Shloka 22
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 209: Śaraṇāgati of the Cursed Apsarases; Nārītīrtha-prasiddhi; Arjuna’s Vimocana
निवृत्तयज्ञस्वाध्याया प्रणष्टनूपतिद्विजा । उत्सन्नोत्सवयज्ञा च बभूव वसुधा तदा,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
nivṛttayajñasvādhyāyā praṇaṣṭanṛpatidvijā | utsannotsavayajñā ca babhūva vasudhā tadā ||
Nārada said: “Then the earth fell into ruin: sacrificial rites and Vedic study came to a halt; kings and Brahmins were destroyed; and festivals—along with the sacrifices that sustain them—were completely extinguished.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
When violence and lawlessness prevail, the pillars of dharma collapse: rulers fail or perish, Brahminical learning is disrupted, and yajña—symbolizing reciprocal duty between humans and the cosmos—ceases. The verse frames ritual, study, and protected social roles as mutually sustaining conditions for a flourishing world.
Nārada describes a time of widespread devastation: sacrifices and Vedic recitation stop, kings and Brahmins are wiped out, and public festivals and ritual life disappear. It depicts the earth entering a state of disorder due to the destruction of those who uphold protection and sacred practice.