Shloka 10

Devanagari script

रक्षेमां पृथिवीं सर्वा मृत्योर्दष्टान्तरं गताम्‌

Transliteration

rakṣemāṃ pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ mṛtyor daṣṭāntaraṃ gatām

Translation

ഈ സമസ്ത ഭൂമിയും മരണത്തിന്റെ താടികളിലേക്കു വഴുതി വീണു—ദംശിതയായി മഹാ ഭീഷണിയിൽ അകപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. വരൂ, നാം ഇതിനെ രക്ഷിക്കാം.

Word by Word

• रक्षेम: let us protect
• रक्षेम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Lot (imperative), Parasmaipada, 1st, Plural

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पृथिवीम्: earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वाम्: entire, whole
• सर्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मृत्योः: from death
• मृत्योः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• दष्टान्तरम्: the interval/space after being bitten (i.e., the critical gap before death)
• दष्टान्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दष्टान्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गताम्: gone to, having reached
• गताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pṛthivī (Earth)
• Mṛtyu (Death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames righteous leadership as protective responsibility: when society is endangered—likened to the earth being seized by Death—those with power and counsel must act to safeguard the common good rather than remain passive.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration during the Udyoga Parva (the period of diplomatic effort before war), the situation is portrayed as a grave, near-fatal crisis for the world-order; the line urges immediate protection of the realm as it stands on the brink of destruction.