SanskritIASTMeaning
च्यवनः जज्ञे भृगोः पुत्रः प्रतापवान्cyavanaḥ jajñe bhṛgoḥ putraḥ pratāpavānthus Chyavana, the mighty son of Bhrigu, was born
पिता ददर्श च्यवनं तां च भामिनीम्pitā dadarśa cyavanaṃ tāṃ ca bhāminīmthe father [Bhrigu] saw Chyavana and that beautiful [wife]
कुपितः भृगुः पुलोमां पप्रच्छkupitaḥ bhṛguḥ pulomāṃ papracchathe enraged Bhrigu questioned Puloma
केन असि रक्षसे कथिता जिहीर्षवेkena asi rakṣase kathitā jihīrṣave"to whom were you given up, that you were seized by that rakshasa who wished to abduct you?"
न हि त्वां वेद तद् रक्षः मद्-भार्यांna hi tvāṃ veda tad rakṣaḥ mad-bhāryāṃ"for that rakshasa did not know that you are my wife"
तं अद्य शप्तुम् इच्छामि रुषाtaṃ adya śaptum icchāmi ruṣā"him I now, in fury, wish to curse"
कः न बिभेति शापात् मे कस्य अयं व्यतिक्रमःkaḥ na bibheti śāpāt me kasya ayaṃ vyatikramaḥ"who does not fear my curse? whose is this audacity?"
अग्निना तस्मै रक्षसे अहं निवेदिताagninā tasmai rakṣase ahaṃ niveditā"Agni gave me up to that rakshasa"
माम् अनयत् क्रोशन्तीं कुररीम् इवmām anayat krośantīṃ kurarīm iva"[he] carried me off, crying out like a kurari bird (osprey)"
तव सुतस्य तेजसा परिमोक्षिताtava sutasya tejasā parimokṣitā"by the radiance of your son I was freed"
भृगुः परम-मन्युमान् शशाप अग्निम्bhṛguḥ parama-manyumān śaśāpa agnimBhrigu, in utmost fury, cursed Agni
सर्व-भक्षः भविष्यसिsarva-bhakṣaḥ bhaviṣyasi"you shall be all-devouring (omnivorous)"
सsaoriginal form «sa», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
एवंevaṃoriginal form «evaṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
च्यवनोcyavanooriginal form «cyavano», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तत्रtatraoriginal form «tatra», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सsaoriginal form «sa», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ततोtatooriginal form «tato», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भार्यांbhāryāṃoriginal form «bhāryāṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कुपितोkupitooriginal form «kupito», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
केनासिkenāsioriginal form «kenāsi», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कथितेहkathitehaoriginal form «kathiteha», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
रक्षोrakṣooriginal form «rakṣo», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
मद्भार्यांmadbhāryāṃoriginal form «madbhāryāṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चारुहासिनीम्cāruhāsinīmoriginal form «cāruhāsinīm», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तत्tatoriginal form «tat», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
त्वम्tvamoriginal form «tvam», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
आख्याहिākhyāhioriginal form «ākhyāhi», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तंtaṃoriginal form «taṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ह्य्hyoriginal form «hy», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
इच्छाम्य्icchāmyoriginal form «icchāmy», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कोkooriginal form «ko», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
शापान्śāpānoriginal form «śāpān», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चायंcāyaṃoriginal form «cāyaṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुलोमोवाचpulomovācaoriginal form «pulomovāca», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भगवंस्bhagavaṃsoriginal form «bhagavaṃs», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तस्मैtasmaioriginal form «tasmai», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽहं'haṃoriginal form «'haṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ततोtatooriginal form «tato», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
अनयद्anayadoriginal form «anayad», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
साहंsāhaṃoriginal form «sāhaṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सुतस्यास्यsutasyāsyaoriginal form «sutasyāsya», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भस्मीभूतंbhasmībhūtaṃoriginal form «bhasmībhūtaṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चcaoriginal form «ca», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तद्tadoriginal form «tad», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
रक्षोrakṣooriginal form «rakṣo», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
माम्māmoriginal form «mām», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
उत्सृज्यutsṛjyaoriginal form «utsṛjya», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पपातpapātaoriginal form «papāta», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
वैvaioriginal form «vai», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सूतsūtaoriginal form «sūta», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
इतिitioriginal form «iti», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
श्रुत्वाśrutvāoriginal form «śrutvā», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुलोमायाpulomāyāoriginal form «pulomāyā», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
परममन्युमान्paramamanyumānoriginal form «paramamanyumān», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
शशापाग्निम्śaśāpāgnimoriginal form «śaśāpāgnim», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
अभिक्रुद्धःabhikruddhaḥoriginal form «abhikruddhaḥ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सर्वभक्षोsarvabhakṣooriginal form «sarvabhakṣo», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
The conclusion of Puloma's tale carries a bitter but important lesson: even the great sage Bhrigu, yielding to anger, acts wrongly in cursing Agni for having merely spoken the truth. Agni committed no sin -- on the contrary, as the embodiment of truth he could not lie -- and yet the curse falls upon him. Here scripture quietly warns: anger (krodha) blinds even the righteous, turning their power against the innocent. The curse to be "all-devouring" -- an apparent punishment -- will in fact become, as unfolds later when the gods appease Agni, an affirmation of his universal greatness: everything offered into fire is thereby sanctified. Thus good arises from an unjust curse -- for the Lord turns even the errors of His devotees toward the highest end. From this comes a double lesson: on one hand, never yield to anger that condemns the innocent; on the other, trust that truth, like Agni, is not destroyed by slander but is ultimately glorified. Agni's truthfulness, enduring an undeserved curse, is an image of truth's steadfastness in the face of injustice.