Shloka 18
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 209: Śaraṇāgati of the Cursed Apsarases; Nārītīrtha-prasiddhi; Arjuna’s Vimocana
मथितैराश्रमैर्भग्नैर्विकीर्णकलशखुवै: । शून्यमासीज्जगत् सर्व कालेनेव हतं तदा,सारे आश्रम मथकर उजाड़ डाले गये। कलश और खुवब तोड़-फोड़कर फेंक दिये गये। उस समय सारा जगत् कालके द्वारा विनष्ट हुएकी भाँति सूना हो गया
mathitair āśramair bhagnair vikīrṇa-kalaśa-khuvaiḥ | śūnyam āsīj jagat sarvaṁ kāleneva hataṁ tadā ||
With hermitages churned up and ruined, and with their pots and water-vessels smashed and scattered, the whole world then seemed deserted—like a realm struck down by Time itself. The scene underscores how violence against places of austerity and refuge becomes a moral catastrophe, leaving society spiritually and materially hollow.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical gravity of violating āśramas—spaces meant for restraint, learning, and refuge. When such sanctuaries are attacked, the damage is not merely physical; it empties the world of stability and dharmic support, evoking the image of Kāla (Time) as the ultimate destroyer.
Nārada describes a scene of devastation: hermitages have been violently overturned and broken, and the everyday/ritual vessels (pots and water-containers) lie smashed and scattered. The aftermath is portrayed as universal desolation, as though Time itself has annihilated the world.