Shloka 41
Adhyāya 283: Varṇa-vṛtti, Nyāya-ārjana, and the Decline-and-Restoration of Dharma (वर्णवृत्तिः न्यायार्जनं च)
प्रहरन्त्यपरे घोरा यूपानुत्पाटयन्ति च । प्रमर्दन्ति तथा चान्ये विमर्दन्ति तथा परे,दूसरे भयंकर भूत उसी यज्ञके सदस्योंको पीटने लगे। कुछ यूप उखाड़ने लगे। बहुतेरे रुद्रगण यज्ञकी सामग्रीको कुचलने और रौंदने लगे
praharanty apare ghorā yūpān utpāṭayanti ca | pramardanti tathā cānye vimardanti tathā pare ||
Dakṣa said: “Some of those dreadful beings began striking the very participants of the sacrifice; others tore up the sacrificial posts. Still others crushed and trampled the ritual implements and offerings.” In this scene, the sanctity of yajña is violated, showing how uncontrolled wrath and hostility can overturn dharmic order and turn a sacred rite into a site of violence.
दक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma manifests as the violation of sacred and social order: when rage and hostility dominate, even a yajña—meant to uphold harmony—can be desecrated, harming people and destroying the supports of ritual life.
Dakṣa describes a violent disruption of the sacrificial session: fearsome beings assault the officiants/participants, uproot the yūpa posts, and crush the ritual materials, turning the ceremony into chaos.