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Shloka 7

Vīrabhadra Destroys Dakṣa’s Sacrifice

Dakṣa-yajña-vināśa

अथर्त्विजो यजमान: सदस्या: ककुभ्युदीच्यां प्रसमीक्ष्य रेणुम् । तम: किमेतत्कुत एतद्रजोऽभू- दिति द्विजा द्विजपत्‍न्यश्च दध्यु: ॥ ७ ॥

athartvijo yajamānaḥ sadasyāḥ kakubhy udīcyāṁ prasamīkṣya reṇum tamaḥ kim etat kuta etad rajo ’bhūd iti dvijā dvija-patnyaś ca dadhyuḥ

At that moment, the priests, the sponsor of the sacrifice, the assembled elders, the brāhmaṇas and their wives, seeing dust rising in the northern quarter, pondered: “What is this darkness? From where has this dust arisen?”

athathen
atha:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
FormDiscourse particle (निपात)
ṛtvijaḥthe priests
ṛtvijaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootṛtvij (ऋत्विज् प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Plural
yajamānaḥthe sacrificer
yajamānaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyajamāna (यजमान प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular
sadasyāḥthe members (of the assembly)
sadasyāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsadasya (सदस्य प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Plural
kakubhiin the quarter/direction
kakubhi:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkakubh (ककुभ् प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular
udīcyāmin the northern (direction)
udīcyām:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootudīcī (उदीची प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Locative (7th), Singular; qualifying kakubhi
prasamīkṣyahaving observed
prasamīkṣya:
Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + sam + īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-ल्यप्), ‘having looked carefully’
reṇumdust
reṇum:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootreṇu (रेणु प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular
tamaḥdarkness
tamaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottamas (तमस् प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st), Singular
kimwhat
kim:
Prashna (प्रश्न/nominal predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; interrogative
etatthis
etat:
Prashna (प्रश्न/nominal predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st), Singular
kutaḥfrom where
kutaḥ:
Apādāna (अपादान/‘from where’)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkutas (कुतस् अव्यय)
FormInterrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय)
etatthis
etat:
Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; with rajaḥ
rajaḥdust
rajaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrajas (रजस् प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st), Singular
abhūtarose/was
abhūt:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (भू धातु)
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormQuotative particle (इति-निपात)
dvijāḥthe brāhmaṇas
dvijāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (द्विज प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Plural
dvija-patnyaḥwives of the brāhmaṇas
dvija-patnyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (द्विज) + patnī (पत्नी प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (1st), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘dvijānāṁ patnyaḥ’
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चय)
dadhyuḥpondered/thought
dadhyuḥ:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootdhyai (ध्यै धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada
D
Dakṣa
ṛtvijaḥ (priests)
D
dvijāḥ (brāhmaṇas)
D
dvija-patnyaḥ (wives of brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

In this verse, the priests and assembly see dust and darkness rising from the north and become alarmed, indicating an impending disturbance to the sacrifice.

Because the sacrifice was proceeding in an orderly ritual setting, and this sudden northern dust-cloud appeared unnatural—foreshadowing the arrival of destructive forces connected to Dakṣa’s offense.

When pride and disrespect enter sacred or important work, disruption follows; this verse reminds us to stay humble and attentive to warning signs before conflict escalates.