Shloka 3
Āraṇyaka-parva Adhyāya 277 — Sāvitrī-Upākhyāna: Aśvapati’s Vows and Sāvitrī’s Birth; Search for a Suitable Husband Begins
स बाधते प्रजा: सर्वा विप्रकारैर्महाबल: । ततो नस्त्रातु भगवन् नान्यस्त्राता हि विद्यते,अग्निदेव बोले--भगवन्! आपने पहले जो वरदान देकर विश्रवाके पुत्र महाबली रावणको अवध्य कर दिया है, वह महाबलवान् राक्षस अब संसारकी समस्त प्रजाको अनेक प्रकारसे सता रहा है; अतः आप ही उसके भयसे हमारी रक्षा कीजिये। आपके सिवा हमारा दूसरा कोई रक्षक नहीं है
sa bādhate prajāḥ sarvā viprakārair mahābalaḥ | tato nas trātu bhagavan nānyas trātā hi vidyate ||
That mighty one is afflicting all beings in every manner. Therefore, O Blessed Lord, protect us; for apart from you, no other protector is to be found. (In context, the gods appeal to the Lord: the boon once granted has made Rāvaṇa effectively unassailable, and he now torments the world; only the divine source of refuge can restore safety and order.)
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power granted through a boon can produce unintended harm when misused; when worldly remedies fail, the rightful recourse is to seek protection from the highest moral and cosmic authority, restoring dharma and safety for all beings.
Rāvaṇa, made effectively invulnerable by a prior boon, is tormenting all creatures. The afflicted parties (implicitly the gods and the world) petition the Lord, declaring that no other protector exists and asking for deliverance from his oppression.