Shloka 14

Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)

Devanagari script

प्रजानामतिवृद्धानां युगान्ते समुपस्थिते । त्रेताविमोक्षसमये द्वापरप्रतिपादने

Transliteration

prajānām ativṛddhānāṁ yugānte samupasthite | tretā-vimokṣa-samaye dvāpara-pratipādane ||

Translation

जब युग का अंत उपस्थित हो गया था और प्रजाएँ अत्यन्त बढ़ गई थीं—त्रेता के विदा होने और द्वापर के आरम्भ होने के समय—ऐसी दशा उत्पन्न हुई मानो प्रलय आ पहुँचा हो।

Word by Word

• प्रजानाम्: of the subjects/creatures
• प्रजानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• अतिवृद्धानाम्: greatly increased
• अतिवृद्धानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिवृद्ध
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• युगान्ते: at the end of an age
• युगान्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगान्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• समुपस्थिते: when (it) had arrived/was present
• समुपस्थिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-स्था
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Locative, Singular

• त्रेता-विमोक्ष-समये: at the time of release from the Tretā (i.e., at Tretā’s ending)
• त्रेता-विमोक्ष-समये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• द्वापर-प्रतिपादने: at the establishment/commencement of Dvāpara
• द्वापर-प्रतिपादने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपादन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Tretā-yuga
• Dvāpara-yuga
• prajāḥ (the people/subjects)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical and social crises as arising with the turning of ages: when populations swell and an era declines, disorder and suffering intensify, prompting the need for renewed governance and dharma suited to the new yuga.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma sets the scene for a discourse by locating it at a yuga-junction: the Tretā age is ending and the Dvāpara age is beginning, with people greatly increased—an ominous backdrop suggesting near-pralaya conditions.