Shloka 6
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 53: Arjuna’s Jayadratha-vadha Pratijñā and Droṇa’s Protective Vyūha (शकटा-पद्म व्यूहः)
रुद्र उ्वाच संहारार्थ प्रसीदस्व मा रुषो वसुधाधिप । मा प्रजा: स्थावराश्नैव जंगमाश्न व्यनीनश:
rudra uvāca saṁhārārthaṁ prasīdasva mā ruṣo vasudhādhipa | mā prajāḥ sthāvarāś caiva jaṅgamāś ca vyaniṇaś ||
Rudra said: “Be gracious, O lord of the earth. Do not give way to anger for the sake of destruction. Do not annihilate the creatures—both the immovable and the moving.” In the ethical frame of the narrative, Rudra restrains a king’s wrath, warning that rage-driven devastation violates the duty of protection owed by a ruler to all beings.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must restrain anger and avoid destruction driven by wrath; dharma requires protecting all beings—both immovable and moving—rather than annihilating them.
Rudra addresses a ‘lord of the earth’ and urges him to calm down, warning him not to pursue annihilation and not to destroy living beings of every kind.