समीपे नगरस्यास्य बको वसति राक्षसः ॥
ईशो जनपदस्यास्य पुरस्य च महाबलः ॥
पुष्टो मानुषमांसेन दुर्बुद्धिः पुरुषादकः ॥
रक्षत्य् असुरराण् नित्यम् इमं जनपदं बली ॥
नगरं चैव देशं च रक्षोबलसमन्वितः ॥
तत्कृते परचक्राच् च भूतेभ्यश् च न नो भयम् ॥
samīpe nagarasyāsya bako vasati rākṣasaḥ ||
īśo janapadasyāsya purasya ca mahābalaḥ ||
puṣṭo mānuṣamāṃsena durbuddhiḥ puruṣādakaḥ ||
rakṣaty asurarāṇ nityam imaṃ janapadaṃ balī ||
nagaraṃ caiva deśaṃ ca rakṣobalasamanvitaḥ ||
tatkṛte paracakrāc ca bhūtebhyaś ca na no bhayam ||
"Near this city dwells a mighty rakshasa named Baka, lord of this land and city. Fed on human flesh, evil-minded, a devourer of men, king of the asuras, strong, he constantly 'protects' this land; and the city and the country he keeps by the strength of a rakshasa, and thanks to him we have no fear from enemy armies, nor from other beings."
55e078e7fe98 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
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Here a monstrous inversion shows itself — a predator wearing the mask of a protector. The contradiction is significant: the one who "protects" the land is himself devouring its people; protection bought with human sacrifice is the worst of threats. Here is an image of false security: a peace paid for with wrongdoing and blood is no good, but a hidden ruin. It is significant, too, that the people have accepted this horror as order, having grown used to it. Thus the verse shows how ruinous is a power that guards its subjects at the cost of their lives: where the protector is himself the devourer, there is neither dharma nor true peace — only the slavery of fear, passed off as safety.