Shloka 20
Adhyāya 6: Kaṅka (Yudhiṣṭhira) Seeks Refuge in Virāṭa’s Assembly
दुर्गात् तारयसे दुर्गे तत् त्वं दुर्गा स्मृता जनै: । कान्तारेष्ववसन्नानां मग्नानां च महार्णवे
durgāt tārayase durge tat tvaṁ durgā smṛtā janaiḥ | kāntāreṣv avasannānāṁ magnānāṁ ca mahārṇave
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Durgā, you deliver beings from peril; therefore people remember you by the name ‘Durgā’. You are the rescuer of those who have fallen into distress in trackless wildernesses, and of those who are sinking in the vast ocean.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Durgā as the divine refuge who ‘ferries across’ those trapped in extreme danger—whether in wilderness or ocean—highlighting the ethical posture of seeking protection through remembrance and devotion when human strength fails.
Vaiśampāyana recites a praise of Durgā, explaining her epithet ‘Durgā’ by her function: she saves beings from durga—hard-to-cross संकट—illustrated through images of being lost in forests or drowning in the sea.