Shloka 56
पाण्डवानां प्रभग्नानां कर्णेन निशि सायकै: । मज्जतां धार्तराष्ट्रेषु भव पारं परंतप,परंतप! रातके समय कर्णके बाणोंसे क्षत-विक्षत होकर पाण्डव-सैनिकोंके पाँव उखड़ गये हैं और वे कौरव-सेनारूपी समुद्रमें डूब रहे हैं। तुम उनके लिये तटभूमि बन जाओ
pāṇḍavānāṁ prabhagnānāṁ karṇena niśi sāyakaiḥ | majjatāṁ dhārtarāṣṭreṣu bhava pāraṁ paraṁtapa, paraṁtapa ||
Vāyu said: “The Pāṇḍavas’ forces have been shattered by Karṇa’s arrows in the night. As they sink amid the Dhārtarāṣṭras, become for them the far shore—O scorcher of foes, O scorcher of foes!” In the ethical frame of the epic, the plea urges steadfast protection of the vulnerable when the tide of war turns against them, calling for courage and rescue rather than despair.
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the midst of catastrophic defeat, one must act as a refuge for those overwhelmed—turning strength into protection. The metaphor of “becoming the far shore” frames leadership as enabling others to cross danger rather than abandoning them to the flood of adversity.
Vāyu addresses a warrior (called “paraṁtapa”), describing how Karṇa’s night-time volleys have broken the Pāṇḍava troops. The Pāṇḍavas are pictured as drowning in the Kaurava sea, and the addressee is urged to become their ‘shore’—a stabilizing support that saves them from collapse.