Shloka 3
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
सर्वाश्रमेषु मूढेषु कर्मसूपहतेषु च । कामाल्लोभाच्च मोहाच्च भयं पश्यत्सु भारत
sarvāśrameṣu mūḍheṣu karmasūpahateṣu ca | kāmāllobhācca mohācca bhayaṁ paśyatsu bhārata ||
យុធិષ્ઠិរ បានទូលថា៖ «ឱ ភារតៈ! នៅពេលដែលមនុស្សគ្រប់អាស្រាមទាំងឡាយក្លាយជាមនុស្សវង្វេង ហើយកាតព្វកិច្ចត្រឹមត្រូវរបស់ពួកគេត្រូវបានបំផ្លាញ; នៅពេលដែលដោយសារកាមៈ លោភៈ និងមោហៈ ពួកគេឃើញតែភ័យគ្រប់ទី—តើគួរធ្វើដូចម្តេចក្នុងកាលៈទេសៈដូចនោះ?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a diagnostic of societal breakdown: when all āśramas lose clarity and duty (karma) is ruined, desire, greed, and delusion generate pervasive fear. It highlights that inner vices (kāma, lobha, moha) are root-causes of public insecurity and the collapse of dharma.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira raises a question about crisis conditions—an age where people across all life-stages become confused and their prescribed duties fail, leading to universal fear. This sets up guidance on how the righteous (especially Brahmins/guardians of dharma in the broader passage) should sustain themselves and act when social norms disintegrate.