ततो मुहूर्तं संगृह्य स्यन्दनप्रवरं हरिः ॥
अब्रवीत् पुण्डरीकाक्षः कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् ॥
अप्रमत्तः स्थितो नित्यं प्रजाः पाहि विशां पते ॥
पर्जन्यम् इव भूतानि महाद्रुमम् इवाण्डजाः ॥
बान्धवास् त्वोपजीवन्तु सहस्राक्षम् इवामराः ॥
कृत्वा परस्परेणैवं संविदं कृष्णपाण्डवौ ॥
अन्योन्यं समनुज्ञाप्य जग्मतुः स्वगृहान् प्रति ॥
tato muhūrtaṃ saṃgṛhya syandanapravaraṃ hariḥ ||
abravīt puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ kuntīputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram ||
apramattaḥ sthito nityaṃ prajāḥ pāhi viśāṃ pate ||
parjanyam iva bhūtāni mahādrumam ivāṇḍajāḥ ||
bāndhavās tvopajīvantu sahasrākṣam ivāmarāḥ ||
kṛtvā paraspareṇaivaṃ saṃvidaṃ kṛṣṇapāṇḍavau ||
anyonyaṃ samanujñāpya jagmatuḥ svagṛhān prati ||
Then, having for a moment held back the finest of chariots, the lotus-eyed Hari said to Kunti's son Yudhishthira: 'Remaining ever vigilant, protect your subjects, O lord of the people -- as living beings [look for] the raincloud, as birds [seek] a great tree.' Thus, having made a compact with one another and having taken leave of each other, Krishna and the Pandava set off, each to his own home.
6668705e6438 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:49:21 PM UTC
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The Lord's parting word is not about himself but about the people: 'protect your subjects, remaining vigilant.' It is significant that Krishna's instruction to the king is entirely about serving others: the likeness to a raincloud that waters all, and to a tree that shelters birds, presents the image of righteous rule -- to nourish and shelter, not to dominate. The verse teaches that the crown of kingship is care, not grandeur; a ruler is pleasing to the Lord when he is to his subjects as rain to the thirsty and as a tree to the homeless. And the charge 'remaining vigilant' is a warning: the people's welfare is kept by watchfulness; the moment power grows drowsy in self-satisfaction, disaster will not be slow to come, as the coming chapter will show.