Mahābhārata · 2.28.16
॥
Devanāgarī
जनमेजय उवाच
किमर्थं भगवान् अग्निः प्रत्यमित्रो ऽभवद् युधि ॥
सहदेवस्य यज्ञार्थं घटमानस्य वै द्विज ॥
Transliteración (IAST)
janamejaya uvāca
kimarthaṃ bhagavān agniḥ pratyamitro 'bhavad yudhi ||
sahadevasya yajñārthaṃ ghaṭamānasya vai dvija ||
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
किम्-अर्थं भगवान् अग्निःkim-arthaṃ bhagavān agniḥ“Why did the Lord Agni
प्रत्यमित्रो अभवद् युधिpratyamitro abhavad yudhibecome an adversary in battle
सहदेवस्य यज्ञ-अर्थंsahadevasya yajña-arthaṃto Sahadeva, who for the sake of a sacrifice
घटमानस्य वै द्विजghaṭamānasya vai dvijawas laboring, O twice-born?”
जनमेजयjanamejayaoriginal form "janamejaya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किमर्थंkimarthaṃoriginal form "kimarthaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽभवद्'bhavadoriginal form "'bhavad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यज्ञार्थंyajñārthaṃoriginal form "yajñārthaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Traducción
[Janamejaya said:] “Why did the Lord Agni become an adversary in battle to Sahadeva, who was laboring for the sake of a sacrifice, O twice-born?”
Versión
f897709a01f9 · publicado 16 jul 2026, 15:28:51 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Janamejaya’s question is direct and puzzled: why did the god of fire oppose the one laboring ‘for the sake of a sacrifice’ — is not Agni himself the mouth of sacrifice? It is significant that the very puzzlement lays bare an apparent contradiction, so as to open a deeper meaning. The verse teaches that the ways of the divine are not always transparent to reason, and the Lord’s seeming hostility often conceals another cause — a duty, a trial, a former vow. Reverent inquiry into what is not understood is better than hasty complaint: whoever asks in search of meaning is granted the meaning.