Shloka 43
कल्माषपाद-शाप-कारणम्
Cause of Kalmāṣapāda’s Niyoga under a Curse
तत् क्षुधार्तर्निरासहारै: शवभूतैस्तथा नरैः । अभवत् प्रेतराजस्य पुरं प्रेतेरिवावृतम्
tat kṣudhārtair nirāhāraiḥ śavabhūtaiḥ tathā naraiḥ | abhavat pretarājasya puraṃ preter ivāvṛtam ||
Maka kota itu pun dipenuhi orang-orang yang tersiksa oleh lapar—tanpa makanan, merosot seperti mayat. Sesak oleh kerangka-kerangka hidup demikian, kota itu tampak laksana puri Yama, raja arwah, seakan dikepung para roh.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
When basic sustenance fails, human beings easily slip from dharmic restraint into a condition resembling death itself; the verse uses stark imagery to warn that social order and ethical conduct depend upon responsible governance and the protection of life’s necessities.
Vasiṣṭha describes a city overwhelmed by famine: people, starving and without food, become like corpses. The city’s appearance is compared to Yama’s abode, as though encircled by spirits, emphasizing the severity of the calamity.