Shloka 56
Duryodhana’s Śaraṇāgati and the Pāṇḍavas’ Resolve
Gandharva Encounter
स्कन्द उवाच सप्तमं मारुतस्कन्ध॑ पालयिष्याम्यहं प्रभो । यदन्यदपि मे कार्य देव तद् वद माचिरम्
Skanda uvāca: saptamaṁ māruta-skandhaṁ pālayiṣyāmy ahaṁ prabho | yad anyad api me kārya deva tad vada mā ciram ||
Skanda thưa: “Bạch Chúa tể, con sẽ chu toàn việc canh giữ phân đội thứ bảy của các Marut. Nếu còn việc nào khác dành cho con, bạch thần linh, xin hãy truyền dạy ngay.”
स्कन्द उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma as prompt, disciplined service: one accepts an assigned responsibility (to guard a designated group) and remains ready for further duties, asking the superior to state them without delay.
Skanda addresses a higher divine authority as ‘Lord’ and commits himself to protecting the ‘seventh’ unit associated with the Maruts, then requests immediate instructions for any additional work that needs to be done.