Shloka 20
Marutta’s Sacrifice and Agni’s Embassy (मरुत्त-यज्ञे दूतत्वम्)
व्यास उवाच ततो देवानगमद्ू धूमकेतु- दहिाद् भीतो व्यथितोडश्वृत्थपर्णवत् । त॑ं वै दृष्टवा प्राह शक्रो महात्मा बृहस्पते: संनिधौ हव्यवाहम्
vyāsa uvāca | tato devān agamad dhūmaketur dahyād bhīto vyathito 'śvatthaparṇavat | taṃ vai dṛṣṭvā prāha śakro mahātmā bṛhaspateḥ saṃnidhau havyavāham |
毗耶娑说道：于是阿耆尼——号称“烟旗”（Dhūmaketu）——惧怕被焚成灰烬，心中惶惧不安，立刻返回诸天之所，颤抖如阿湿瓦塔（aśvattha）树叶。见他归来，大心的释迦（因陀罗）就在布里哈斯帕提（Bṛhaspati）面前质问供火者（Havyavāha，阿耆尼）：“阿耆尼啊，你奉我之命携讯前往，要把布里哈斯帕提带到马鲁塔王那里。告诉我——那位正筹备祭祀的马鲁塔怎么说？他是否接受我的话？”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even divine agents can be shaken by fear when confronted with overwhelming power; the passage highlights the ethical tension between authority (Indra’s command), ritual sovereignty (a king’s sacrifice), and truthful reporting by a messenger in the presence of a spiritual preceptor (Bṛhaspati).
Agni returns to the gods trembling after hearing about Saṃvartaka (implied as a fearsome force). Indra, with Bṛhaspati present, interrogates Agni about the response of King Marutta, who is preparing a sacrifice, and whether Marutta will comply with Indra’s message.