Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

उच्छिन्नकृषिगोरक्षा निवृत्तविपणापणा । निवृत्तयूपसम्भारा विप्रणष्टमहोत्सवा,छोटे-छोटे जलाशय सर्वथा सूख गये। जलाभावके कारण पौंसले बंद हो गये। भूतलपर यज्ञ और स्वाध्यायका लोप हो गया। वषट्कार और मांगलिक उत्सवोंका कहीं नाम भी नहीं रह गया। खेती और गोरक्षा चौपट हो गयी, बाजार-हाट बंद हो गये। यूप और यज्ञोंका आयोजन समाप्त हो गया तथा बड़े-बड़े उत्सव नष्ट हो गये

Transliteration

ucchinna-kṛṣi-gorakṣā nivṛtta-vipaṇāpaṇā | nivṛtta-yūpa-sambhārā vipraṇaṣṭa-mahotsavā ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—اس زوال کے زمانے میں کھیتی باڑی اور گؤرکشا برباد ہو گئی؛ بازار اور تجارت ٹھہر گئی۔ یُوپ کے ستونوں سے پہچانے جانے والے یَجْنوں کی تیاریاں موقوف ہو گئیں، اور بڑے مبارک مہوتسو ناپید ہو گئے۔

Word by Word

उच्छिन्नcut off, destroyed

कृषिagriculture, cultivation

गो-रक्षाprotection of cows

निवृत्तceased, stopped

विपणmarket, bazaar

आपणshop, trading place

निवृत्तceased, discontinued

यूपsacrificial post

सम्भारequipment, preparations

विप्रणष्टutterly ruined, destroyed

महोत्सवgreat festival

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

yūpa (sacrificial post)

vipaṇa/āpaṇa (markets, shops)

go (cattle/cows)

kṛṣi (agriculture)

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?

Dharma is sustained not only by private virtue but also by public institutions—productive livelihood (kṛṣi), protection of cattle (gorakṣā), fair exchange (markets), and Vedic-sacrificial culture (yūpa/yajña). When these supports collapse, society’s moral and spiritual order visibly deteriorates.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing a period of widespread degeneration: farming and cattle-care fail, commerce stops, sacrificial arrangements are abandoned, and major festivals vanish—portraying the outward signs of a deeper breakdown of dharma in the realm.