Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 32
Adhyāya 6: Kaṅka (Yudhiṣṭhira) Seeks Refuge in Virāṭa’s Assembly
अटब्यां दुर्गकान्तारे सागरे गहने गिरौ । ये स्मरिष्यन्ति मां राजन् यथाहं भवता स्मृता
aṭabyāṃ durgakāntāre sāgare gahane girau | ye smariṣyanti māṃ rājan yathāhaṃ bhavatā smṛtā ||
قال فايشامبايانا: «يا أيها الملك، سواء كان المرء في الغابة، أو في قفرٍ حصينٍ موحش، أو على ظهر البحر، أو في موضعٍ غائرٍ لا أثر فيه، أو على جبل—فمن ذكرني على النحو الذي ذكرتني به، وجدني حاضرًا لديه.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the power of mindful remembrance of a trusted guide: in any extreme danger—forest, wilderness, sea, deep places, or mountains—calling to mind the helper in the right spirit becomes a means of receiving support and protection.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a king and assures him that just as the king has remembered (invoked) him, so too anyone who remembers him in perilous circumstances will be met with his presence/help—an assurance of reliable aid when properly called upon.