Shloka 31
सहदेवस्य गोसंख्य-तन्तिपाल-रूपेण विराट-समागमः | Sahadeva’s Audience with Virāṭa as Cattle-Enumerator
Tantipāla
पुत्रा गन्धर्वराजस्य महासत्त्वस्य कस्यचित् | रक्षन्ति ते च मां नित्यं दु:खाचारा तथा हाहम्,वे सब किसी महान् शक्तिशाली गन्धर्वराजके- पुत्र हैं। वे ही मेरी प्रतिदिन रक्षा करते हैं तथा मैं स्वयं भी दुर्धर्ष हूँ
putrā gandharvarājasya mahāsattvasya kasyacit | rakṣanti te ca māṃ nityaṃ duḥkhācārā tathā hāham ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Sie sind die Söhne eines gewissen mächtigen Gandharva-Königs, von großer Kraft und Tapferkeit. Eben sie beschützen mich Tag für Tag; und auch ich selbst bin schwer anzugreifen.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reliance on strong protectors and the social-ethical function of protection: power is asserted not merely for pride, but to deter harm and establish security; it also reflects how claims of lineage and guardianship are used to command respect.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a speaker describes formidable guardians—identified as sons of a powerful Gandharva-king—who regularly protect him, adding that he himself is difficult to overcome, thereby emphasizing the danger of confronting him.