Shloka 68
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
यच्च काष्ठ॑ तृणं चापि शुष्कं चार्द्र च भारत । सर्व तद् भस्मसाद् भूत॑ दृश्यते भरतर्षभ,भरतकुलभूषण! उस समय जो भी तृण-काष्ठ अथवा सूखे-गीले पदार्थ होते हैं, वे सभी भस्मीभूत दिखायी देने लगते हैं
yacca kāṣṭhaṁ tṛṇaṁ cāpi śuṣkaṁ cārdrā ca bhārata | sarvaṁ tad bhasmasād bhūtaṁ dṛśyate bharatarṣabha ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Bhārata, whatever there is—wood and grass alike, whether dry or moist—everything is seen reduced to ash, O bull among the Bharatas.” The line underscores the overwhelming, indiscriminate force of the event being described: even ordinary supports of life and ritual fuel are rendered into lifeless residue, reminding the listener of the fragility of material forms before greater powers and consequences.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of material things and the indiscriminate nature of overwhelming forces: whether something is dry or wet, humble grass or solid wood, all can be reduced to ash—inviting reflection on humility, restraint, and the far-reaching consequences of actions and powers.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana describes a scene of intense destructive effect (such as fire or a similarly consuming force), where all nearby combustible matter—wood and grass, dry and moist—appears completely burnt and turned into ash.