Shloka 21
Devanagari script
प्रजाभि: सह संगम्य हानुशोचन्ति नित्यश: । अन्निहोत्राणि सायाह्ले न चाहूयन्त सर्वश:
Transliteration
prajābhiḥ saha saṅgamya hānuśocanti nityaśaḥ | agnihotrāṇi sāyāhle na cāhūyante sarvaśaḥ ||
Translation
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच—प्रजाभिः सह संगम्य हानुशोचन्ति नित्यशः। सायाह्ने चाग्निहोत्राणि न चाहूयन्ति सर्वशः॥
Word by Word
प्रजाभिःwith the subjects/people
प्रजाभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootप्रजा
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Plural
सहtogether/with
सह:
Karana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसह
संगम्यhaving met/assembled
संगम्य:
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + गम्
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)
हाalas!
हा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहा
अनुशोचन्तिthey lament/keep grieving
अनुशोचन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootअनु + शुच्
FormLat (Present Indicative), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
नित्यशःalways/constantly
नित्यशः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनित्यशस्
अग्निहोत्राणिAgnihotra rites/fire-offerings
अग्निहोत्राणि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअग्निहोत्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
सायाह्नेin the evening
सायाह्ने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसायाह्न
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
आहूयन्तेare invoked/called (performed by invocation)
आहूयन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootआ + हु
FormLat (Present Indicative), Third, Plural, Atmanepada (passive sense)
सर्वशःaltogether/in every way
सर्वशः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसर्वशस्
Speaker
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Characters & Entities
D
DhṛtarāṣṭraP
prajā (subjects/people)A
Agnihotra (Vedic fire-rite)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
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.