Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians
Book 3, Chapter 42
शिशुर्यथा पितुरड्के सुसुखं वर्तते नग
śiśur yathā pitur aṅke susukhaṃ vartate nṛpa
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Wahai raja, sebagaimana seorang anak kecil berbaring dengan tenteram sepenuhnya di pangkuan ayahnya, demikianlah juga seseorang tinggal dalam aman dan puas hati apabila berlindung di bawah perlindungan yang benar—suatu gambaran yang menegaskan kewajipan etika penjagaan serta kepercayaan yang sepatutnya ditimbulkannya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse uses the metaphor of a child resting on a father’s lap to highlight dharma: true authority and guardianship should create security and ease for those under protection, and the protected should be able to trust that shelter.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses the king and illustrates a point through a homely comparison—describing the natural comfort of a child with its father—to convey the idea of safe refuge under proper care or rule.