Shloka 89
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
ततः सुदीर्घ गत्वाहं प्लवमानो नराधिप । श्रान्त: क्वचिन्न शरणं लभाम्यहमतन्द्रित:,नरेश्वरर उस समय आलस्यशून्य होकर सुदीर्घकाल-तक तैरता हुआ मैं दूर जाकर बहुत थक गया। परंतु कहीं भी मुझे कोई आश्रय नहीं मिला
tataḥ sudīrghaṃ gatvāhaṃ plavamāno narādhipa | śrāntaḥ kvacin na śaraṇaṃ labhāmy aham atandritaḥ ||
Then, O king, though I swam on for a very long distance without slackening, I became utterly exhausted; yet nowhere did I find any refuge or shelter.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Persistent effort does not always yield immediate protection; the verse highlights the vulnerability of a person who, despite vigilance and endurance, still finds no shelter—inviting reflection on the need for rightful support (śaraṇa) and the limits of mere self-reliance.
The speaker describes having swum for a long time and distance, becoming exhausted, and yet failing to find any place of refuge—conveying a moment of peril and isolation addressed to a king.