप्रच्छ सरितां श्रेष्ठां कच्चिद् गर्भ: सुखोदय: । कीदृग्वर्णोडपि वा देवि कीद्ग्रूपश्च दृश्यते । तेजसा केन वा युक्त: सर्वमेतद् ब्रवीहि मे
pāpṛccha saritāṃ śreṣṭhāṃ kaccid garbhaḥ sukhodayaḥ | kīdṛg varṇo 'pi vā devi kīdṛg rūpaś ca dṛśyate | tejasā kena vā yuktaḥ sarvam etad bravīhi me ||
毗湿摩说道：火神阿耆尼见到诸河之最胜——恒河女神伽ṅ伽——便问她：“女神啊，你的孩子可曾安稳而吉祥地降生？他的肤色如何，形貌呈现为何等模样？又具何种光辉？这一切都请尽告于我。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in extraordinary, divine contexts, the text emphasizes responsible inquiry: the welfare (sukhodaya) of a child and the nature of his qualities (rūpa, varṇa, tejas) are to be understood carefully, because such qualities imply future duties and consequences within dharma.
Agni meets Gaṅgā and asks whether her child has been safely born, and requests details about the child’s appearance and radiance. Bhīṣma narrates this exchange as part of the larger Anuśāsana-parvan discourse.