Shloka 231
परिक्षिद्वृत्तान्तप्रश्नः
Inquiry into Parīkṣit’s Conduct and the Beginnings of His Downfall
तस्माल्लम्बामहे गर्ते नष्टसंज्ञा हुनाथवत् | स वक्तव्यस्त्वया दृष्टो हास्माकं नाथवत्तया
tasmāl lambāmahe garte naṣṭasaṃjñā hunāthavat | sa vaktavyas tvayā dṛṣṭo hāsmākaṃ nāthavattayā
“Therefore we lie fallen in a pit, our senses lost, like people without a protector. If you have seen him, you must tell us—so that we may once again have a guardian and not remain bereft.”
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral appeal: when others are helpless and ‘without a protector,’ one who has relevant knowledge has a responsibility to speak and guide. It highlights the ethical duty of truthful disclosure when it can restore protection and order.
Takṣaka speaks in a tone of distress, describing a condition of being cast down and senseless ‘in a pit’ like the unprotected. He urges the listener to report what they have seen—specifically about ‘him’—so that Takṣaka’s side may regain a protector/guardian.