Shloka 10
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 137 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa Counsel and the Ethics of Restraint
रक्षेमां पृथिवीं सर्वा मृत्योर्दष्टान्तरं गताम्
rakṣemāṃ pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ mṛtyor daṣṭāntaraṃ gatām
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Marilah kita melindungi seluruh bumi ini, yang telah tergelincir ke dalam rahang Maut—digigit dan diseret ke bawah ancamannya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.