Shloka 37
गतं मां सहसा भूमिं नकुलो भक्षयिष्यति
gataṁ māṁ sahasā bhūmiṁ nakulo bhakṣayiṣyati
Bhishma said: “Once I am gone, the earth will swiftly be consumed by Nakula.” In context, the line conveys an anxious, cautionary warning: when a stabilizing elder or guardian of dharma departs, unchecked impulses—here personified through a named agent—can rapidly bring disorder and harm upon the realm.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that when a restraining, dharma-aligned authority disappears, the realm can quickly fall prey to destructive forces; stability in governance requires continuity, self-control, and safeguards against sudden disorder.
Bhīṣma, speaking in the Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, utters a foreboding remark that after his departure the earth/kingdom will be rapidly ‘devoured’ by Nakula—framing a concern about what follows once he is no longer present to steady events.