Shloka 21
प्रजाभि: सह संगम्य हानुशोचन्ति नित्यश: । अन्निहोत्राणि सायाह्ले न चाहूयन्त सर्वश:
prajābhiḥ saha saṅgamya hānuśocanti nityaśaḥ | agnihotrāṇi sāyāhle na cāhūyante sarvaśaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Mereka berhimpun bersama rakyat jelata lalu meratap tanpa henti. Dan pada waktu senja, upacara Agnihotra tidak lagi dipanggil dan dilaksanakan dengan sewajarnya di mana-mana.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
When society is shaken by fear and wrongdoing, both public morale and sacred duties decline; the neglect of daily rites like Agnihotra signals a breakdown of dharma and the king’s responsibility to uphold order.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reports signs of distress in the realm: people assemble and mourn continually, and even the regular evening Agnihotra rituals are not being properly invoked or carried out, indicating widespread disruption.