Shloka 2
असुरैर्निर्जिता देवा निरुत्साहाश्व ते कृता: | यज्ञाश्वैषां हृता: सर्वे पितृणां च स्वधास्तथा
bhīṣma uvāca | asurair nirjitā devā nirutsāhāś ca te kṛtāḥ | yajñāś ca eṣāṃ hṛtāḥ sarve pitṝṇāṃ ca svadhās tathā |
Bhishma berkata: Pada zaman purba, para dewa ditewaskan oleh kaum Asura, lalu hilanglah keberanian dan daya usaha mereka. Kaum Asura merampas serta mengacaukan segala upacara korban suci (yajña) para dewa, dan demikian juga persembahan svadhā (svadhā) yang wajib bagi para leluhur. Apabila saluran pemujaan dan kewajipan dharma diputuskan, tertib ketuhanan sendiri pun tergoncang; maka para dewa, jatuh daripada kemakmuran mereka, dikatakan mengembara di bumi dalam kesengsaraan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When yajña (sacrificial duty) and svadhā (ancestral offerings) are obstructed, both divine welfare and social-cosmic stability decline; adharma spreads not only through violence but through the suppression of rightful rites and obligations.
Bhīṣma recounts an old account in which the Asuras defeat the Devas and deprive them of their sacrificial rites; the Pitṛs’ offerings are also cut off, leading to the gods’ loss of prosperity and their wandering in distress—setting a backdrop for instruction on restoring order through dharma.