Shloka 17
समुद्रपानम् (Samudra-pānam) — Maitrāvaruṇi Drains the Ocean; Devas Seek a Means to Refill It
तमसा चावृते लोके मृत्युनाभ्यर्दिता: प्रजा: । त्वामेव नाथमासाद्य निर्व॒तिं परमां गता:,विन्ध्यगिरिके बढ़नेसे जब सारे जगत्में अन्धकार छा गया और सारी प्रजा मृत्युसे पीड़ित होने लगी। उस समय आपको ही अपना रक्षक पाकर सबने अत्यन्त हर्षका अनुभव किया था
tamasā cāvṛte loke mṛtyunābhyarditāḥ prajāḥ | tvām eva nātham āsādya nirvṛtiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ ||
When the world was shrouded in darkness and the people were tormented by death, they found you alone as their protector; reaching you as their refuge, they attained the highest relief and joy.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler or guardian’s dharma is to protect and steady society in times of collective fear; when darkness and death prevail, people flourish ethically and emotionally by taking refuge in a just protector.
The speaker recalls a past crisis—darkness covering the world and people being afflicted by death—and praises the addressed figure as the sole refuge whose protection brought the people supreme relief.