Shloka 21
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 209: Śaraṇāgati of the Cursed Apsarases; Nārītīrtha-prasiddhi; Arjuna’s Vimocana
सिंहौ भूत्वा पुनर्व्याप्रौ पुनश्चान्तर्हितावुभौ । तैस्तैरुपायैस्तौ क्रूरावृषीन् दृष्टवा निजघ्नतु:,वे कभी सिंह होते, कभी बाघ बन जाते और कभी अदृश्य हो जाते थे। इस प्रकार वे क्रूर दैत्य विभिन्न उपायोंद्वारा ऋषियोंको दढूँढ़-दूँढ़कर मारने लगे। उस समय पृथ्वीपर यज्ञ और स्वाध्याय बंद हो गये। राजर्षि और ब्राह्मण नष्ट हो गये और यात्रा, विवाह आदि उत्सवों तथा यज्ञोंकी सर्वथा समाप्ति हो गयी
siṁhau bhūtvā punar vyāghrau punaścāntarhitāv ubhau | tais tair upāyais tau krūrāv ṛṣīn dṛṣṭvā nijaghnatuḥ ||
Nārada said: The two of them would become lions, then again tigers, and again both would vanish from sight. By such varied stratagems those cruel demons, whenever they found the seers, struck them down. As a result, sacrificial rites and Vedic study ceased upon the earth; royal sages and brāhmaṇas were destroyed, and journeys, marriages, and other auspicious observances—together with sacrifices—came to a complete halt.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
When protectors of dharma (ṛṣis, brāhmaṇas, rājarṣis) are targeted through deceit and violence, the immediate consequence is the collapse of yajña, svādhyāya, and social auspiciousness—showing how adharma spreads by disrupting the institutions that sustain moral and cosmic order.
Two cruel beings repeatedly change forms (lion, tiger) and even become invisible, using these tactics to hunt down and kill sages; the wider world responds with fear and breakdown, as sacrifices, Vedic study, and public rites cease.