Shloka 2
भरद्वाजपुत्रवधः
The Slaying of Bharadvāja’s Son and the Sage’s Lament
त॑ सम दृष्टवा पुरा सर्वे प्रत्युत्तिष्ठन्ति पावका: । न त्वेनमुपतिष्ठन्ति हतपुत्र॑ं तदाग्नय:
taṃ samadṛṣṭvā purā sarve pratyuttiṣṭhanti pāvakāḥ | na tv enam upatiṣṭhanti hataputraṃ tadāgnayaḥ ||
Dahulu, setiap kali mereka melihatnya, semua api suci akan bangkit menyambut dengan hormat. Namun kini, melihatnya kehilangan putera, api-api itu sendiri tidak lagi bangkit untuk memuliakannya.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual and moral order are portrayed as interconnected: when a person is struck by grievous, dharma-disrupting loss, even symbols of sacred stability (the fires) may cease to respond, indicating a withdrawal of auspiciousness and the need for restoration through right conduct and inner steadiness.
The speaker contrasts past and present: earlier the sacred fires would rise in welcome upon seeing him, but now—because he is ‘hataputra’ (bereaved of his son)—the fires do not rise, functioning as an ominous sign and emphasizing the gravity of the bereavement.