Shloka 66
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
ततस्तान्यल्पसाराणि सत्त्वानि क्षुधितानि वै । प्रलयं यान्ति भूयिष्ठं पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपते,पृथ्वीपते! इससे भूतलके थोड़ी शक्तिवाले अधिकांश प्राणी भूखसे व्याकुल होकर मर जाते हैं
tatas tāny alpasārāṇi sattvāni kṣudhitāni vai | pralayaṃ yānti bhūyiṣṭhaṃ pṛthivyāṃ pṛthivīpate ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Alors, ô seigneur de la terre, ces êtres de faible vigueur — poussés par la faim — vont, pour la plupart, à la destruction sur la terre.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Hunger and scarcity disproportionately destroy the weak; therefore, a ruler’s dharma includes preventing famine, protecting vulnerable beings, and sustaining social order through timely provision and compassionate governance.
Vaiśampāyana describes a condition of widespread hunger on earth, stating that creatures with little strength, tormented by starvation, largely perish—an image of societal and cosmic distress where survival itself becomes uncertain.