Shloka 25

Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)

Devanagari script

ऋषयो नियमांस्त्यक्त्वा परित्यज्याग्निदेवता: । आश्रमान्‌ सम्परित्यज्य पर्यधावन्नितस्तत:,अग्निके उपासक ऋषिगण नियम और अमन्निहोत्र त्यागकर अपने आश्रमोंको भी छोड़कर भोजनके लिये इधर-उधर दौड़ रहे थे

Transliteration

ṛṣayo niyamāṁs tyaktvā parityajyāgnidevatāḥ | āśramān samparityajya paryadhāvann itas tataḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Para resi meninggalkan disiplin yang ditetapkan, bahkan melepaskan upacara api suci (Agnihotra) dan para dewa api; mereka meninggalkan pertapaan lalu berlari ke sana ke mari mencari makanan.”

Word by Word

ऋषयःsages

नियमान्vows, observances

त्यक्त्वाhaving abandoned

परित्यज्यhaving completely given up

अग्निदेवताःthose whose deity is Agni (fire-worshippers)

आश्रमान्hermitages

सम्परित्यज्यhaving entirely forsaken

पर्यधावन्ran about

इतस्ततःhere and there

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Ṛ

ṛṣayaḥ (sages)

Agni / agnidevatāḥ (fire-deity; sacred fire rites)

āśramāḥ (hermitages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how severe material crisis can destabilize even disciplined spiritual life: when survival is threatened, observances (niyama) and ritual continuity (Agnihotra) may collapse, showing the fragility of practiced dharma under extreme hunger and fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes sages who, due to lack of food, abandon their regular disciplines and fire-worship, leave their hermitages, and run in different directions seeking sustenance.